Lectionary Calendar

Thursday, November 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33

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Bible Commentaries
Micah 2

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Verses 1-13

Woes & Wonder! (ch.2:1-13)
1. Land Monopolists! (1-5)
  1. What had they done? – The powerful had defrauded the poor of their homes, land, & ancestral inheritances.
    1. He 1^st deals with their covetousness…which Paul says is idolatry! (Col.3:5 ) “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
    2. Covetous = extreme desire to acquire. “It is the desiring of someone or something before the desire of God.” {me}
  2. (1) Most go to sleep reflecting on their day. Often remorseful for how we treated someone.
    1. It’s often a time of soulful contemplation…Not these guys!
    2. They go to bed dreaming of how to get the next guy! – The morning they arise & go do it!
  3. Micah posts a “wanted Poster” for the land looters who are playing Monopoly for real. The people who own Boardwalk want Baltic Ave, too!
  4. (2) If people couldn’t pay they foreclosed on their mortgages despite Israel’s ancient ancestral land rights.
    1. Interesting statistic: American banks endured 8,259 robberies, burglaries and larcenies in 2001. On average, about $4,400 is stolen per robbery.
      1. Crime doesn’t pay!
  5. (3) Contrast the “taker” Zaccheus (Lk.19:8) “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore(give back) fourfold.”
  6. (4) “lament w/bitter lamentation” – “nahah, nehi, niyah.” (Heb.)
1. 1. 1. We might say “groaning, moaning, bemoaning.” (Leslie Allen)
2. Lying Prophets! (6-11)
3. (6) They rejected God’s word(given thru the prophet).
4. “Do not prophesy," their prophets say.” (NIV)
  1. Or, “Don’t preach they preach to us!”
  2. Have you ever had someone say, “Don’t preach to me”…what did they just do? [They preached to you about preaching to them!]
  3. It’s like the assertion, “There are no absolute statements”. Ask them, “Do you believe that absolutely?”
5. (7-11) They wanted a pleasant message about security & strong drink.
  1. False Prophets denied that God would ever be angry w/His people.
    1. Same today, “God is a God of love”(i.e. He does not punish) So, why change?
  2. “Prosperity teachers” are usually popular, while those who declare the truth’s of God’s word are often persecuted.
  3. Truth excludes: “If truth does not exclude, then no assertion of a truth claim is being made; it’s just an opinion that is being stated. Any time you make a truth claim, you mean something contrary to it is false. Truth excludes its opposite.” (Ravi Zacharias)
  4. (10) “This is not your rest!” – What a great reminder to us today!
    1. Don’t look in the law for that which can only be found in the gospel! Don’t look w/in yourself for that which can only be found in Christ! Don’t look to the creature for that which can only be found in the Creator!Don’t look on earth for that which can only be found in Heaven! (Adapted from Rev. William Jay; Morning Exercises; Sept.29)
    2. “This is not our rest, it is not designed to be our rest, it is not fit to be our rest!”
6. The Shepherd King! (12,13)
7. How gracious of God to end this section w/a message of hope!
  1. He will spare a remnant. (Millennium)
  2. He will gather them together as a Shepherd does his flock.
8. Micah speaks of “both” comings of the Messiah!
  1. 1^st coming – 5:2
  2. 2^nd coming – here in vs.12,13. (also, 4:1-8; 5:4,5)
9. (13) Read Spurgeon; Morn & Eve; Micah 2:13.
10. “The breaker is come up before them.” - Micah 2:13
11. Inasmuch as Jesus has gone before us, things remain not as they would have been had he never passed that way. He has conquered every foe that obstructed the way. Cheer up now thou faint-hearted warrior. Not only has Christ traveled the road, but he has slain thine enemies. Dost thou dread sin? He has nailed it to his cross. Dost thou fear death? He has been the death of Death. Art thou afraid of hell? He has barred it against the advent of any of his children; they shall never see the gulf of perdition. Whatever foes may be before the Christian, they are all overcome. There are lions, but their teeth are broken; there are serpents, but their fangs are extracted; there are rivers, but they are bridged or fordable; there are flames, but we wear that matchless garment which renders us invulnerable to fire. The sword that has been forged against us is already blunted; the instruments of war which the enemy is preparing have already lost their point. God has taken away in the person of Christ all the power that anything can have to hurt us. Well then, the army may safely march on, and you may go joyously along your journey, for all your enemies are conquered beforehand. What shall you do but march on to take the prey? They are beaten, they are vanquished; all you have to do is to divide the spoil. You shall, it is true, often engage in combat; but your fight shall be with a vanquished foe. His head is broken; he may attempt to injure you, but his strength shall not be sufficient for his malicious design. Your victory shall be easy, and your treasure shall be beyond all count.
12. “Proclaim aloud the Saviour’s fame,
  Who bears the Breaker’s wond’rous name;
  Sweet name; and it becomes him well,
  
  Who breaks down earth, sin, death, and hell.”

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Verses 1-13

Woes & Wonder! (ch.2:1-13)
1. Land Monopolists! (1-5)
  1. What had they done? – The powerful had defrauded the poor of their homes, land, & ancestral inheritances.
    1. He 1^st deals with their covetousness…which Paul says is idolatry! (Col.3:5 ) “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
    2. Covetous = extreme desire to acquire. “It is the desiring of someone or something before the desire of God.” {me}
  2. (1) Most go to sleep reflecting on their day. Often remorseful for how we treated someone.
    1. It’s often a time of soulful contemplation…Not these guys!
    2. They go to bed dreaming of how to get the next guy! – The morning they arise & go do it!
  3. Micah posts a “wanted Poster” for the land looters who are playing Monopoly for real. The people who own Boardwalk want Baltic Ave, too!
  4. (2) If people couldn’t pay they foreclosed on their mortgages despite Israel’s ancient ancestral land rights.
    1. Interesting statistic: American banks endured 8,259 robberies, burglaries and larcenies in 2001. On average, about $4,400 is stolen per robbery.
      1. Crime doesn’t pay!
  5. (3) Contrast the “taker” Zaccheus (Lk.19:8) “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore(give back) fourfold.”
  6. (4) “lament w/bitter lamentation” – “nahah, nehi, niyah.” (Heb.)
1. 1. 1. We might say “groaning, moaning, bemoaning.” (Leslie Allen)
2. Lying Prophets! (6-11)
3. (6) They rejected God’s word(given thru the prophet).
4. “Do not prophesy," their prophets say.” (NIV)
  1. Or, “Don’t preach they preach to us!”
  2. Have you ever had someone say, “Don’t preach to me”…what did they just do? [They preached to you about preaching to them!]
  3. It’s like the assertion, “There are no absolute statements”. Ask them, “Do you believe that absolutely?”
5. (7-11) They wanted a pleasant message about security & strong drink.
  1. False Prophets denied that God would ever be angry w/His people.
    1. Same today, “God is a God of love”(i.e. He does not punish) So, why change?
  2. “Prosperity teachers” are usually popular, while those who declare the truth’s of God’s word are often persecuted.
  3. Truth excludes: “If truth does not exclude, then no assertion of a truth claim is being made; it’s just an opinion that is being stated. Any time you make a truth claim, you mean something contrary to it is false. Truth excludes its opposite.” (Ravi Zacharias)
  4. (10) “This is not your rest!” – What a great reminder to us today!
    1. Don’t look in the law for that which can only be found in the gospel! Don’t look w/in yourself for that which can only be found in Christ! Don’t look to the creature for that which can only be found in the Creator!Don’t look on earth for that which can only be found in Heaven! (Adapted from Rev. William Jay; Morning Exercises; Sept.29)
    2. “This is not our rest, it is not designed to be our rest, it is not fit to be our rest!”
6. The Shepherd King! (12,13)
7. How gracious of God to end this section w/a message of hope!
  1. He will spare a remnant. (Millennium)
  2. He will gather them together as a Shepherd does his flock.
8. Micah speaks of “both” comings of the Messiah!
  1. 1^st coming – 5:2
  2. 2^nd coming – here in vs.12,13. (also, 4:1-8; 5:4,5)
9. (13) Read Spurgeon; Morn & Eve; Micah 2:13.
10. “The breaker is come up before them.” - Micah 2:13
11. Inasmuch as Jesus has gone before us, things remain not as they would have been had he never passed that way. He has conquered every foe that obstructed the way. Cheer up now thou faint-hearted warrior. Not only has Christ traveled the road, but he has slain thine enemies. Dost thou dread sin? He has nailed it to his cross. Dost thou fear death? He has been the death of Death. Art thou afraid of hell? He has barred it against the advent of any of his children; they shall never see the gulf of perdition. Whatever foes may be before the Christian, they are all overcome. There are lions, but their teeth are broken; there are serpents, but their fangs are extracted; there are rivers, but they are bridged or fordable; there are flames, but we wear that matchless garment which renders us invulnerable to fire. The sword that has been forged against us is already blunted; the instruments of war which the enemy is preparing have already lost their point. God has taken away in the person of Christ all the power that anything can have to hurt us. Well then, the army may safely march on, and you may go joyously along your journey, for all your enemies are conquered beforehand. What shall you do but march on to take the prey? They are beaten, they are vanquished; all you have to do is to divide the spoil. You shall, it is true, often engage in combat; but your fight shall be with a vanquished foe. His head is broken; he may attempt to injure you, but his strength shall not be sufficient for his malicious design. Your victory shall be easy, and your treasure shall be beyond all count.
12. “Proclaim aloud the Saviour’s fame,
  Who bears the Breaker’s wond’rous name;
  Sweet name; and it becomes him well,
  
  Who breaks down earth, sin, death, and hell.”

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MicahMic 1 MicahMic MicahMic 3

Copyright Statement
These files are the property of Brian Bell.
Text Courtesy of Calvary Chapel of Murrieta. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Micah 2". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/micah-2.html. 2017.

Bible CommentariesMicah 2

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-13

Verses 1-13

Bible Commentaries
Micah 2