MICAH LESSON 6


     We will begin this lesson in Micah 6:1 "Hear ye now what the LORD
saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills
hear thy voice."

     This is spoken to the whole house of Israel. Micah explains that
these are not his words, but the Words of the LORD. The hills and
mountains have been here from the beginning. They can witness to
everything God has done.

     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."

     It is as if the mountains are to judge this controversy between
God and His people. God has tried to reason with His people from the
beginning. He had revealed Himself in signs and wonders over and over
to this unhearing people. He pleads with them to repent and live for
Him.

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

     If there is some legitimate reason why they have not followed
God, He wants to hear it. God calls them, His people. He is open to
hear their complaints of what He has done to cause them to fall away.

     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."

     They were in heavy bondage in Egypt, when God sent Moses to lead
them out to the promised land. The exodus began, after God sent 10
plagues on Pharaoh and his people to make him let God's people go.
Moses was the brother of Aaron and Miriam. God made Aaron the first
high priest in the tabernacle in the wilderness. Miriam was a
prophetess in her own right. She led the praises of the people after
the Red Sea crossing.

     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."

     God reminds them of the defeat of Baalak, and the defeat of the
sorceries of Balaam. Balaam was hired to curse Israel, when in fact,
he blessed Israel. It is interesting to note, that a donkey spoke to
Balaam, and caused him to see his error.

     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?"

     The people have suddenly realized their ingratitude to God, and
now, they are asking how they might please God. This is not just the
desire of physical Israel to know the will of God in their lives, but
is the desire of all believers, as well. The answer to this, and all
other questions, is found in the Word of God. In this particular
instance, it is verse 8 below.

     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?"

     I love the following Scripture in answer to that. I Samuel 15:22
"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings
and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey
[is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams."
God is not as interested in the formality of sacrifice, as He is in
our loyalty and love for Him. He does not want us to worship from
obligation, but because we love Him.

     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?"

     Really, this is the secret to worshipping God. To routinely
observe His laws is not what God wants. The Words in the verse above
describe exactly what He does want of us. Jesus said it so plainly
when He said in Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with
all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment."  Mark 12:31 "And
the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

     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."

     The LORD"s voice cries to the people, to get them to hear and
believe. Those who are wise hear and understand. The "rod" symbolizes
the threatened judgement upon the people. Listen to the warnings and
repent.

     Micah 6:10  "Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the
house of the wicked, and the scant measure [that is] abominable?"

     Things that are gained through wickedness soon disappear. There
is no gain at all in ill-gotten gain. All that they have, will be
taken away.

     Micah 6:11 "Shall I count [them] pure with the wicked balances,
and with the bag of deceitful weights?"

     God had warned them over and over about cheating in weighing
things. Leviticus 19:35  "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment,
in meteyard, in weight, or in measure."  Deuteronomy 25:13  "Thou
shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small."
Weighing with unfair scales is fraudulent.  Proverbs 11:1 "A false
balance [is] abomination to the LORD: but a just weight [is] his
delight."

     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."

     God is not angry with them, because they are rich. He is angry
with them, because of the way they got their riches. They have used
violence, lies, and deceit to acquire their wealth. Usually, this type
of cheating occurs against the uneducated and the poor.

     Micah 6:13 "Therefore also will I make [thee] sick in smiting
thee, in making [thee] desolate because of thy sins."

     God is saying, He will punish them for this evil they have done.
It is God who will smite them and make them sick. Their sins brought
this punishment upon them.

     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."

     This is still speaking to those rich people, who have become rich
through cheating and lying. God will take their wealth away from them
suddenly, and they will be humiliated among their friends. They will
feel hunger, as they have brought on those they cheated. Even the food
they do eat, will not satisfy them. It appears, they try to escape
with their children and goods, but they will be taken by the sword.

     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."

     This is speaking of their crops being confiscated, before they
can even reap them. They will make olive oil from their olives, but
someone else will get to use it. Even their wine is drunk by someone
else.

     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."

     This is speaking of the evil in their lives, that has really
caused the wrath of God to come forth. Omri was a very evil king of
Israel. He built Samaria and made it the capitol. He and Ahab were
both very evil. Ahab worshipped Baal. This is saying, that the people
had gone the way of Baal. God was very angry with their worship of a
false god. This hissing is speaking of great shame.

                          Micah 6 Questions


1.  Who is this message to?
2.  Whose Words are spoken here?
3.  It is as if the _____________ are to judge the LORD's controversy
    between God and His people.
4.  What questions did God ask them in verse 3?
5.  What is God reminding them of in verse 4?
6.  What relation were Moses, Aaron, and Miriam?
7.  God made Aaron the first ________ ________ in the ________.
8.  What was Miriam's call?
9.  What did God remind them of in verse 5?
10. What caused Balaam to see his error?
11. When the people suddenly realize their ingratitude, what question
    do they ask?
12. Quote 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 22.
13. God is not as interested in the formality of sacrifice, as He is
    in our _________ and _______.
14. Quote Micah chapter 6 verse 8.
15. Really, this is the secret of ___________ God.
16. Quote Mark chapter 12 verses 30 and 31.
17. Who shall see thy name?
18. What does the "rod" symbolize?
19. Quote Leviticus chapter 19 verse 35.
20. Quote Deuteronomy chapter 25 verse 13.
21. A false balance is an _____________ to the LORD.
22. Why is God angry with the rich man in verse 12?
23. Thou shalt eat, but not be ____________.
24. Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not ________.
25. Who were two very evil kings in verse 16?
26. Ahab worshipped _______.
27. What is the "hissing" speaking of?