June 3, 2010 Lesson 1 of Micah 1 and 2

Judgment falls on Samaria and almost on Jerusalem. The Lord God is witness for the prosecution (1:2); the result is Samaria (1:6-7), consternation in Judah (1:10-16) and grief in the prophet (1:8-9). What was the basic reason for the catastrophe (1:5,13)? Answer: Israel’s inter-marriage with Gentile people??


What classes of the community and what sins are rebuked in chapter 2? What is the penalty? Answer: Those who plot evil. Those who plan to covet, steal, and defraud. The penalty is that God will punish them.


Promise (2:12-13) follows banishment (2:10). How are God’s gracious acts described? Do we, too, know the Shepherd’s love (John 10:14-15) and the King’s might (2 Cor 2:14)? Cf also Is 40:11; 2 Sam 5:20. Answer: God’s grace is described as a protector and defender. I think that yes we today still know today God’s love and grace.


Notes:
1:5. The prophet sees the capital cities of the kingdoms of both Israel and Judah as the main sources of the corruption of the whole country, although they were the centers of worship.
1:10-12. There is some word play on the names of the towns mentioned ans what they will endure. ‘Grovel in the dust as dust town’ (Beth Ophrah), ect. (see moffatt).
1:13. ‘the beginning of sin’:Lachish was the border town at which chariots and horses purchased in Egypt would be received in Judah. See 5:10 and cf. Is 31:1; 36:9.
1:14-15. The calamities coming in Judah will include separation from loved ones, deception, conquest and ignominious flight.
Chapter 2. Micah preached in verses 1-5; he is interrupted by the by the rich in verse 6 and retorts, verse 7. God speaks in verses 8-10 and 12-13; the prophet soliloquizes in verse 11.
2:4-5. The avaricious landowners will lament because they themselves have been dispossessed; their portion in the Lord’s inheritance (v5) will be no more.
2:6. Micah’s preaching is not well received and he is told, ‘Do not drivel….!’ V11 and 3:11 describe the sort of preachers the rich wanted – and got.