Micah
Chapter Six
Leon L. Combs, M.A., M.Div., Ph.D.
Micah 6:1-4
Hear now what the LORD is saying, "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And
let the hills hear your voice. (2) "Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the LORD,
And you enduring foundations of the earth, Because the LORD has a case against His
people; Even with Israel He will dispute. (3) "My people, what have I done to you, And
how have I wearied you? Answer Me. (4) "Indeed, I brought you up from the land of
Egypt And ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron
and Miriam.
Micah uses the motif of other OT writers in using inanimate objects as witnesses in a legal
context:
 Deut 32:1 "Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; And let the earth hear the words of my
mouth.
 Isaiah 1:2 Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, "Sons I have
reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me.
The mountains appear to have always been present so he lets them stand as having always
observed the history of Israel. Micah states that the LORD has a dispute with Israel, meaning the
entire nation. God then asks the people if they can blame Him for their sinful actions as though
He has failed them in some manner. God then reminds them of some of His actions for their
benefit as a challenge to any of their accusations against Him. His act of taking them away from
slavery in Egypt is a statement of His love for them. God gave them Moses as a great prophet,
Aaron as the first of the line of priests, and Miriam as a prophetess (Exod 15:20).
Micah 6:5-7
"My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled And what Balaam son of
Beor answered him, And from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you might know the righteous
acts of the LORD." (6) With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the
God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? (7) Does
the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present
my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
Balak tried to frustrate the progress of the people and Balaam tried to curse the people (Num 2224). The journey from Shittim to Gilgal saw the defeat of Midian and the conquest of Jericho.
They have then witnessed many righteous acts of the LORD. Verse six then begins with some
statements of Micah as he is speaking on behalf of the people, but with considerable irony. He
begins to contrast external religion with true religion. He goes on with stating that there is no
offering that delights the LORD, not even the firstborn offering as stated at the end. Even such
child sacrifices were done by some Israelites as was done by some Canaanites (2 Kings 3:27;
16:3; Isa 57:5),
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Micah 6:8-12
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? (9) The voice of the LORD
will call to the city-- And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has
appointed its time? (10) "Is there yet a man in the wicked house, Along with treasures of
wickedness And a short measure that is cursed? (11) "Can I justify wicked scales And a
bag of deceptive weights? (12) "For the rich men of the city are full of violence, Her
residents speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
Micah now tells us what God does want from His people and we should all memorize verse eight
and was also similarly recorded by James: Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God
and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by
the world. (1:27) Of course this is not a path to salvation but is a requirement for those who are
under God’s covenant. Verse nine is a call to alarm and lets the people know that God has
sounded the alarm and appointed the time of the coming invasion, probably meaning the
Assyrians. The questions of verses 10 and 11 are rhetorical for God knows that there are still
men there who make material gain from evil means and He will not tolerate such. Verse twelve
also states that there are still rich men in the city who are full of violence and who speak lies.
Micah 6:13-16
"So also I will make you sick, striking you down, Desolating you because of your sins.
(14) "You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst.
You will try to remove for safekeeping, But you will not preserve anything, And what you
do preserve I will give to the sword. (15) "You will sow but you will not reap. You will
tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil; And the grapes, but you will not drink
wine. (16) "The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed;
And in their devices you walk. Therefore I will give you up for destruction And your
inhabitants for derision, And you will bear the reproach of My people."
Because of their sinful actions God will then make them sick as He strikes them down. The land
would then become totally devastated and unproductive for food, oil, or drink. Even what they
try to preserve for their families will be taken away by the invading armies. Omri was a king
who was head of the dynasty that produced Ahab the husband of Jezebel and allowed Baal
worship to flourish in Israel. Thus God will destroy the pagan religious practices of the people.
They will then become a scorn of other nations.
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