Micah’s Prophecy

Micah was a prophet who saw the church through God’s eyes, and it caused his soul to wail and lament. He was seeing in the Spirit what God saw: the deep, hideous sins of the people and their shepherds and leaders. He saw idolatry, a harlot church making a harlot’s wages.

“Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked…. For her wounds are incurable. For it is come to Judah; it has come to the gate of my people—to Jerusalem” (Micah 1:8-9, NKJV). Micah’s lament goes even further. “But disaster came down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem…. For the transgressions of Israel were found in you” (Micah 1:12-13).

Micah saw an incurable disease among God’s people and an inescapable judgment. Look at what God calls rebellion, and see the cause of his controversy with them:

1. A new scheme of covetousness concocted by mercenary servants of God, having to do with money, property, success.

2. An emphasis on self: “Woe to those who devise iniquity…. because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields and take them by violence, also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house…” (Micah 2:1-2).

3. Rejection of the prophet’s warnings and telling people that judgment preaching is not of God, that it is contrary to his character. “’Do not prattle,’ you say to those who prophesy… ‘Is the Spirit of the Lord restricted?’” (Micah 2:6-7).

The false prophets and robbing shepherds told Micah to shut up, saying things like, “Don’t preach so much judgment! We are God’s people; he loves us. There will be no judgment on us.” The literal interpretation means, “Drop it! Drop this message of judgment on God’s people. Stop reproaching good people. This is not of God.”

Listen to Micah’s answer to these false followers: “So they shall not prophesy to you; they shall not return insult for insult…. Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?” (Micah 2:6-7). In other words, if this message is not preached, the reproach of this place will never be turned back.