A Teaching Outline for the Book of Micah

The name “Micah” means “Who is like Yahweh?” and a study of his written prophecy makes the answer even more obvious than it already is: no one. Over the course of three messages (each beginning with a call to “hear,” cf. Mic. 1:2, 3:1, 5:1), Micah demonstrated the coming triumph of God amidst the present failure of the southern kingdom of Judah. Though he was an eighth-century contemporary of the prophet Isaiah, Micah’s ministry was focused more on the common people of the surrounding Judean cities rather than the royal court in Jerusalem. Thus, between the two of their ministries, the entire nation knew that Assyria was coming to do to them exactly what it was going to do to the northern kingdom of Israel: devastate the land and exile the people. And just like with Israel, Judah was going to suffer this as judgment from God for its high-handed transgression of the Mosaic Covenant (cf. Mic. 1:5).

In his first message, Micah began by indicting Judah for its idolatry: like an infectious disease, the gold statues and graven images found in Israel had emerged in Judah (cf. Mic. 1:9, 6:16). And unfortunately, the spiritual disease had spread to every city in the southern kingdom. As a masterful wordsmith, Micah used puns in a long play on words to warn various cities that judgment was coming their way. For example, to Beth-le-aphrah (which means “house of dust”), Micah told the citizens to roll in the dust as a sign of mourning (cf. Mic. 1:10). To Zaanan (sounding like the Hebrew word for “come out”), Micah warned that the people were going to be sieged and unable to come out of their city (cf. Mic. 1:11). To the city of Moresheth-gath (with Moresheth meaning “possession”), Micah explained that it would soon be giving away its possessions to others. City after city was denounced in this fashion, ranging from the coastal plains of Philistia to the Judean hills near Jerusalem. The extent of judgment would mirror the extent of the infection; no city was safe.

Micah continued by addressing the wealthy who thought they could scheme and plot to take land from the poor. Reminiscent of King Ahab’s despicable plot to steal Naboth’s vineyard (cf. 1 Kings 21:1-16), these upper-class land-grabbers seized the very possessions that those in agricultural communities needed the most. For that, Micah pronounced a woe upon them, promising that God would plan a calamity upon them that they could not escape (cf. Mic. 2:1-3). The fields they took from others would one day be taken from them (cf. Mic. 2:4). God would use Assyria (and later Babylon) to settle the score.

Of course, this kind of preaching was not taken kindly. In denial of any coming judgment, the people of Judah relied upon several tactics that are still common today: forced silence of the preacher (cf. Mic. 2:6), false security in God’s patience (cf. Mic. 2:7-10), and favored spokesmen who would tell them pleasant lies instead of unpleasant truths (cf. Mic. 2:11). At the same time, to those with receptive hearts, Micah comforted them with a promise that one day God would regather the remnant of true believers and bring them back to the land (cf. Mic. 2:12-14). And rather than being under the leadership of unjust and oppressive rulers, God would give them a kind and gracious king—Himself (cf. Mic. 2:13).

In his second message, Micah described the nature of this gracious king and righteous kingdom. He began by contrasting it with the unrighteous southern kingdom of Judah. The nation at that time was filled with corrupt judges who disregarded the pleas of the oppressed (cf. Mic. 3:1-4), false prophets who claimed to hear from God (cf. Mic. 3:5-8), and wicked rulers who built up the city of Jerusalem with blood money (cf. Mic. 3:9-12). Shockingly, their utter lack of self-awareness was such that they claimed, “Is not the Lord in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us.” (Mic. 3:11). Despite their ridiculous claim, judgment would indeed come. In accordance with His perfect enforcement of talionic law (that the punishment matches the crime), God would disregard the pleas of the judges when they cried out to Him (cf. Mic. 3:4), leave the so-called prophets in darkness when they sought answers (cf. Mic. 3:6), and tear down everything the rulers had built (cf. Mic. 3:12). Justice would triumph.

Again, however, Micah ended his prophetic warning with a promise—the same promise Isaiah was giving his hearers in the capital city: in the “last days” (referring to the time of the promised Messiah), God would rebuild the city of Jerusalem and make it a beacon of righteousness for the whole world (cf. Mic. 4:1-3, Isa. 2:2-4). Micah described this coming kingdom as one which would be preeminent (cf. Mic. 4:1-2), peaceful (cf. Mic. 4:3), prosperous (cf. Mic. 4:4), pure (cf. Mic. 4:5), and powerful (cf. Mic. 4:6-8). And God would perfectly meet the needs of the commoners who had been suffering under oppression: “…I will assemble the lame and gather the outcasts, even those whom I have afflicted. I will make the lame a remnant and the outcasts a strong nation, and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion” (Mic. 4:6-7).

Micah then went on to describe the way in which the Lord would reign over this nation. A righteous king was needed, and a righteous king would come. In fact, this coming king would so identify with the lowly and destitute that He would come from the obscure village of Bethlehem Ephrathah (cf. Mic. 5:2). But in addition to being from Bethlehem, this ruler would also be from eternity—truly God and truly man. Over seven hundred years later, the magi traveling from the east would recognize this prophecy from Micah, find Jesus as a young child in Bethlehem, and worship Him accordingly (cf. Matt. 2:6). As the righteous king, Jesus will one day return to fulfill the rest of Micah’s prophecy just as literally as the first portion was fulfilled. When Jesus comes to establish this righteous kingdom, He will spend one thousand years showing that He can do what every other king of Israel or Judah could not: unite God’s people (cf. Mic. 5:4), enforce God’s Law (cf. Mic. 5:5), and defeat God’s enemies (cf. Mic. 5:6).

In his third message, Micah brought Judah once again into God’s proverbial courtroom, this time charging them with ingratitude for all God had done for them (cf. Mic. 6:1). In rescuing the Israelites from Egypt, He had given them freedom from slavery (cf. Mic. 6:4a), godly leaders (cf. Mic. 6:4b), blessings instead of curses (cf. Mic. 6:5a), and miracles to make the way (cf. Mic. 6:5b). Their response to the accusation of ingratitude? Outward piety. Hypocritical worship. Acts of feigned devotion. They proposed to make up for their sin by going through religious motions (cf. Mic. 6:6-7). In reality, God called for His people to repent: being marked by good deeds toward others, based on a heart of genuine love, according to a life of true faith in Him (cf. Mic. 6:8). To those with genuine sorrow over their sins, Micah offered a communal lament—a song of both heartache and hope expressed on behalf of the group—as a reminder that God would “not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love” (Mic. 7:18). Joy from the Lord would be victorious!

In the end, Micah’s message was not quickly forgotten. Roughly one hundred years later, the prophet Jeremiah quoted from his prophecy as proof that God’s forgiveness is abundant for those who humble themselves and confess their sins (cf. Jer. 26:18-19). And that message must not be forgotten today. In his first message, Micah promised that one day God would regather this faithful remnant to the land, and care for them like a shepherd over his sheep (cf. Mic. 2:12). Jesus is the good shepherd of His sheep who loses not even one (cf. John 6:39, 10:11). In his second message, Micah promised that God would give them a better kingdom ruled by a godly king (cf. Mic. 4:3-4, 5:2). Jesus is the godly king from both Bethlehem and eternity (cf. Matt. 2:5-6, John 1:1). And in his third message, Micah promised that God would not be angry forever, but would instead cast the sins of His faithful people into the depths of the sea (cf. Mic. 7:19). Jesus is the great high priest who expiated the sins of His elect people in His death on the cross (cf. Heb. 10:11-12). It’s no wonder that Micah finishes with a question that plays off of his own name: “Who is a God like You?” (Mic. 7:18). As you teach verse by verse through this wonderful text, may God reveal to you and your disciples that there is no one like Him. The following outline is offered to help.

The Triumph of Judgment from the Lord (Micah 1:1-2:13)

The Source of Judgment (Mic. 1:1-4)

The Reason for Judgment (Mic. 1:5-7)

The Extent of Judgment (Mic. 1:8-16)

The People of Judgment (Mic. 2:1-2)

The Certainty of Judgment (Mic. 2:3-5)

The Denial of Judgment (Mic. 2:6-11)

The Savior from Judgment (Mic. 2:12-13)

The Triumph of Justice from the Lord (Micah 3:1-5:15)

An Unrighteous Kingdom (Mic. 3:1-12)

A Righteous Kingdom (Mic. 4:1-8)

A Righteous King (Mic. 4:9-5:15)

The Triumph of Joy from the Lord (Micah 6:1-7:20)

A Case against Israel (Mic. 6:1-5)

A Correction to Israel (Mic. 6:6-8)

A Calamity upon Israel (Mic. 6:9-16)

A Conclusion about Israel (Mic. 7:1-6)

A Confession from Israel (Mic. 7:7-10)

A Compassion for Israel (Mic. 7:11-20)