Ordained from the days of old.

Micha walked barefoot and nacked around,

to demonstrate what the Almigthy announced,

my people repent and turn away,

for the sins you have done by going astray. 

The prophet Micah – his name means who is like the Lord.

He prophesied sometime between 750 – 685. BC. 

Isaiah, Hosea and Micha prophesied during the reign of 3 kings – Jotham Ahaz and Hezekiah.

In every book in the bible, especially in the Old Testament, we hear the cry of the Father heart of God telling his children: Why do you not love me, why do you sin again and again.

Chapter 1 verse 2: Hear o people all of you, listen earth and all it contains.

Micah prophesied to the common people in the street and on the field, but in chapter 1 – 2 he involves the whole earth.

Every time God call his people to repentance, he shows them were they have gone wrong, and were they could have been, then he gives them a promise for better time.

The Father heart of God instruct and train in love with compassion. The earth is full of possibilities to train and learn. Perfected in love with compassion is what life is about.

Were justice and punishment is done, explanation is a necessary part on behalf of the law, because God is love and justice.

The prophet speaks and explains as Gods voice, he is his mouthpiece. The testing of a true prophet is, what he prophecies come to pass.

The judgment spoken of by Micah came to pass many years later in the time of Jeremiah chapter 26 – 18:  Micah prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah: Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will become ruins, and the mountains of the high places a forest.

There were many reasons for God to judge the people. The book of Micah very clearly shows, that the people themselves oppressed their own people. It is not possible to do evil over and over again without feeling Gods judging hand.

Chapter 1 – 3: the Lord is coming – meaning the Lord  is about to intervene in history.

Verse 5 clearly shows, that the punishment was for Samaria and the house of Judah and Jerusalem.

Chapter 2: They work out evil on their bed.

The rich got richer on expenses of the poor, because they controlled the structure of the society.

Verse 6: Do not speak out – so they say.

There may have been false prophet around, who warned the true prophet not to prophesy.

Is the world still laughing over Gods word, and do thy say: it will newer happen?

Is God kept out of real life? Is he involved in social life, politic and finances today? Or is he just somebody far behind the sky. The word teaches us, that God wants to have relationship, with each living being he created.

Verse 8: My people have risen as an enemy.

They take what does not belong to them.

They take houses and children away from me.

Verse 11: They are walking after wind and falsehood and tell lies supported by vine and liquor.

Verse 10: The uncleanness will bring on painful destruction.

Chapter 3: God complain: You hate good and love evil, and you do not know justice.

God does see the injustice done to the oppressed people. It is described as tear of the skin from their bones. You eat the flesh of my people. You chop them of as meat and put them in a kettle.

Verse 5: When they have something to bite with their teeth they cry peace. Even the prophets can be bribed.

Verse 9: The rulers of the house of Israel abhor justice and twist every thing that is straight. The whole country is corrupt.

Verse 11: Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe.

Her priests instruct for a price.

Her prophets divine for money.

Jet they lean on the lord saying: Is not the lord in our midst.

Does still happen today? Do we bless in the name of God and at the same time do our own thing without consulting him by neglecting his word?

Chapter 7: It becomes worse. God says: The godly person has perished from the land.

Verse 3: The prince asks the judge for a bribe.

A great man speaks the desire of his soul.

Verse 5: Do not trust in your neighbor.

Verse 6: A mans enemy are the members of his household.

Chapter 1 – 8: Micah says: Because of this I must lament and wail and walk naked and barefoot.

Micah actually walked naked and barefoot through Jerusalem just wearing a loincloth.

Verse 9: Her wound is incurable.

Micah foresees the future so clearly that to him it seems so, as thought it has already come

Today if we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, which God has given to all true believers, we will be lead by the spirit of God to handle our life Gods way. We do have the choice to listen to him or not.

We can not look back and ask: Does God exist when he allows this and that thing to happen, and thereby overlook that we are born with an inherited free will.

One day every one will be held responsible for his life.

In the time of Micah they had to follow the law with its ceremony and listen to the prophet, the priest and the king. If they failed, people also failed sadly.

Jewish history has repeated itself over again and again.

Chapter 6: Repentance always had a place in God dealing with his people.

Verse 3: My people what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me;

I brought you up from the land of Egypt and ransomed you from the house of slavery.

Verse 8: I have told you what is good, and what I require of you: To do justice and to walk humbly with your God.

Verse 11: God is defending himself, as an answer to the punishment that is to come.

Can I justify wicked scales – and a bag of deceptive weights?

God is righteous and have to judge, otherwise justice can not prevail.

Proverbs chapter 1 -7. To fear God is the beginning to knowledge.

It should teach us to be just and honest in daily living even in the smallest matter.

The book of Micah is mentioning money over and over again.

Financially corruptive business is domed to fail for or later.

Chapter 7 – 7: Micah foresees the destruction of Zion in 586 BC and cry out on behalf of the people: I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him.

Even so the Holy Spirit was not given to the individual at that time in history, people still knew what was right and not in the sight of the Lord. That made them responsible for their doings.

Chapter 5: Describes the birth of their Messiah:

Verse 2: His going fort is from long ago, from the days of eternity.

Verse 3: He will give them up until the time, when she who is in labor has borne a child, meaning:

The birth of Jesus Christ, who existed from eternity,

replacing all the offerings done on the altar, as the law commanded.

Chapter 7 verse 18: Who is a God like you, who pardon iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of his possession.

Verse 19: He will again have compassion on us, he will tread our iniquities under foot and cast all our sins in the depth of the see.

Verse 20: He will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham, which he swore to our forefather from the days of old.

Chapter 4: Peaceful latter days.

It will come to pass in the last days, that the mountain and the house of the Lord will be established.

Verse 2. Many nations will come and say: Come let us go to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, that we may walk in his path. For from Zion will go fort the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Verse 3: He will judge between many people and render decisions for mighty nations. They will hammer their swords into plowshare, and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nations will not lift up sword against nations, and newer again will they train for war.

Each one of them will sit under his vine and fig tree, with no one to make them afraid. For the mouth of the Lord of host has spoken. 

When the Lord returns the second time, then there will be peace on earth. Nations will be obliged to visit Jerusalem every year and the king of peace will rain on earth.