Finding Comfort in the God of Judgement and Mercy

Micah sees Jehovah coming forth out of his place with mountain-melting judgment to visit the sins of his people Israel and Judah (1:3–4). Then in the distance he sees another mountain, the mountain of Jehovah’s house rising majestically above the mountains of the earth and the nations flowing to it, where they learn Jehovah’s ways and walk in his paths (4:1–5). While Micah prophesies of a glorious future, Judah lives in deep corruption: wicked men steal the inheritance of their fellow Jews (2:1–2), Zion’s judges behave like butchers who eat the flesh of God’s people (3:1–3), Judah’s marketplace is a place of dishonest dealings (6:9–16), and true fellowship, with those who do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God (6:8) is as rare as a cluster of gleaned figs (7:1–6). In the meantime, Micah, a prophet full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might (3:8), battles against greedy prophets (3:5–7), while the people try to silence his message of judgment (2:6–7).

To a faithless people Micah prophesies of the mighty Breaker who gathers the remnant of Israel (2:12–13). He sees the long travail of a chastened people (4:10–13), and the coming of God’s ruler from Bethlehem-Judah whose goings forth are “from everlasting” (5:2), and the great shepherd-king who feeds a chastised, but victorious, remnant (5:4–8), while the nations who persecuted God’s people lick the dust like serpents and crawl out of their holes like worms (7:16–17). Finally, Micah, overcome with wonder, exclaims “who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity?” (7:18–20).

Thus Micah proclaims the incomparable God of judgment and mercy. This God is our God, the God of all who believe in Jesus Christ. And this prophecy has vital lessons to teach us today.

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