Bible Commentaries
Micah 6

Verses 1-8

Mic 6:1-8

Israel Called To State It’s Case Against Jehovah (Micah 6:1-8)

“Hear ye now what Jehovah saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear, O ye mountains, Jehovah’s controversy, and ye enduring foundations of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel” (Micah 6:1-2).

The Lord proclaimed his controversy against Israel to Hosea too (cf. Hosea 4:1-6).

The Lord has presented a case against Israel in the previous chapters. Israel and Judah are guilty of idolatry (Micah 1:1-7) and they practice injustice against the poor (Micah 2:1 ff). The princes of the land along with the prophets and priests have conducted themselves in unjust ways with covetousness as their motivation (Micah 3 all). The mountains stand as a jury to hear the accusations of God against Israel and now they are called upon to hear Israel’s testimony against Jehovah.

“O my people, what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (Micah 6:3-4).

Jehovah reasons with Israel asking what He has done to cause them to perform wicked acts against Him. How has the Lord wearied them by caring for them like a mother cares for her little ones (cf. Exodus 19:4)? When Israel was in hard bondage in Egypt the Lord sent Moses to deliver them.

“O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; remember from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous acts of Jehovah” (Micah 6:5).

Jehovah requests that His people would “remember” the days when Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel; however, by the providential care of God Balaam actually blessed the nation (Numb. 22-24). Remember also the Shittim (the place of rest before crossing the Jordan and entering Canaan) “unto Gilgal” (the place they first camped after crossing the Jordan and entering Canaan). The “righteous acts of Jehovah” are to be remembered. God cared for Israel. He provided them safe passing through the Jordan River. He protected them and cared for them. How can a protected and cared for people act so violently against a loving Father? Remembering those who do great good and those who do great harm to the church today would certainly be scriptural. To forget the deeds of a false teacher is to later accept his teachings. Micah has no problem calling out the names of those who tried to destroy the people of God in times past.

“Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:6-8).

The ungrateful nation that accuses Jehovah God of wearying them asks, “In what way shall we gain your favor God… have we not made your ordained sacrifices?” The greatest mistake any child can make is to perform duties for the sole sake of appeasing a parent. When there is no true love and concern for the ones who love you acts of obedience will only be done because one “has to do them.” When an individual does what he or she is told because he / she respects, honors, and loves the lawgiver there is indeed a healthier relationship. Israel’s sacrifices were not done out of a spirit of love and adoration for God and His will but out of a spirit of ritualistic habit. Faith was not a part of their lives. Sacrifices were made because this is what they had always been taught to do by those who went on before them. As long as a spirit of unbelief continued the Lord proclaims that they could bow before Him, offer thousands of rams, and thousands of rivers of oil; however, as long as a heart of whoredom continued (i.e., performing acts of worship out of habit rather than by faith and spiritual love) God will never accept them. The Bible has many passages where these same concepts are taught (cf. 1 Samuel 15:22 ff; Psalms 51:16-17; Hosea 6:5-6; Amos 5:4-6; Matthew 22:37-38). While Israel asks, “wherewith shall I come before Jehovah…” the Lord answers, “I have showed you in times pasts what I want but you have not listened.” What is it that is good conduct in the sight of Jehovah God? God requires that His people, “do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God.”

God requires just conduct toward all men. Israel had cheated and even taken what was not rightfully theirs from the poor (cf. Amos 2:6-7; Amos 4:1; Amos 5:11-12; Amos 8:4; Micah 6:11). Rather than loving kindness many of the people of God were downright ugly to their fellow man. Their love was oppression rather than a spirit of kindness and willingness to help others (Hosea 12:7). To “walk humbly with thy God” would be to voluntarily submit to God’s will. The Lord has delivered a law that is intended to help people. When we submit ourselves to this law and ask the Lord to forgive us when we violate it we display a golden attitude that God desires (cf. Isaiah 57:15; Matthew 5:1 ff).

Verses 9-16

Mic 6:9-16

God’s Charge against His People (Micah 6:9-16)

“The voice of Jehovah crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom will see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a scant measure that is abominable? Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?” (Micah 6:9-11).

Micah calls upon the people of God to hear the words and accusations made against them because they are the words of Jehovah! Those who are “of wisdom” will certainly hear and heed. The wise thing for all humanity is to give ear and heed to the Lord’s will. The child who has had the rod of correction upon his hind will certainly respond with humble and loving obedience (cf. Proverbs 29:15). The injustice of God’s people is thoroughly exposed! The wealthy gain their treasures by false balances and deceitful weights. Here were scales and weights used in measuring the produce that was bought and sold of the poor that cheated them. The balance and weights were illegally calibrated to read less than the actual weight so that the merchant bought at much lower than market price. When God’s people walked humbly with Him loving kindness and justice they would be viewed as “pure.” While cheating and lying went on there was no purity among the people.

“For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. Therefore I also have smitten thee with a grievous wound; I have made thee desolate because of thy sins. Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt put away, but shalt not save; and that which thou savest will I give up to the sword. Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink the wine. For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I may make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing: and ye shall bear the reproach of my people” (Micah 6:12-16).

It is a “violent” “sin” to use cheating weights and balances. God’s judgment against the wicked cheaters of His people was to punish them with a “grievous wound” (i.e., exile to the Assyrians and captivity to Babylon). Jehovah identifies Israel’s wickedness as that of following the “statutes of Omri and all the works of the house of Ahab.” Jeremiah had called out the names of the wicked and false prophets of his days as now does Micah (cf. Jeremiah 28:1-4). The apostles also called out the names of the troubling teachers of their days (cf. 1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 2:17-18). Omri and his son Ahab did evil in that they cast off the Lord for Baal (cf. 1 Kings 16:29-33). Many today cast off the teachings of Jehovah God for the teachings of one’s own imagination.