Why Israel is In Trouble
(Micah 1:1–16)


I. Micah’s Prophecy (v.1)
A. Micah received a prophetic Word from God (1a).
a. Micah’s name means “who is like Yahweh?”
b. Micah ministered to Judah sometime between 730-700 B.C.
c. Micah’s hometown is Moresheth-Gath.
B. The prophetic Word concerned both the kingdoms of Israel and Judah about coming judgment (1b).

II. Micah’s Predictions (v. 2–7)
A. God’s pronouncement of judgment (v. 2-4)
B. God’s purpose for judgment (v.5-7)


III. Micah’s Pain (v. 8–16)
A. Micah mourned Israel’s pending exile. (v.8-10)
B. Micah uses irony as it relates to the names of Judah’s towns as a response to Israel’s exile. (v.11-15)
a. Micah’s Town Analogies & Puns (v.10–15)
1. Gath can mean tell. “Tell it not in Tell Town.”
2. Beth-le-aphrah means house of dust. “Roll yourself in dust.”
3. Shaphir means beauty town. “Become naked and ashamed.”
4. Zaanan means going out. “You will not go out to escape.”
5. Beth-Ezel means house of taken away “It will be taken from you.”
6. Maroth means bitter town. “You expect good but will be bitter.”
7. Lachish sound like team of horses. “Prepare chariots for escaping the Assyrians.”
8. Moresheth-gath sounds like betrothed. “The city would be promised to an enemy.”
9. Achzib means deception or disappointment. “The city would know what disappointment feels like and deceive Israel’s kings.”
10. Mareshah means to conquer. “The city will be conquered.”


C. Micah instructs the people of Judah to give the proper response (v.16)




What Should We Do?
1. Christians should individually and collectively seek to engage people within their spheres of influence with the Gospel, Christian service, and discipleship.
2. Be faithful to your calling. Ministers, preachers, and Bible teachers need to get back to preaching/teaching about sin, sound doctrine, and salvation in Christ.


Gary V. Smith, Hosea, Amos, Micah, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001), 442.
Robert B. Chisholm Jr., Handbook on the Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 418.
Walter C. Kaiser and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, vol. 23, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1992), 37.
Erwin Lutzer, “Where Do We Go From Here?: Hope and Direction in our Present Crisis,” Online. Accessed April 21, 2021. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=The+darker+the+night%2C+the+more+important+every+candle+becomes&commit=Search
Michael Horton, Christless Christianity (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008), 16-18.