MICAH CHAPTER 7: Salvation of God 

Micah 7 begins with a lament, “Woe is me!”  Micah is supremely frustrated and feels (based on his metaphor) that all the good Godly people have disappeared from the land and he is speaking to the dregs and useless of his society.  His lament is punctuated by verse 2 when he says the pious one/righteous one [Hebrew: chasid] is gone from the earth.  The people who follow God and respect His commands and worship YHWH are gone from the land. 

Who is left? 

The violent (verse 2) 

Those who want to do evil (verse 3) 

The bribe-takers (verse 3) 

Another Biblical passage that comes to mind is Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah and the judgment He brings on those cities in Genesis.  God was done with them in Jerusalem and their wickedness in the same way as He was with them.  Jerusalem was a wicked city at this time.  Their problem was that they simply would not listen to God.  Keeping Genesis in mind, Lot listened, and God went in and delivered them.  God sent deliverance for His people. 

These people create a society where others are expendable and used and there is nothing good.  Verse 7 has Micah confessing that his hope is in God who hears his prayers and will send salvation.  We get a great sense of a repetition of Joshua 24:15, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  Micah sees only darkness but knows that God will be a light for him and light his way, verse 8.    

In his woe, very similarly as in the Book of Job, courtroom language is used as Micah realizes his sinfulness and the brokenness of his people and society and looks for One Who would plead their case before God for salvation.  Job 16:19 says, “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and He who testifies for me is on high.”   His woe is similar to Isaiah 6:5 where Isaiah sees himself among those of unclean lips and is in need of cleansing and redemption.  Micah draws on all of this richness to make his point that the People of God are far from God. 

Micah prays that God will shepherd His people (verse 14ff) and repeat the leading and guiding that He did in the past with the people.  The prophet asks God to act in ways that He had already done.  He wants his society to turn back to God and knows that God sees their wickedness clearly. 

Micah ends his thoughts in this chapter (and his entire book) with praises about God and praises to God.  He mixes them as he prays and acknowledges where his hope comes from.  What does Micah praise? 

… There is none like God 

… God forgives all sin 

… God keeps a remnant 

… God does not stay angry 

… He is steadfast love 

… He is compassionate 

… He keeps promises 

THE POINT 

This chapter is a repeat of the ongoing struggle of sinners and God’s commitment to His redemptive plan.  Israel is the vehicle for His plan and will also be the beneficiary of His plan. Jesus is the plan.  Jesus saves His people from their sins.  God turns sin upright and forgives.  He makes Israel upright through the Messiah. Those are simple sentences, but complicated by time and theology and history and human stubbornness.

May we thank God for His plan of salvation!

BMD TMB