Micah 4 Background Information with Maps and Images (Picture Study Bible

Micah 4

1 - But in the latter days,it will happen that the mountain of The LORD's temple will be established on the top of the mountains,and it will be exalted above the hills;and peoples will stream to it.

2 - Many nations will go and say,"Come, and let us go up to the mountain of The LORD,and to the house of the God of Jacob;and he will teach us of his ways,and we will walk in his paths."For the law will go out of Zion,and The LORD's word from Jerusalem;

3 - and he will judge between many peoples,and will decide concerning strong nations afar off.They will beat their swords into plowshares,and their spears into pruning hooks.Nation will not lift up sword against nation,neither will they learn war any more.

4 - But they will sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree;and no one will make them afraid:For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken.

5 - Indeed all the nations may walk in the name of their gods;but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.

6 - "In that day," says The LORD,"I will assemble that which is lame,and I will gather that which is driven away,and that which I have afflicted;

7 - and I will make that which was lame a remnant,and that which was cast far off a strong nation:and the LORD will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever."

8 - You, tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion,to you it will come,yes, the former dominion will come,the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

9 - Now why do you cry out aloud?Is there no king in you?Has your counselor perished,that pains have taken hold of you as of a woman in travail?

10 - Be in pain, and labor to give birth, daughter of Zion,like a woman in travail;for now you will go out of the city,and will dwell in the field,and will come even to Babylon.There you will be rescued.There the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.

11 - Now many nations have assembled against you, that say,"Let her be defiled,and let our eye gloat over Zion."

12 - But they don't know the thoughts of The LORD,neither do they understand his counsel;for he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor.

13 - Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion;for I will make your horn iron,and I will make your hoofs brass;and you will beat in pieces many peoples:and I will devote their gain to The LORD,and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.

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Micah Images and Notes

The Book of Micah

Micah 1:1-3 - The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.

Micah 5:2 - But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting.

The Old Testament - A Brief Overview

Bible Survey - Micah
Hebrew Name - Mikah "Who is like Yahweh"
Greek Name - Micha (Greek form of the Hebrew)
Author - Micah (According to Tradition)
Date - 750 BC Approximately
Theme - The Word Micah saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem
Types and Shadows - In Micah Jesus is the king from Bethlehem

Summary of The Book of Micah

Micah prophesied about the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions that would cause the fall of both Samaria (capital of the northern kingdom of Israel) and Jerusalem (capital of the southern kingdom of Judah). The word of the Lord which came from Micah was in the form of a lawsuit by God, with Micah as the prosecutor, and the mountains and hills (the high places of idolatry) as the silent judges. Mica proclaimed that "her wounds are incurable" because of the corruption of the people. He goes on to describe the leaders as "butchering the people." In Micah 5:2 is the great verse that proclaims the birthplace of the Messiah who comes from Eternity, born in the city of Bethlehem, the least among the cities of Judah. - The above text is © Rusty Russell - Bible History Online and must be sourced for use on a website.

Micah was called the "Morasthite" because he was originally from the city of Moresheth, sometimes called Moresheth-gath (Micah 1:14), because it was located in the southwestern portion of Judah knew the Philistine city of Gath.

Micah was also mentioned in the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:18) as having prophesied during the reign of Hezekiah in Judah. The book of Micah begins by saying that he was prophesying during the time of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The time period that these three kings of Judah reigned was from about 751 to 687 BC. Micah might have been directly responsible for helping to bring revival in Judah, especially during the reign of King Hezekiah. Micah was also a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah in Judah and the prophet Hosea in Israel. Some have supposed him to have been a disciple of Isaiah. That there was some contact between the two seems evident from the practically identical passages in Isaiah 2:24 and Micah 4:1-3.

Interesting Note: because of the practically identical passages in Micah 4:1-3 and Isaiah 2:24 some have believed that Micah was either a disciple of Isaiah, or heavily influenced by his prophecies.

The contents of the book may be analyzed further as follows :

Outline of the Book of Micah

Micah's message was directed to Samaria and Jerusalem, the capital cities of Israel and Judah, who was responsible for the corruption which had spread over the two kingdoms. Micah 1 announces the doom that is to befall Samaria for her idolatry. Micah 2 is a message of woe for the ruling class, because of their oppression of the poor. In this chapter Micah records the attempts of these men to do away with his preaching (Micah 2:6, 11). The sins of the ruling classes, as well as the false prophets, and the priests, are dealt with in Micah 3.

The tone of the Micah's prophecy shifts abruptly in the opening verses of Micah 4, as Micah pictures the future glory of Jerusalem, or Zion. In Micah 4:9, however, he suddenly continues his previous message of impending doom. A remarkable prophecy is contained in Micah 4:10, as Babylon is named as the conqueror of Judah although, at this time, Assyria was the leading power and Judah by no means appeared safe from her threats. About 100 years later, however, the prophecy was fulfilled as Judah, having survived the Assyrian conquests, was overrun by the forces of Babylon. Another well-known prophecy is contained in Micah 5:2, where it is stated that a ruler for Israel "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting," will come out of Bethlehem. When Herod inquired of the scribes as to the birthplace of Jesus, this prophecy was cited as having been fulfilled (Matt. 2: 1-6). Micah 6 and 7 are a continuation of the picture of moral corruption and resultant punishment, but with an assurance that God will show compassion for Israel and will allow a remnant to flourish again, thus keeping the promise which he had made to Abraham (Micah 7:20 ).

Micah Resources

The Divided Kingdom
The Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Southern Kingdom of Judah
The Assyrian Captivity
The Babylonian Captivity
The Return From Babylon
The Prophets
The Messiah

The Book of Micah

More About the Book of Micah
Micah in the Picture Study Bible
Chart of the Prophets of Israel and Judah
Timeline of the Ancient World
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