Bible Commentaries
Micah 3

Verses 1-12

Micah 3:1-3 Comments - Our minds have a difficult time imagining how human beings can commit such atrocities against one another, but these events described in Micah 3:1-3 have happened repeatedly throughout history. During the first few centuries of the early Church, a number of Roman Emperors committed such atrocities against Christians in an attempt to stop this “new religion” from spreading throughout their empire. These horrible acts did not stop until Emperor Constantine was converted to Christianity. The Muslims have used their religion of Islam to do similar atrocities against many nations and innocent people in the name of their religion since this religion was created in the seventh century A.D. Adolf Hitler also committed such atrocities against the Jews in Europe before and during World War II by killing six million Jews. [7] Many historians believe he was steeped in occult. [8] Most recently the “Lord’s Resistance Army,” led by Joseph Kony, has committed similar atrocities since 1987, mixing witchcraft with cannibalism and the torture of human lives. [9]

[7] Peter Hoffmann, “Adolf Hitler,” in The Word Book Encyclopedia, vol. 9 (Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1994), 264-268.

[8] “Adolf Hitler,” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia (San Francisco, California: Wikipedia Foundation, Inc.) [on-line]; accessed 29 September 2009; available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler's_religious_beliefs; Internet.

[9] “Lord’s Resistance Army,” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia (San Francisco, California: Wikipedia Foundation, Inc.) [on-line]; accessed 29 September 2009; available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord's_Resistance_Army; Internet.

Micah 3:4 Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.

Micah 3:5-7 The Cessation of Israel’s Prophets Micah 3:5-7 predicts a time when Israel’s prophets will cease from prophesying. Israel had no prophets for four hundred years before Christ. When the prophets ceased to prophesy, the Old Testament canon was closed. This is confirmed by Josephus, who says, “It is true, our history hath been written since Artaxerxes very particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers, because there hath not been an exact succession of prophets since that time.” ( Against Apion 1.8) In addition, the opening verse of the book of Hebrews states that the Old Testament was delivered to us by His prophets (Hebrews 1:1-2), thus revealing the fact that the Old Testament prophets were the ones who kept the canon open.

Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

Micah 3:12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.

Micah 3:12 Comments - Micah’s prophecy was delivered to Judah and Hezekiah repented, thus turning away divine judgment and the utter destruction of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 26:18-19). The Lord also repented at the prophetic destruction of Nineveh under Jonah’s ministry (Jonah 3:10).

Jeremiah 26:18-19, “Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.”

Jonah 3:10, “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”