MICAH: DANGERS OF EVIL
Along with a great influx of wealth into the Israelite society during Micah’s time, came an increasing number of social evils. A quasipeace pervaded over the smaller regional nations, which in some respects is much like postwar America. Accompanying the loss of morals came a warped view of God and a corrupt religious community.
At this point the Northern and Southern Kingdoms (Israel and Judah) were happy with class oppression, decadent religious observances (6:7), and smug contentment before their God. In light of their rejection of Him, God was raising up a nation (Assyria) that would in the near future (722-721 BC) swallow up their wickedness.
God in His grace interrupted this decadent society. He destroyed what was left and chose to raise up a remnant of faithful who would be loyal to His cause and person. Those refusing to join the remnant are cast into the great pot of judgment with the rest of the nations. God was doing something new. He was going to build His promised kingdom and nothing would thrwart His purpose.
The following diagram shows how many times and where in Micah words of comfort and hope are used compared to words of warning and judgment. Remember the chapter divisions are artificial but even still the diagram enables us to get a good overview of the book and God's purpose. For example one can see God's faithful words even to a recalitrant society.
God's faithfulness to preserve God’s people
1. Breaking Through Sin’s Power SOURCES OF HOPE (ch. 1-4)
(also 3 sections of hope through book)
A. God speaks through man (1:1)
B. God speaks through judgment (4:9-10)
C. God speaks to encourage
D. Hope is in forgiveness (7:19-20)
2. Called by God
3. Absence of Righteousness: Growth of Evil
Evil grows: Noah in Genesis 8.
Evil can be restrained: God divides mankind by different languages at the tower of Babel in Genesis 11.
Our heart, emotions, body and will all make up part of our sin nature which separate us from God (Is 59:2. Letﾕs see how these evils make up part of our society (Stott wrote a book on Ephesians ﾒNew Societyﾓ).
1. 1:6-7,9 Good is more easily affected by evil than evil by good.
2. 2: 6-7 Pressure is put on good men to silence them.
3. 2:11 People choose leaders not higher than themselves, but like themselves.
4. 3:1-4 Government leaders treat people like animals.
5. 3:2 Confusion of morals.
6. 3:6-7 Religious leaders get less inspiring to do good.
What dangers of evil do we face today?
4. Injustice (Ps 10:1; Ps 2:1-2)
5. God’s plans and purposes
Biblical Foundations for Freedom
Paul J. Bucknell