Micah 1

Micah 1 serves as an opening to the prophet Micah’s warnings and judgments against both Israel and Judah. God calls the nations to witness His indictment against Samaria and Jerusalem for their idolatry and sins. Through vivid imagery, Micah warns of coming destruction and exile as a consequence of their rebellion. The chapter emphasizes God's anger at the moral decay and injustice among His people, and His response to their continued disobedience.

Micah 1:1 (NKJV)
1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Micah identifies himself as the prophet and situates his ministry in the context of the reigns of three Judean kings: Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. His prophetic vision centers on both Samaria and Jerusalem, representing the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. This introduction establishes the dual nature of Micah’s prophecy, addressing both halves of the divided nation and their shared guilt before God.

Micah 1:2-4 (NKJV)
2 Hear, all you peoples! Listen, O earth, and all that is in it! Let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple.
3 For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
4 The mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.

God calls the entire world to witness His judgment. The imagery of God leaving His "holy temple" conveys a dramatic scene of divine intervention. His descent onto the “high places” suggests His anger toward idolatrous worship sites on hills and mountains. As God approaches, the natural world quakes—mountains melt and valleys split, highlighting the overwhelming power of His presence and the gravity of the people’s sins.

Micah 1:5-7 (NKJV)
5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?
6 “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field, places for planting a vineyard; I will pour down her stones into the valley, and I will uncover her foundations.
7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire; all her idols I will lay desolate, for she gathered it from the pay of a harlot, and they shall return to the pay of a harlot.”

God’s judgment is directly linked to the sins of Samaria and Jerusalem, both of which have led the people astray with idolatry. Samaria, representing Israel, will be destroyed, symbolized by its transformation into farmland. The “carved images” and treasures associated with idolatry will be shattered and burned. This destruction reflects God’s condemnation of Israel's spiritual adultery, as they pursued idols rather than faithfulness to Him.

Micah 1:8-9 (NKJV)
8 Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals and a mourning like the ostriches,
9 For her wounds are incurable. For it has come to Judah; it has come to the gate of My people—to Jerusalem.

Micah responds to God’s pronouncement of judgment with intense grief, symbolized by wailing and going "stripped and naked." His anguish is a reflection of the severity of the impending disaster. The “wounds” of Samaria are “incurable,” signifying that the consequences of sin are inevitable and that judgment will reach even Jerusalem. The prophet mourns, knowing that both kingdoms are heading toward ruin.

Micah 1:10-16 (NKJV)
10 Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all; in Beth Aphrah roll yourself in the dust.
11 Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant of Shaphir; the inhabitant of Zaanan does not go out. Beth Ezel mourns; its place to stand is taken away from you.
12 For the inhabitant of Maroth pined for good, but disaster came down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 O inhabitant of Lachish, harness the chariot to the swift steeds (she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion), for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you shall give presents to Moresheth Gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
15 I will yet bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah; the glory of Israel shall come to Adullam.
16 Make yourself bald and cut off your hair, because of your precious children; enlarge your baldness like an eagle, for they shall go from you into captivity.

This passage lists several cities in Judah, each facing judgment. Micah uses wordplays on their names to convey the extent of their suffering. For instance, “Beth Aphrah” (House of Dust) is told to “roll in the dust,” symbolizing mourning. Lachish, known for its military strength, is condemned for its role in spreading sin. The call for baldness and mourning reflects grief over children who will go into exile, underscoring the complete devastation that will fall upon Judah due to its spiritual failings.