Literature / Book of Micah

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One of the books of the Minor Prophets that make up the Old Testament.

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Structure of the book:

• A coming defeat and destruction (Micah chapter 1)
• Corruption of the people (Micah chapter 2)
• Corruption of the leaders (Micah chapter 3)
• Hope for a future glorious restoration (Micah chapters 4 and 5)
• Corruption of the city and its leaders (Micah chapter 6)
• Corruption of the people (Micah 7:1-7)
• A future reversal of defeat and destruction (Micah 7:8-20)

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Tropes associated with this work:

• Can't Take Criticism: In Micah 2:6-7:
  "Stop preaching!" they preach. "That's no way to preach;
  shame shall not overtake [us].
  Is the House of Jacob condemned?
  Is the LORD's patience short?
  Is such His practice?"
• Corrupt Church: In Micah 3:11:
  "Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money;
  yet they lean on the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us."
• Doesn't Trust Those Guys: In Micah 7:5-6:
  Do not trust in a companion,
  do not rely on a friend;
  from her who lies in your embrace,
  guard the doors of your mouth.
  For the son dishonors the father,
  the daughter rises up against her mother,
  the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
  the enemies of a man are members of his own household.
• Dreaming of Things to Come: Echoing what was prophesied in the Book of Isaiah, Micah prophesies in Chapter 4 that "in the days to come, the Mount of the LORD's House shall stand firm above the mountains; and it shall tower above the hills. The peoples shall gaze on it with joy," and that people "shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks," that "nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war."
• Evil Plan: In Micah 2:1:
  Woe to those who conceive wickedness,
  to those who devise evil on their beds!
  At morning’s light they execute it,
  because it is in the power of their hand.
• Foreshadowing: In traditional Christian interpretation, Micah 5:2 prophesies that Jesus, the One who would "shepherd My people Israel", would be born in Bethlehem.
• God Is Good: In Micah 7:18-20:
  Who is a God like You,
  bearing iniquity and passing over transgression
  for the remnant of His inheritance?
  He does not remain angry forever,
  because He delights in benevolence.
  He will again have compassion upon us.
  He will tread down our iniquities,
  and cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea.
  You will give faithfulness to Jacob
  and benevolence to Abraham,
  which You swore to our fathers
  from the days of old.
• Heel–Face Door-Slam: "Someday these sinners will cry to the Lord for help, but he will not answer them. He will hide his face from them at that time, because they have done such wicked deeds." (Micah 3:4, NET Bible)
• Human Sacrifice: "Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (from Micah 6:7)
• I'm a Humanitarian: A metaphorical example of this is in Micah 3:1-3:
  Then I said,
  Listen now, heads of Jacob,
  and rulers of the house of Israel.
  Should you not know justice?
  You who hate good and love evil,
  who tear the skin from My people
  and the flesh from their bones;
  you who have eaten the flesh of My people,
  and have flayed their skin from them,
  and broken their bones in pieces;
  who have chopped them up like meat in the pot,
  and like flesh in the cauldron.
• Junkie Prophet: In Micah 2:11:
  If a man, going about vapidly and deceitfully, lies,
  “I will preach for you wine and beer,”
  he would be just the preacher for this people.
• Oh, My Gods!: "For all the other peoples walk in the names of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever." (Micah 4:5, Evangelical Heritage Version)
• Old Windbag: "If a lying windbag should come and say, ‘I’ll promise you blessings of wine and beer,’ he would be just the right preacher for these people!" (Micah 2:11, NET Bible)
• Rhymes on a Dime: "Those who devise sinful plans are as good as dead, those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed." (Micah 2:1, NET Bible)
• Screaming Birth: "Writhe and scream, Daughter of Zion, like a woman giving birth, since now you must leave the city, and you will seek shelter in the fields." (Micah 4:10, Evangelical Heritage Version)
• Sinister Minister: From God in Micah 3:5-7:
  Regarding the prophets
  who mislead My people—
  the ones who have something to eat
  proclaim “Peace,”
  but if one does not feed them,
  then they prepare for war against him.
  Therefore you will have night without vision,
  and you will have darkness without divination;
  the sun will set upon the prophets,
  and black upon them will be the day.
  The seers will be shamed
  and the diviners disgraced,
  and they will all cover their beards,
  for there is no answer from God.
• Streaking: A rather serious (and lamentful) example of this is in Micah 1:8-9:
  Because of this I will lament and wail,
  I will go about barefoot and naked;
  I will howl like the jackals
  and moan like owlets.
  For her wound is mortal,
  for it has come to Judah;
  it has extended to the gate of my people,
  to Jerusalem.
• Where Is Your X Now?: In Micah 7:10:
  Then my enemy will see,
  and shame will cover her
  who said to me,
  “Where is the Lord your God?”
  My eyes will look upon her;
  now she will be trampled
  like muck in the streets.