In verses 1-6, Micah challenged the people to consider how evil they had become over the years. “The good men have disappeared from the earth; not one fair minded man is left. They are all murderers, turning against even their own brothers.” We have all seen movies about organized crime; we even hear about it on the news.
I knew a man once who said he and two other men went into a small town to start a prostitution business. They were quickly stopped because they didn’t bribe a town official. Micah wrote, “The governor and judge alike demand bribes. The rich man pays them off and tells them whom to ruin.” In verses 5-6, Micah warns people not to trust anyone. Can you imagine living in a nation, state or city where that is the rule rather than the exception?
Evidently, like most preachers who point out the sins in the lives of God’s chosen people, Micah got some criticism. “Do not rejoice against me, O my enemy, for though I fall, I will rise again! When I sit in darkness, the Lord Himself will be my light. I will be patient while the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against Him.” Micah acknowledged his sin which is something preachers don’t usually do; in fact, we find it so easy to point to the sins or faults of others but don’t see our own faults. It is a normal trait for people and that is why Jesus told us to get the beam out of our own eye before we try to remove the splinter from someone else’s eye.
Micah was able to see the future of great blessings in verses 11-12; then in verses 13-14, he said, “But first comes terrible destruction to Israel for the great wickedness of her people.” Then, Micah prayed for the people. In verses 15-17, God responded to Micah’s prayer: “Yes,” replies the Lord, “I will do mighty miracles for you, like those when I brought you out of slavery in Egypt.”
In verses 18-20, Micah gave praise to God. “Where is another God like You who pardons the sins of the survivors among his people? You cannot stay angry with Your people, for You love to be merciful.” Peter gives us additional insights into God’s purpose: see 2 Peter 3:8-10.