M is for Micah

Very few people know who Micah is. Being a minor prophet, he is not as popular as Isaiah or Jeremiah. Very few people read Micah, too. His book is not as action-packed as Jonah or as romantic as Ruth. But he has a message that is as relevant today as it was during his time.

Micah was a country boy who prophesied in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah – the Southern Kingdom. He was a contemporary of Isaiah. While Isaiah ministered to the elite (to the kings of Judah at the capital), Micah took his message to the streets… that is, to the ordinary people, like you and me.

Micah states exactly what many, to this day, wonder about how to please God. In Micah’s time, the people of Israel and Judah believed that if their gods were given the right amount of animal sacrifices and religious rituals, then the gods would repay them with rain, good harvests and success in battles. It was like “deal or no deal” -- “I give you this much, so you will surely bless me more.” As long as the people kept doing the right religious stuff, they could live how they liked and God would be ok with it. How many times have we, consciously or unconsciously thought the same way? How many of us go to church on Sundays but then, still continue living the “worldly way” from Mondays to Saturdays?

The people of Judah, at that time thought that they could get away with it. The rich and those in power were exploiting the poor. Judges could be brought by bribes, merchants used deceptive weights. There were many corrupt rulers, false prophets and ungodly priests. Micah warned them of their coming judgment – captivity. No one believed him then.

Micah spoke out against their wrong beliefs. His great theme is that God is a God of justice and love. God expects the rich and the powerful to show justice in the way they treat the poor and the weak. He does not want thousands of animal sacrifices. He does not want empty mechanical worship. What does God require?

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

God does not look for big-time external displays. What is required? Slow down and read the list aloud: To do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. Period.