Micah 2 Study Notes

Micah 2

Harrison Perkins: “There are not three distinct sermons here. Micah was just a good Presbyterian; one sermon with three points.” 

Micah chapters 1-3 are called The Book of Doom.

Augustine, the pear story.

The rich are literally stealing from soldiers who are returning from war in support of Israel

“It is not so much that they wanted more, but that they wanted everyone else to have less.”

Time 18:06 – My response to Perkins: Bad theology is the original source of bad behavior. Bad behavior proceeds to reinforce and encourage more bad theology. Rinse and repeat.

“God’s love also includes his love for good. Which means if you are evil, then you are a child of wrath.”

Calvin on Micah 2: https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom28/calcom28.iv.2.i.html

Deuteronomy 8: This is what Israel is precisely forgetting.

“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and my own ability have gained this wealth for me,’ but remember that the Lord your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

Sermon: https://www.sermonaudio.com/solo/indyreformed/sermons/26222314566314/

Sermon Discussion:

• Cyclic structure (apocalyptic) means You sinned – Woe on you – God will judge – Woe on you – God will rescue. Judgement – Promise. This would defend the redemptive reading of vv 12-13
• Best defense of the judgemental reading is that it is in context with CH 1-3.
• Spit out from the land. Leviticus, Revelation. Lame religion leads to overtly false religion leads to rank uncleanness
• V11: Priests brought in from outside – old “true” priests are banished. Daily worship and sacrifice may have been supplanted by pagan-ish sacrifices and rituals. The HofH may be vacant, at least empty of priests. Perhaps the Lord has vacated the premises. 
• Shift in redemptive history with advent of prophets. Speaking prophets then writing prophets with an increasingly dire message. Nathan, Samuel intimate with kings. Writers are addressing the people. The word is being codified for history when it is written. Hints at NT canonization! Read VOS on this: Through prophecy, biblical religion is reliant on the truth of Scripture as it’s committed to writing. The religious conscience of Israel is tied to the fact of revelation.

My notes:

Repub: The moral law is broken. The people intentionally, premeditatedly violate the entirety of the second table. By doing (theft, coveting, bearing false witness, honoring parents) and by failing to prevent adultery (the eviction of women from their safety). Then, of course, it follows that they first violated the first table. Violated the sabbath, they enacted evil in the name of the Lord and made false claims in his name (the Land is ours by right, how could God take it from us), “their hand is their god” – even idolatry. 

1-2: Woe! Breaking of the Law. People taking advantage of each other simply because they can. These people were not believers. Romans 1.

3: Continued exposition of the woe. The people had removed their necks from the yoke of God’s law. They could not escape his judgment.

4: More Woe: The nations will no longer glorify God in their regard for Israel. They will instead lament (perhaps with Israel in a mocking sense). God is withdrawing even that blessing of the respect of nations.

5: The year of Jubilee is removed.

7: Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient (bound, frustrated) and unable to do right? No, the Spirit is not restrained, he does what he wishes – the people are intractable and will not go with him.

8: More Woe: “Recently my people” or “But lately my people” = “What once was my people”

9: God visits judgement for iniquity on generations. The Israelites have brought the curse of exile and suffering on their innocents. 

Side note: Argument for status of women and children. They have a place of refuge within the place of refuge. Security from wars and evil that even an obedient Israel would face. And they are evicted here, cast into the streets. We do injustice today for our dismissal of the sanctity of women and protection of children.

10: More Woe: The people relied on their inheritance (pharisees in the N.T.) from Jacob, not from their true inheritance, Christ, because they were opposed to His commandments, intractable. Generally, they were cut off from Christ. Specifically, they were cut off from the Land.
The laws of uncleanness and their penalties are violated. God will release the people to their own devices (Romans 1). Instead of doing right, the leaders don’t enact punishment for unholiness, therefore God will do it for them in the form of exile and giving them up to their own twisted ways.

11: Pointless to have prophets, for the spirit of the times was debauchery and flattery – the only teacher or prophet for this people was one who promised health and wealth (a good party) 

Q. What of the temple? Was God still present in the HofH? Prophets abound in these days, declaring God’s judgement, and the people are on the verge of exile.

12-13: Final exposition of Woe: I think Calvin’s “gathering, leading to slaughter, invigorating the invaders” interpretation is more sound than the popular remnant-rescue version. Seems like it’s a realistic view. Read in context with previous and then proceeding to Ch. 3, this works. Also, 1-3 as “Book of Woes” supports this conclusion. Chapter 4 is hope and deliverance. No need for it in 12-13 of Ch 2. God is being absolutely thorough in his judgement – nobody gets lucky here. They cannot escape the yoke of verse 3.

Where is the Gospel, then, if 12-13 are not hopeful? It is found in the converse of the repercussions Micah has preached throughout – fear God, do not deal falsely with him, love his law and your neighbor – One who is born of the Spirit, is in Christ is given a new nature which will produce this desire. These people were not thankful. We can be grateful, turning to a forgiving God in our misery. Israel would not do so. 

Calvin’s prayers from Micah 2 commentary:

Grant, Almighty God, that as thou art pleased to try our patience by requiring mutual justice and the offices of love and benevolence, — O grant, that we may not be wolves one to another, but show ourselves to be really thy children, by observing all those duties of justice and kindness which thou commandest, and thus follow what is right and just through the whole course of our life, that we may at length enjoy that blessedness which is laid up for us in heaven, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Grant, Almighty God, that since we cannot otherwise really profit by thy word, than by having all our thoughts and affections subjected to thee, and offered to thee as a sacrifice, — O grant, that we may suffer thee, by the sound of thy word, so to pierce through everything within us, that being dead in ourselves, we may live to thee, and never suffer flatteries to become our ruin but that we may, on the contrary, patiently endure reproofs, however bitter they may be, only let them serve to us as medicine, by which our inward vices may be cleansed, until at length being thoroughly cleansed and formed into new creatures, we may, by a pious and holy life, really glorify thy name, and be received into that celestial glory, which has been purchased for us by the blood of thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.