Faith Formation: Micah: Justice, Kindness and humility.

The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Micah 1:1

The book of Micah began the way most of the books of the prophets did with three elements. "The word of the LORD" (Yahweh) came through visions, experiences or inspiration, things which Micah "saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem." These words were not just the opinions or ravings of someone upset by what they thought was happening. "The word of the LORD" gave what followed authority. Even though the prophets were often opposed by the leaders, kings, priests, and even other prophets to whom they spoke, the mere fact that their words were recorded, preserved and became scripture lent them authenticity and authority. The prophet was also named. The prophet was a real person. Not everything in a book named for a prophet came from that prophet, but the poems and preaching were gathered together in the name of the prophet. Lastly, the names of the kings during the time of the prophet's preaching were listed. The reigns of the kings, both in the northern kingdom Israel, whose capital was Samaria, and the southern kingdom of Judah whose capital was Jerusalem, were recorded in the books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. We also have access to other historical records of the times and empires involved in the crises to which the prophets spoke. These opening words functioned as a title, but more importantly they set the timeframe in a real historical context. Having already looked at Micah's name we briefly turn to the kings, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, and their stories and character. The names of the kings connect Micah with two other prophets who spoke during that time, Isaiah and Hosea. Isaiah was a priest as well as a prophet in Jerusalem. Hosea's preaching was delivered to the king and people of Israel in the north. All of this took place after the three kings of the United Kingdom, Saul, David, and Solomon.

The story of Jotham (742-735 BCE) was told in 2 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 26-27. He was the son of King Azariah (2 Kings)/King Uzziah (2 Chronicles). While his father was afflicted with leprosy, Jotham "was in charge of the palace, governing the people of the land." At age twenty-five he became king and reigned for sixteen years. "He did what was right in the sight of the LORD." Except that he did not remove some of the pagan places of worship in the hills where people made sacrifices to other gods. Under him some construction took place in Jerusalem and he built fortress cities in the hill country of Judah, of which Micah had a lot to say. He also fought and won some battles against the Ammonites who paid him tribute. During his reign the Assyrian empire was growing. Tiglath-pileser was capturing towns in in the northern kingdom of Israel. The kings of Israel were consistently ones who "did what was evil in the sight of the LORD."

The story of Ahaz (735-715 BCE) followed in 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28. Ahaz, Jotham's son, began to reign at age twenty and ruled for sixteen years. He was more like the kings of Israel than his father. He returned to idolatry and sacrificed to many gods. Consequently both Damascus and Israel warred successfully against him. Many women and children were captured to be led into slavery in Israel. But a prophet, Obed, intervened and secured their release and return to Judah because to make them, who were Hebrew kin of their conquerors, would have brought even greater sin to Israel. Ahaz sought help from Assyria to fight some other enemies who afflicted Judah, but Tiglath-pileser not only refused but seized the opportunity to oppress Judah even more. Instead of repenting Ahaz doubled down on worshipping the gods of the nations who defeated him, thinking that perhaps they were stronger than the God of Israel. When he died he was not buried with the other kings of Judah.

His son Hezekiah (715-687 BCE) succeeded him at age twenty-five. He reigned for twenty-nine years and "did what was right in the sight of the LORD." The record of Hezekiah's reign was the longest of the three, 2 Kings 18-20 and 2 Chronicles 29-32. When King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah and besieged Jerusalem, including the fortress cities, Hezekiah consulted with the prophet Isaiah for help. Isaiah promised God's help and miraculously Sennacherib was defeated. The stories also record an illness of Hezekiah from which he was miraculously cured and a mistake he made when he showed off the treasury of his palace to envoys from Babylon. Isaiah told him Babylon would one day come and take it all away along with the people, but Hezekiah thought that as long as it happened after his death it was of no concern to him. Hezekiah's other major accomplishment was restoration of the Temple after Ahaz reign, the resumption of sacrifices, and celebrating the Passover once more.

Such was the context of Micah's time as a prophet. Though Assyria and Babylon were the imperial enemies of Judah, Micah's preaching was not against them. Rather he spoke of repentance and judgement against the leaders of Jerusalem, including the kings, priests, prophets and the elite wealthy who ruled there. The words of the Micah, "The word of the LORD," were directed at their failings, hubris, and violence against the people Micah most cared about in the rural towns and villages of Judah.

Do justice. Love kindness. Walk humbly with God.

Pastor Tim Bauer