HIS SERVANTS' MINISTRY

www.godcannotlie.org

Welcome to our web site

The Book of Micah
Chapter 6

God’s Case Against Israel

Chapter 6 begins Micah's third and final message to the nations of the world and to Israel in particular.

Pleading Present Repentance Because Of Past Redemption, Micah 6:1-16

Micah 6:1 Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. (KJV)

Listen to what the Lord is saying Micah states: “Stand up and state your case against me. Let the mountains and hills be called as witnesses to your complaints.”

In this lesson, Micah pictures a courtroom. God, the Judge, tells His people what He requires of them and states all the ways they have wronged both Him and others.

Israel is called upon to plainly state WHY they were tired of worshipping God, and bent on idolatry. Sin causes the contention and conflict between God and man. God tries to reason with us, to teach us to reason with ourselves. 1 Cor. 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (KJV) . . . If only we would examine ourselves, and correct ourselves, we would not be examined by God and be so harshly judged by Him.

In 1 Cor.11:31, Paul is speaking about the Lord’s Supper. The truth is, NO one is worthy to take the Lord’s Supper. We ALL are sinners saved by His grace. This is why we should prepare ourselves for Communion through consideration of our lives, confession of sin, and resolving to mend our differences with others. We need to remove any barriers that affect our relationship with Christ and with other believers. But, in my estimation, this verse is also for every day that we live. We as believers, know what God states in His Word about sin, and IF we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged by God, and punished by His judgment.

Micah 6:2 Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. (KJV)

God called out to the mountains to confirm the people’s guilt. The mountains would serve as excellent witnesses, for it was in the high places that the people had built pagan altars and had sacrificed to false gods (1 Kings 14:23; Jer.17:2-3; Eze.20:28). God has a case against His people Israel! He will prosecute them to the full extent of the law, for what they did was sin . . . rejecting Him for idols.

Micah 6:3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. (KJV)

God asks the people point blank: “What have I done to you to make you turn from me? Tell me!” The people would never be able to answer this question because God had done nothing wrong.

God had been very patient with them, lovingly guiding them, and giving them every chance to return to Him. What about you? If God asked you, “What have I done to you to make you turn your back on me?” How would you answer Him?

God had blessed Israel with so many favors to them and their ancestors, and they repaid Him with them their unworthy, ungrateful behavior toward Him.

Micah 6:4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. (KJV)

God brought Israel out of Egypt and redeemed them from their slavery. He sent Moses to give them the best laws; Aaron to pray for them; and Miriam as an example to the women of Israel. Far from doing anything harsh or irrational, God did to Israel every kindness from the earliest years of their nationality.

Micah 6:5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. (KJV)

The story of Balak and Balaam is in Num. 22-24. Shittim was the Israelites’ campsite east of the Jordan River just before they entered the promised land (Num.25:1). There the people received many of God’s instructions about how to live.

Gilgal, their first campsite after crossing the Jordan (Josh.4:19), was where the people renewed their covenant with God (Josh.5:3-9). These two places represent God’s loving care for His people: His willingness to protect them and to warn them about possible troubles. But now, the people had forgotten this covenant and its benefits and had turned away from God. God continued to be kind to His forgetful people, but their short memory and lack of thankfulness condemned them. When people refuse to see how fortunate they are and begin to take God’s gifts for granted, they become self-centered. Let us remember God’s goodness and thank Him. Let us remember God’s past protection and that will help us see His present and future provision for us.

Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? (KJV)

Our conviction of guilt and sin make us seek desperately for peace and pardon. This is our ground for hope of them. For God to be pleased with us, we MUST accept the atonement of Christ, that our sin which displeases Him may be taken away.

What is a satisfaction to God’s justice? We have nothing to plead as our own? Can our righteousness make it possible for us to appear before Him? NO! We MUST get our righteousness from Christ (1 Cor.1:30), for ours is as filthy rags (Isa.64:6). NOTHING that we can offer on our own gives us the right to go before God’s Throne: not burnt offerings, not calves, not anything the world offers. We must be fully convinced of sin, and trust in Jesus for any peace and pardon from God. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. Those Old Testament sacrifices simply looked forward to Jesus’ once for all Sacrifice that He made on the cross.

Micah 6:7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (KJV)

This verse just amplifies verse 6. Should we offer God thousands of rams and tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Do you think that please the Lord? Would the sacrifice of our firstborn child pay for the sins of our souls? Would that make God happy? NO! My friend, that would NOT make atonement (amends) for our sins! Only belief in Jesus can wash away our sins. Nothing but the Blood of Jesus can make us right in God’s eyes.

Micah 6:8 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? (KJV)

People try all kinds of ways to please God, but God makes His wishes clear: He wants His people to be just (righteous), merciful, and to walk humbly with Him. Examine yourself daily. Are you fair in your dealings with people? Do you show mercy to those who wrong you? Are you humble?

Micah reduces the 613 commandments of ancient priests down to 3! Deut. 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, (KJV) . . . Israel and us!

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment Micah 6:9-16

Micah 6:9 The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. (KJV)

God cries out to people; and IF you are wise, you will hear Him. Fear (reverence) the Lord if you are wise! His voice is calling out to everyone, back then and today. You will be able to hear the rod (correction), before you see it or feel it. Hear the rod, hear the advice, the caution it speaks. The voice of God will be heard in the rod of God.

Micah 6:10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? (KJV)

Micah warns the people: “Will there be no end of your getting rich by cheating? The homes of the wicked are filled with riches gained by dishonestly measuring out grain in short measures.” The people were cheating those whom they did business with. Anyone who is dishonest in their dealings shall never be judged pure by God, no matter whatever displays of devotion they may make. Anything gotten by fraud and oppression, can never be enjoyed with satisfaction.

Micah 6:11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? (KJV)

People then and now may think they are getting by with their evil ways; but God will NOT tolerate merchants who use dishonest scales and weights. They shall one day be held accountable for all their dishonesty.

Micah 6:12 For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. (KJV)

The rich among the people became wealthy through extortion and violence. Sound familiar? It’s still going on, it has not stopped. People then, and now, are so used to lying that they can no longer tell the truth. Sin is bitterness, planted, but not plucked up again. They were the people of God in name and profession only; their having once been the people of God now turns to their reproach. Today there are many who “profess” to be Christians; but in reality, they do not “possess” Christ in their heart. They are hypocrites, just like the Pharisees (see Matthew chapter 23). Jesus called them some awful names!

Micah 6:13 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins. (KJV)

God shall smite and judge ALL who do evil. He shall bring to ruin all who sin against Him, then and now.

Micah 6:14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword. (KJV)

God, through Micah promises that they would eat but never have enough. their hunger pangs and emptiness would still be there.

And though they try to save their money, it will come to nothing in the end. They would save a little, but God would will give it to those who conquer them. This scares me. What about today? What about America? Is the USA headed for destruction?

Micah 6:15 Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine. (KJV)

Micah tells them that they would plant crops but not harvest them. They would press their olives but not get enough oil to anoint themselves. They would trample the grapes but get no juice to make their wine. See verses below, words of other prophets:
Leviticus 26:16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. (KJV)
Deut. 28:38-40 Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it. [39] Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. [40] Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit. (KJV)
Amos 5:11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. (KJV)

Micah 6:16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people. (KJV)

The only laws the people kept were those of evil King Omri; following the example of wicked King Ahab. Therefore, God would make an example of them, bringing them to complete ruin. They will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see them. Israel today is certainly hated by most of the world.

King Omri reigned over Israel and led the people into idol worship (1 Kings 16:21-26). Ahab, his son, was Israel’s most wicked king (1 Kings 16:29-33). The people were following the bidding and practices of these kings, and they were headed for certain disaster. Such universal evil was ripe for punishment.

Again, I bring up the United States. This country was at one time a “nation under God.” But with each passing day, she backslides farther and farther from God, who indeed shall bring judgment on sin.

Book of Micah

Ch1 . Ch2 . Ch3 . Ch4 . Ch5 . Ch6 . Ch7

Home Page