Jensens survey of the old testament adam 252
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capital of Israel, just as Jerusalem was
the capital of Judah.) Did Micah write
these verses before or after the Assyrian
Captivity of 722 B.C.?
4. Ministry. Micah was a prophet mainly to
Judah, though his messages did involve
Israel (cf. 1:1; 3:8). He had a clear
conviction as to his prophetic calling (3:8).
His messages were directed to various evils:
moral corruption, idolatry (1:7; 6:16),
formal religion, corrupt leadership by false
prophets (3:5-7) and by priests (3:11). There
was social decay, with the rulers and
wealthy people oppressing the poor (2:2;
3:1-3). There was a haunting political
unrest, especially over fear of invasion by
foreign powers (see Isa 7-12).
5. Political setting. To learn about the
political setting of Micah, read 2 Kings
15:17—20:21 and 2 Chronicles 26-30.
(Chronicles reports mainly about the
Southern Kingdom.) Refer to Chart 80 as
you read these historical sections, to see
when each king reigned.
King Uzziah’s reign was a successful one,
but toward the end of his life he strayed far
from God (2 Chron 26:16-23). His son
Jotham, who succeeded him, “did right in
the sight of the LORD” (2 Chron 27:2).
Although he was not able to lead the people
out of their corrupt ways, Jotham apparently
supported Micah’s spiritual program. But
when, at his death, his son Ahaz mounted
the throne, affairs took a different turn.
During Jotham’s reign, clouds had begun
to gather on the political horizon in the
shape of a military coalition of Syria and
Israel against Judah (2 Kings 15:37). When
Ahaz became king of Judah, instead of
searching out and dealing with the national
sins for which God was allowing this
chastisement, he formed an alliance with
Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria, an alliance
which in the days of his son Hezekiah would
prove almost fatal to the kingdom. He also
introduced idolatry, with all its attendant
evils, and even caused God’s holy altar to be
set aside, and one of heathen design put in
its place (2 Chron 28:22-25).
King Hezekiah, who succeeded Ahaz,
honored Jehovah in his administration of
the kingdom. But such leadership and
example brought only a measure of
obedience on the part of the people. Though
the outward form and ceremony of Temple
worship was kept up, all manner of sins
were being committed by the people—sins
of idolatry, covetousness, impurity, injustice,
and oppression. Against all this, the
prophet’s voice needed to be lifted. Micah
and Isaiah were God’s spokesmen for such a
time as this.
B. THE BOOK OF MICAH
The content and style of Micah’s book
reveal that he was a very gifted and
knowledgeable servant of God. Let us look
at some of the book’s characteristics.
1. Date written. A probable date of writing
is after the Assyrian conquest of Damascus
(734-32 b.c., 2 Kings 16:5-9; Isa 7-10), and
before the fall of Samaria (722 B.C., 2 Kings
17).
2. Main theme. The main theme which
runs through the book of Micah is that God
will send judgment for Judah’s sin, but
pardon is still o ered. The message
underscores the two divine attributes cited
in Romans 11:22a; “Behold then the
kindness and severity of God.”
3. Prophecies now ful lled. Six speci c
prophecies of Micah have become events of
