Micah Introduction

Micah had a strong sense of the need for justice in society, whether through the proper administration of justice in the courts (3:11; 7:3), through fairness in the marketplace (6:10-11), or through dealing with authority and power in a responsible manner (2:1-2,8-9; 3:1-3,9-10; 6:12; 7:2-6). A person’s relationship with God is primary and determines all others (6:8). Since justice and mercy are the Lord’s requirements, “to walk humbly with” him must entail fair dealings with others. And what is fair shouldm be measured only against the standard that God has already showed mankind to be “good.” The issue of social justice brings Micah alive as a prophet who has much to say to all generations.

Another key theme in Micah is the proper worship of the Lord. Like Amos, Micah deplored a religious system that had much ritual but little repentance. He admonished people to commit themselves totally to the Lord. This meant “to walk humbly with” God, to forgo the worship of other gods (1:6-7; 5:13), and to forgo anything that might become a source of confidence for the believer other than the Lord (5:10-12).

Even though Micah spent a lot of time preaching about judgment to come (also a topic of present-day relevance), he was above all a prophet of hope for the future. God would bring a ruler who would allow the people to live in peace (5:1-5). Micah gave many details about the coming kingdom of God and its blessings for the entire world. In the final chapter of his book, Micah expressed trust that the Lord will accomplish his purposes in the world even when society is filled with corruption and violence. Matthew saw in Micah’s hope for a new ruler a description of Christ (Mt 2:6).