Sunday School Bible Survey:      MICAH

Theme: What God requires.


Key verse: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8).


From the Scofield Study Bible:
Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah over Judah, and of Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea over Israel (II Kings 15:23-30; 17:1-6). He was a prophet in Judah (Jeremiah 26:17-19), but the book called by his name chiefly concerns Samaria.


Micah falls into three prophetic strains, each beginning, "Hear":

  1. 1:1—2:13
  2. 3:1—5:15
  3. 6:1—7:20

The events recorded in Micah cover a period of 40 years (Ussher).


Introduction:

  1. The prophet Micah was a younger contemporary of Isaiah, and there are many similarities in their style of writing (cf. Isaiah 2:2-4 with Micah 4:1-3).
  2. Micah was from Judah (cf. Jer. 26:17-19), but much of his prophesying was directed at Samaria as well as Jerusalem (cf. Micah 1:5, 6).
  3. He ministered around 750 BC (cf. Scofield). He preached with great power against the sins of the people (3:8).
  4. There are several men named Micah in the Bible. His name means, "Who is like the LORD?" (CF. 7:18).
  5. Micah 7:6 was quoted by the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:35, 36).
  6. Micah 5:2 was quoted by the chief priests and scribes when Herod demanded of them where Christ should be born (Matthew 2:4-6).

I. MICAH'S MESSAGE

  1. Micah preached that God's judgment was inevitable (1:1-4).
  2. He predicted the fall of Samaria (1:5-7), and the eventual desolation of Judah (1:9).
  3. The specific transgression mentioned in Micah 1:5 is "the high places of Judah." This refers to their idolatrous places of worship.
  4. Other transgressions include covetousness and thievery (2:1, 2), haughtiness (2:3), refusing to listen to God's prophets (2:6), preferring to listen to false prophets (2:11).
  5. Micah preached against the corrupt and oppressive rulers (3:1-4, 9).
  6. Like all of the other prophets, Micah had to contend with false prophets (3:5-8, 11).
  7. Micah also dealt with the sins of the priests (3:11).
  8. Like most of the Old Testament prophets, Micah prophesied about "the last days" (4:1).
  9. The mountain of the house of the LORD" (4:1) refers to the hill on which the millennial temple will sit.
  10. Micah prophesied about both the first coming and the second coming of Christ (5:2; 4:7).
  11. Micah concluded his prophecy with intercessory prayer and a plea for repentance (7:9, 10).
  12. Micah submitted himself to the will of God and had hope and confidence in the future restoration of Israel (7:11, 12).
  13. The book of Micah ends with a note of hope and forgiveness (7:18-20).
  14. Micah 7:18 is a pun on his own name, which means, "Who is like the LORD?"

II. OUTLINE

  1. The book of Micah can easily be divided into three parts (cf. Scofield's introduction).
  2. John Phillips' outline:
  • The Prophecy of Retribution (1-3)
  • The Promise of Restoration (4, 5)
  • The Plea for Repentance (6, 7)
  1. Merrill Unger's outline:
  • General prophecy of judgment (1, 2)
  • The establishment of the Messianic Kingdom (3-5)
  • The Lord's controversy with His people and His final mercy (6, 7)

* Unger says Micah 3 deals with "preparatory judgment upon wicked rulers, false prophets, and the nations."



These are simple Sunday School survey notes. They are not for sale. The author used many outlines from popular Bible teachers such as C.I. Scofield and J. Vernon McGee, and he has tried to give credit when using their material.


—  Pastor James J. Barker  —