An introduction to Micah
According to Micah 1:1, Micah prophesied during the lifetimes of three kings of Judah: Jotham (750-731), Ahaz (735-715) and Hezekiah (715-686). He prophesied against the sins prevalent in Israel and Judah in his day, about the same time as Isaiah. His hometown was south of Jerusalem in Judah.
The coming destruction
Micah 1
Micah 1
1 The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear, all you peoples! Listen, O earth, and all that is in it! Let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple.
3 For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place; He will come down And tread on the high places of the earth.
4 The mountains will melt under Him, And the valleys will split Like wax before the fire, Like waters poured down a steep place.
5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?
6 “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field, Places for planting a vineyard; I will pour down her stones into the valley, And I will uncover her foundations.
7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, And all her pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire; All her idols I will lay desolate, For she gathered it from the pay of a harlot, And they shall return to the pay of a harlot.”
8 Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals And a mourning like the ostriches,
9 For her wounds are incurable. For it has come to Judah; It has come to the gate of My people— To Jerusalem.
10 Tell it not in Gath, Weep not at all; In Beth Aphrah Roll yourself in the dust.
11 Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant of Shaphir; The inhabitant of Zaanan does not go out. Beth Ezel mourns; Its place to stand is taken away from you.
12 For the inhabitant of Maroth pined for good, But disaster came down from the LORD To the gate of Jerusalem.
13 O inhabitant of Lachish, Harness the chariot to the swift steeds (She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion), For the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you shall give presents to Moresheth Gath; The houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
15 I will yet bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah; The glory of Israel shall come to Adullam.
16 Make yourself bald and cut off your hair, Because of your precious children; Enlarge your baldness like an eagle, For they shall go from you into captivity.
As a contemporary of Isaiah, here’s the same song with a different tune, so to speak; this chapter is written as Hebrew poetry. It’s the familiar prophetic theme declaring that, because of the sin of heathen worship, Israel and Judah were going to fall into captivity. Verse 5 clearly identifies the Northern and Southern Kingdoms by naming their capital cities, Samaria and Jerusalem. In addition to being poetic, there is a considerable play on words with the cities mentioned at the end of the chapter. For example, the city named “Shaphir” also means “beautiful,” and the city named “Zaanan” means “to come out.” Read those verses with those substitutes and see the pun intended by Micah in this poetic prophecy.
You will recall that Israel’s turning away from God happened immediately after Solomon’s death – right from their beginning. Judah had periods of worshipping the one true God, but Israel never did. Israel fell to the Assyrians in 721/722 B.C. during the reign of King Hoshea of Israel (II Kings 17, see notes), and virtually all of Judah fell shortly afterwards. Jerusalem itself, however, managed to hold out through the Assyrian assaults, finally falling to the Babylonians in 586 B.C. (II Kings 24-25, see notes). Micah’s prophecy specifically mentions certain cities in Israel and Judah that would experience the Assyrian assault. The list of cities is not meant to be comprehensive; they probably had particular significance to contemporaries of Micah that escapes us now.
They’re not counting sheep!
Micah 2:1-5
Micah 2:1-5
1 Woe to those who devise iniquity,
And work out evil on their beds!
At morning light they practice it,
Because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They covet fields and take them by violence,
Also houses, and seize them.
So they oppress a man and his house,
A man and his inheritance.
3 ¶ Therefore thus says the LORD:
“Behold, against this family I am devising disaster,
From which you cannot remove your necks;
Nor shall you walk haughtily,
For this is an evil time.
4 In that day one shall take up a proverb against you,
And lament with a bitter lamentation, saying:
“We are utterly destroyed!
He has changed the heritage of my people;
How He has removed it from me!
To a turncoat He has divided our fields.’ ”
5 Therefore you will have no one to determine boundaries by lot
In the assembly of the LORD.
What do you think about when you can’t sleep at night? Verse 1 indicates that the inhabitants of Israel and Judah thought about the evil they could do. Then…the next day they’d get up and do that evil they had schemed in their beds the night before. The influential people of Israel and Judah were wicked and determined to practice their wickedness. Now…that’s baaaad! However, their “evil” will be chastised by “the LORD” (Jehovah aka Yahweh) “in that day.” The reference to “that day” points to the fall of Israel and Judah to the Assyrians in this passage.
Then you have those pesky false prophets
Micah 2:6-11
Micah 2
6 “Do not prattle,” you say to those who prophesy. So they shall not prophesy to you; They shall not return insult for insult.
7 You who are named the house of Jacob: “Is the Spirit of the LORD restricted? Are these His doings? Do not My words do good To him who walks uprightly?
8 “Lately My people have risen up as an enemy— You pull off the robe with the garment From those who trust you, as they pass by, Like men returned from war.
9 The women of My people you cast out From their pleasant houses; From their children You have taken away My glory forever.
10 “Arise and depart, For this is not your rest; Because it is defiled, it shall destroy, Yes, with utter destruction. 11 If a man should walk in a false spirit And speak a lie, saying, “I will prophesy to you of wine and drink,’ Even he would be the prattler of this people.
God’s true prophets understood the sin of God’s people to be their heathen worship. They warned of destruction for their lack of repentance toward God. The false prophets prophesied prosperity regardless of the people’s spiritual condition; they were simply people pleasers. Notice verse 11, “If a man should walk in a false spirit And speak a lie, saying, ‘I will prophesy to you of wine and drink,’ Even he would be the prattler of this people.” Let’s face it; the people didn’t want doom and gloom prophecies; their favorite prophets were those who prophesied good times ahead.
Messianic words…or not?
Micah 2:12-13
Micah 2
12 “I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.
13 The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it; Their king will pass before them, With the LORD at their head.”
Verses 12-13 indicate a return to the land by a remnant after the fall prophesied in chapter 1. Here’s the big question. Is this the return of the exiles to Israel from Babylon in 535 B.C., or is this a reference to the millennium when the Messiah shall reign over the earth. Judging from the balance of Micah’s prophecy, the millennium must be in view here. Micah clearly prophesies the presence of the Messiah who did not appear in 535 B.C., but will during the millennium. So, here’s the prophecy of these two verses: One day after they have fallen, Israel and Judah will be restored again under their king. Here’s the Messianic promise in these two verses when Micah says in verse 12, “I will surely gather the remnant of Israel.” As indicated, however, this does not happen until the yet-future millennium.
To many students of Bible prophecy, verse 12 ties in nicely with Matthew 24:16-20 (see notes). Here’s the deal: If Micah 2:12-13 addresses the movement of God’s remnant leading up to the millennium, then we have a geographic location with which to deal. Notice the wording of verse 12, “I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.”
In Jesus’ Olivet discourse, he refers to Daniel’s “abomination of desolation” in Matthew 24:15 (see notes). We know from Daniel 9:24-27 (see notes) that this event takes place at the 3 1/2 year mark in the seven-year tribulation. Assuming Matthew 24 to be in chronological order, Matthew 24:16-20 (see notes) is addressed to the people who see the “abomination of desolation” in verse 15. They are commanded in verse 16, “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” So…to which mountains do they flee? How about to the mountainous region of (old) Edom on the east side of the Dead Sea – to a place called Bozrah as indicated here in Micah 2:12? Ooops! We don’t actually see the name “Bozrah” in the NKJV. Here it’s translated “fold,” even though the Hebrew word is “Bozrah.” You see, the Hebrew word “bozrah” is translated “sheepfold,” but it is also the name of a city in Edom. So, it could be either.
You can see how that it is not difficult to speculate that the place where the remnant will flee the Beast (aka Antichrist) for the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation will be to Bozrah of Micah 2:12. This flight into the wilderness is also described in Revelation 12:6 (see notes), “Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” This period of 3 1/2 years described here fits nicely into the second half of the tribulation – framed between the “abomination of desolation” and the second coming of Jesus Christ in Revelation 19:11-21 (see notes). Another support for this premise is Daniel 11:41 (see notes) where we are told that the reach of the Beast will not include this area.
Incidentally, the capital city of Edom was Sela. The Hebrew word “sela” is also translated “rock” in English or “petra” in Greek. Therefore, the Greeks called the capital city of Edom “Petra” (we are told). It was apparently named after the fact that it is a city which stands in “the clefts of the rock.” For that reason, many think that the phrase “the clefts of the rock” in Obadiah (see notes) verse 3 is really a reference to Edom’s capital city, Petra. I mention this because of a prophecy theory one might hear stating that Petra, in Edom (near Bozrah), will also become the fortress for the fleeing saints during the tribulation period. It’s based upon very thin scriptural evidence, but all I can say is, “Maybe!”
Some bad leaders and bad prophets
Micah 3
Micah 3
1 And I said: “Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice?
2 You who hate good and love evil; Who strip the skin from My people, And the flesh from their bones;
3 Who also eat the flesh of My people, Flay their skin from them, Break their bones, And chop them in pieces Like meat for the pot, Like flesh in the caldron.”
4 Then they will cry to the LORD, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds.
5 Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets Who make my people stray; Who chant “Peace” While they chew with their teeth, But who prepare war against him Who puts nothing into their mouths:
6 “Therefore you shall have night without vision, And you shall have darkness without divination; The sun shall go down on the prophets, And the day shall be dark for them.
7 So the seers shall be ashamed, And the diviners abashed; Indeed they shall all cover their lips; For there is no answer from God.”
8 But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, And of justice and might, To declare to Jacob his transgression And to Israel his sin.
9 Now hear this, You heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And pervert all equity,
10 Who build up Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with iniquity:
11 Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD, and say, “Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us.”
12 Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest.
Micah’s prophecy takes off on these bad leaders of Israel/Judah and their prophets. As I said, they prophesied prosperity falsely. So why did they do it? For the same reason so many people get off track with God today. As a wise friend in the ministry is noted for saying in such matters, “It’s not the money; it’s the money.” In other words, he has noted over the years that, while people will justify their actions with spiritual-sounding rhetoric, very often their actions are motivated by prospective prosperity. Sure enough! There it is in verse 11 – the money, “Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD, and say, ‘Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us.'” By the way, verse 12 once again states the consequences of their godless actions – DESTRUCTION!
We should also take note of another verse in this chapter. About 100 years later this verse would rescue Jeremiah from execution by his own people. Notice Micah’s prophecy that Jerusalem would be destroyed in verse 12, “Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest.” When Jeremiah was on trial (Jeremiah 26, see notes) for saying such things, one of the elders of Jeremiah’s day makes reference to the fact that Micah had made the same prophecy during the days of Hezekiah; he had not been executed for making such a prophecy. As a result of this reasoning, Jeremiah was permitted to live. In that sense, it is obvious that this prophecy extends beyond the assault of the Assyrians all the way down to the Babylonian onslaught beginning in 605 B.C. and continuing until Jerusalem’s demise in 586 B.C. (II Kings 24-25, see notes).
Restoration conditions
Micah 4
Micah 4
1 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’S house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it.
2 Many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion the law shall go forth, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples, And rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.
4 But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
5 For all people walk each in the name of his god, 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 the lame, I will gather the outcast And those whom I have afflicted;
7 I will make the lame a remnant, And the outcast a strong nation; So the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever.
8 And you, O tower of the flock, The stronghold of the daughter of Zion, To you shall it come, Even the former dominion shall come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”
9 Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in your midst? Has your counselor perished? For pangs have seized you like a woman in labor.
10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, Like a woman in birth pangs. For now you shall go forth from the city, You shall dwell in the field, And to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; There the LORD will redeem you From the hand of your enemies.
11 Now also many nations have gathered against you, Who say, “Let her be defiled, And let our eye look upon Zion.”
12 But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, Nor do they understand His counsel; For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; For I will make your horn iron, And I will make your hooves bronze; You shall beat in pieces many peoples; I will consecrate their gain to the LORD, And their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.”
Chapter 4 outlines restoration conditions under the Messiah. The Lord will rule, and peace will prevail. Verse 5 seems a little confusing, but actually contrasts a now-and-then condition – now nations walk after their own gods, but then we’ll all walk after the one Lord. The insertion of the word “will” before “walk” may create an impression that Micah is indicating that other gods might be served at that time. The Hebrew stem and tense for “walk” (qal imperfect) actually may also be understood to be this now-and-then contrast – before and after the Messianic rule. NO OTHER GODS WILL BE SERVED DURING THE MILLENNIUM. He goes on to say that now they face captivity, but then restoration to God’s kingdom. This process is compared to a woman in labor in verse 10 – pain followed by satisfaction and joy.
The question arises, “What was the time frame in which Micah thought this restoration would happen?” A distinction is in order here. While the exiles from the Assyrian and Babylonian deportations did return in 535 B.C. to their land, the Messianic rule (which is yet future) did not materialize at that time. Micah’s prophecy looks forward to the return to the land AND the rule of the Messiah over the earth.
Let’s recap this chapter by listing the characteristics found here of the millennium:
- Jerusalem will be established above all cities (verse 1)
- The law will come from Jerusalem (verse 2)
- The other nations will be under this law (verse 2)
- Strong foreign nations will be put down (verse 3)
- Weapons will be eliminated (verse 3)
- There will be no fear of predators (verse 4)
- All will serve the name of Jehovah (verse 5)
- The Lord will reign forever (verse 7)
It should be noted here that, while the millennium lasts 1,000 years, the rule of the Messiah over the new Heaven and earth extends into eternity beginning after the final destruction of Satan in Revelation 20 (see notes).
These millennial conditions are also set forth in the following passages:
- Isaiah 2:1-5
- Isaiah 11:1-16
- Isaiah 60
- Isaiah 65-66
- Ezekiel 34:25-31
- Revelation 20
Micah lists other conditions in 5:7-15 (see below).
A deliverer from Bethlehem
Micah 5:1-6
Micah 5
1 Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
3 Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel.
4 And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth;
5 And this One shall be peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land, And when he treads in our palaces, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight princely men.
6 They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria, And the land of Nimrod at its entrances; Thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian, When he comes into our land And when he treads within our borders.
David was born in Bethlehem, and it is prophesied here that the Messiah will also be born there. We know that Jesus was, in fact, born in Bethlehem. He’ll be the deliverer of Israel. The epitome of Israel’s enemies in Micah’s day was Assyria. Assyria is thus used as the symbol of the godless nations who, then and in the future, stand against Israel/Judah. They get a figurative mention in verse 6 along with the poster child of bad men, Nimrod.
Micah 5:2 is the verse that caused all the uproar when Herod became concerned at the request of the wise men when they asked in Matthew 2:2 (see notes), “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” Herod thought, “Hey! I’m the king of the Jews!” He then gathered all the chief priests and scribes to get some answers about the birth of Jesus. When Herod demanded of them where Christ should be born, they answered him in Matthew 2:5, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet.” Their answer came directly from Micah 5:2.
The remnant delivered
Micah 5:7-15
Micah 5
7 Then the remnant of Jacob Shall be in the midst of many peoples, Like dew from the LORD, Like showers on the grass, That tarry for no man Nor wait for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Jacob Shall be among the Gentiles, In the midst of many peoples, Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Who, if he passes through, Both treads down and tears in pieces, And none can deliver.
9 Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries, And all your enemies shall be cut off.
10 “And it shall be in that day,” says the LORD, “That I will cut off your horses from your midst And destroy your chariots.
11 I will cut off the cities of your land And throw down all your strongholds.
12 I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you shall have no soothsayers.
13 Your carved images I will also cut off, And your sacred pillars from your midst; You shall no more worship the work of your hands;
14 I will pluck your wooden images from your midst; Thus I will destroy your cities.
15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury On the nations that have not heard.”
Just as the other prophets referred to the remnant of Israel who would fear the one true God, here they are again. We now know that this remnant will consist of those who are saved at the end of the tribulation who move right on into the millennium. The millennium starts out with all saved people on the earth. The unsaved are removed from earth at the end of the tribulation. There will be no worship of false gods or idols during that time. Incidentally, the reference to “wooden images” in verse 14 comes from the Hebrew word “ash-ay-raw´” which literally transliterates into “Asherah,” the proper name of the Canaanite goddess. Here is a link to an overview of the tribulation and millennium.
We find additional conditions during the millennium in these verses:
- Jews will be in the midst of Gentiles as a favored race (verses 7-8)
- All of Israel’s enemies will have been cut off (verses 8-11, 15)
- No more practicing of witchcraft or soothsaying (verse 12)
- No freedom of religion (verses 13-14)
Micah gets back to the sinfulness of Israel and Judah
Micah 6
Micah 6
1 Hear now what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, O you mountains, the LORD’S complaint, And you strong foundations of the earth; For the LORD has a complaint against His people, And He will contend with Israel.
3 “O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled, And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, From Acacia Grove to Gilgal, That you may know the righteousness of the LORD.”
6 With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
9 The LORD’S voice cries to the city— Wisdom shall see Your name: “Hear the rod! Who has appointed it?
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness In the house of the wicked, And the short measure that is an abomination?
11 Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales, And with the bag of deceitful weights?
12 For her rich men are full of violence, Her inhabitants have spoken lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 “Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you, By making you desolate because of your sins.
14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied; Hunger shall be in your midst. You may carry some away, but shall not save them; And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.
15 “You shall sow, but not reap; You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept; All the works of Ahab’s house are done; And you walk in their counsels, That I may make you a desolation, And your inhabitants a hissing. Therefore you shall bear the reproach of My people.”
There’s a clear indictment of Israel/Judah in this passage for their sin. He recalls Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage under the leadership of Moses, Aaron and Miriam (verse 4). Then he mentions (verse 5) the Balak/Balaam episode of Numbers 22-25 (see notes). You will recall that Balaam was not able to curse Israel at the request of Balak because of Israel’s righteousness before God. That was then; this is now. Now Israel is up to their eyeballs in sin.
Beginning in verse 6, Micah responds on behalf of his nation. Their sacrifices while continuing in their sin are worthless before God. The rest of the chapter guarantees God’s judgment because of unrepented sin. Notice God’s desire for Israel/Judah in Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” Down through verse 12 he lists some of the sins of the people. Then…the judgment of God upon them is seen in verse 13-15. They are walking after the wicked ways of King Omri (I Kings 16:21-28, see notes) and his wicked son King Ahab (I Kings 16:29-34, see notes). These were kings of Israel about 100 years earlier.
One day it’ll all be better
Micah 7
Micah 7
1 Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires.
2 The faithful man has perished from the earth, And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net.
3 That they may successfully do evil with both hands— The prince asks for gifts, The judge seeks a bribe, And the great man utters his evil desire; So they scheme together.
4 The best of them is like a brier; The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; Now shall be their perplexity.
5 Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom.
6 For son dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
7 Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.
8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The LORD will be a light to me.
9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness.
10 Then she who is my enemy will see, And shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her; Now she will be trampled down Like mud in the streets.
11 In the day when your walls are to be built, In that day the decree shall go far and wide.
12 In that day they shall come to you From Assyria and the fortified cities, From the fortress to the River, From sea to sea, And mountain to mountain.
13 Yet the land shall be desolate Because of those who dwell in it, And for the fruit of their deeds.
14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff, The flock of Your heritage, Who dwell solitarily in a woodland, In the midst of Carmel; Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, As in days of old.
15 “As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders.”
16 The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; They shall put their hand over their mouth; Their ears shall be deaf.
17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent; They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the LORD our God, And shall fear because of You.
18 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.
19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give truth to Jacob And mercy to Abraham, Which You have sworn to our fathers From days of old.
The first six verses contain a message from Micah regarding his dismay at the sin of Israel/Judah and the fact that no one stands with him for the Lord. Micah gives some specific instances of Israel’s gross misconduct. Micah declares in verse 7, “Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.”
In verse 8 through the end of the chapter Micah talks about the restoration of Israel one day to God and to their land. The tone of the return points toward the yet-future millennium rather than the return of Israel under the Persians in 535 B.C. For additional details on millennium conditions, see above.
So…if Israel is so wicked, why would God bother with these promises of restoration? The answer is to be found in verse 20, “You will give truth to Jacob And mercy to Abraham, Which You have sworn to our fathers From days of old.” It is all because of God’s promise to Abraham aka The Abrahamic Covenant (see article).