Intro to Micah (Judah) – Paloma's Ink

In the chronological reading of the Old Testament, the Blue Letter Bible pauses Isaiah at the end of Chapter 12 and diverts us to Micah.

Introduction to Micah

Author: Micah

Date: 700 B.C. (just prior to the fall of Samaria, 722 b.c.)

Audience: Micah preached and prophesied to the common people of Judah.

Micah's counterparts

More about Micah

From Moresheth in southwest Palestine
- foothills of Judah
- 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem
- on the border with Philistia
- rural, agricultural region
His name means "Who is Like Yahweh?"
The MacArthur Bible Commentary and Wiersbe state that Micah is actually a short version of another common name, Micaiah. The full name means- Who is like the LORD?
His message was one of social justice, as the common people suffered under the sin and corruption of the wealthy and the leaders,

Micah's Times

Micah served during the reign of three of Judah's leaders:

Jotham (son and co-regent with Uzziah; considered a good king with the caveat that he did not pull down the high places or wipe out the idolatry of the people)
Ahaz (bad king who made blasphemous relations with the Assyrians)
Hezekiah (one of the best kings; however, he was able to keep the Assyrians out of Jerusalem, but not from trampling the villages. Combined with the corruption of the day, it was a hard life for the commoner.)
When Samaria falls, people from Israel pour into Judah bringing their bastardized religion with them, including significant emphasis on ba'al worship.
Since Assyria was the major force at the time, Micah prediction that Judah would fall to Babylon seemed implausible.

Micah's Message

Micah uses courtroom/lawsuit language to proclaim judgement.
Micah reinforces both God's consistent judgement for sin and the hope of God's faithful to His covenant.
Micah 4:1-3 is almost identical to Isaiah 2:2-4. It sounds like there is a lot of debate about who quoted whom or if they just received the same word, both being contemporaries in Judah.