Minor Prophets - Micah

Sermon Notes, July 10, 2016 PM

Minor Prophets 

with a Major Message

 Micah

Steve W. Reeves

 

INTRODUCTION:

A. Do you ever watch courtroom drama on TV?

    1. LA Law, Law and Order, Boston Legal, The Practice, Matlock, Perry Mason.

    2. I have been in court several times. A friend of mine is a former circuit judge who

       always insisted that he begin each day of court with prayer. I was honored to lead

       that prayer on several occasions. I have attended several hearings in which I knew

       the people involved and on one occasion I have been called to testify.

    3. Many of us know what it is like to have jury duty.

    4. Many people today are disillusioned with some of the decisions being made in our

       courts across the nation.

    5. As we continue our examination of Minor Prophets we find a courtroom scene in

       which divine justice prevails. Our text is Micah 6:1-12.

B. Historical Context.

    1. Micah was a prophet in Judah (Southern Kingdom) during the 8^th century B.C.

    2. He was a contemporary of three other prophets (two of whom we have studied).

       a. Amos and Hosea in the Northern Kingdom.

       b. Isaiah in Judah.

    3. During most of the 8^th century B.C. both Israel and Judah enjoyed a time of

       prosperity and peace. Jereboam II reigned as king in the northern kingdom. In the

       southern kingdom there was Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Though things

       were good for them economically the same could not be said spiritually.

       a. The people saw themselves as religious.

       b. Their religion was hollow. They had substituted the worship of YAHWEH with

           idolatry and pagan rituals. They were going through the motions of religion but

           their hearts were far from God.       

       c. These 8^th century prophets (Micah, Amos, Hosea and Isaiah) preach against the

           spiritual emptiness of ritualistic religion.

C. The prophet Micah.

    1. Micah means, “Who is like Yahweh.”

       a. Whereas Joel (previous lesson) was a prolific poet and was very articulate,

           Micah is very simple.

       b. Micah 1:1 says, “The word of the Lord which came to Micah of Moresheth in the

           days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning

           Samaria and Jerusalem.”          

           1.) Moresheth was a small, farming town of Judah. When I think of it I think of

               some of the small little towns of east Arkansas. Have you ever heard of

               “Gordneck,” or “Grubbs?” How about “Ethel” or “Elaine?”       

           2.) Micah was what you and I might call a “country preacher.” He lived in a small

               village. He does not appear to have had a great deal of formal education.

           3.) He knew God. God knew him. God used him.

           4.) When I was a young preacher I met a man who preached in a little church

               called “Bell’s Chapel.” His name was H.K. “Tooter” Woods. He did not have

               any formal Bible training. He worked several other jobs but was asked to “fill

               in” at Bells Chapel until they found a new preacher. He “filled in” for over 25

               years. What was the key to his good work? He was willing for God to use him.

               This was true of Micah.

D. Micah uses a unique approach to speak to the people. In Micah 6 he pictures a

    courtroom drama in which God makes known His grievances against His people.

I. THE DIVINE COURTROOM

    A. In a courtroom you will have a plaintiff, a defendant, a judge and perhaps a jury.

       1. Notice verses 1 and 2 of chapter 6. “Hear now what the Lord is saying, Arise,

           plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice.

           ² Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the Lord, And you enduring

           foundations of the earth, Because the Lord has a case against His people;
           Even with Israel He will dispute.”

       2. Notice the participants in this case.

           a. God is the plaintiff.

           b. The people of Judah and Israel are the defendants.

           c. The mountains and valleys are the judge.

    B. Verses 3 - 5 begin the opening arguments as God stated His case.

“My people, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you? Answer Me.
⁴ “Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt and ransomed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam.⁵ “My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you might know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

    C. In verses 6-7 the people responded with their defense.

With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? ⁷ Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

     

       1.  Their defense strategy begins with a plea of ignorance. “We don’t know what

           you want from us, God.”

       2. The second phase of the strategy is self-justification.

           a. What about burnt offerings? We are doing that.

           b. What about yearling calves? We are doing that.

           c. How about those sacrifices? We are offering thousands of them.

           d. Oil? We are giving rivers of it.

       3. The third part is to cast doubt on the plaintiff. “God would you even be satisfied if

           we offered our own children?” To justify themselves they were seeking to portray

           God as an Deity who refused to be satisfied.   

    D. Do we ever use the same reasoning in our lives?

       1. God, I am going to church. What more do you want?

       2. God, I am singing, praying, eating the Lord’s supper? I endure Steve’s sermons

           week after week – isn’t that enough?

    E. Here is what I think these people did and what we often do.

       1. Bill and Pam Farrell wrote a book entitled, “Men are Like Waffles, Women are

           Like Spaghetti. They discuss how men can “compartmentalize” their thoughts like

           the little squares on the top of a waffle. There is a compartment for job,

           recreation, family, etc. They compare that with a woman’s emotional structure

           where everything is connected. It is like a long strand of spaghetti. God wants to

           be connected to everything we do. He does not want to be put in a compartment.

       2. These people had compartmentalized God. They had reduced their religion to

           rituals. As long as they kept the ritual it did not matter how they lived.

           a. It did not matter if they took advantage of others.

           b. It did not matter if they lied or cheated to get ahead.

           c. It did not matter if they engaged in immoral behavior with the idolatrous cults.

       3. We must be careful that we do not allow our relationship with God to be reduced

            to keeping a prescribed set of rituals by which we feel justified.  

II. THE VERDICT

    A. In verse 8 Micah records the verdict. “He has told you, O man, what is good;

       And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to

       walk humbly with your God?.”

       1. Do justice – Micah lived in a rural community about twenty-five miles             

           southwest of Jerusalem. He was concerned about the treatment of the

           poor and needy.

           a. God used Him to proclaim a message of justice. Treat others in

               a right way. Don’t run over others to get what you want. Don’t apply a double

               standard to others. Do not condemn others for the same things you tolerate in

               yourself. Do not be guilty of prejudice or partiality. Treat people – all people –

              right.

           c. Micah is proclaiming the same theme Amos proclaimed in the north. In Amos  

               5:21-24 - “I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn

               assemblies. ²² “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain

               offerings, I will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace offerings

               of your fatlings. ²³ “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even

               listen to the sound of your harps. ²⁴ “But let justice roll down like waters and

               righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

       2. Love mercy.

           a. This was also the message of Hosea 6:6 – “For I delight in loyalty rather than

               sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

           b. What is mercy? Demonstrating compassion for people who do not deserve it.

           c. It is the good Samaritan stopping to help the man who had been attacked by

               thieves on the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho (Luke 10).

           d. It is helping someone you are not obligated to help.

           e. Forgiving someone who has wronged you realizing that as we forgive others

               God forgives us.

       3. Walk humbly with God.

           a. The first two instructions regarding justice and mercy are concerned with how

               we relate to others. The third one has to do with our relationship with God.

           b. In Ephesians 4 and 5 the word “walk” appears four times.

               1.) 4:1 – “walk worthy of your calling.”

               2.) 4:17 – “do not walk as the gentiles walk.”

               3.) 5:2 – “walk in love.”

               4.) 5:15 – “Be careful how you walk.”

           c. What a wonderful thought that God wants us to walk with Him. Walking humbly

               with Him  means we submit to His will.

    B. Each of these commands is a present tense verb.

       1. “To Act”; “To Love,” “To Walk.”

       2. Micah is saying, “It is not the church service you attended yesterday. It is how

           you are living today!

CONCLUSION:

A. After the courtroom drama has concluded Micah reveals a very important aspect of

    God that each of us needs to understand. Notice Micah 7:18-19.

Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. ¹⁹ He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

B. You and I are here because of God’s love and loyalty. He has been faithful to us

    even when we haven’t been faithful to Him. He is a God who is worthy of love, praise

    and adoration. Let us give Him our very best in every way. Amen!