Week 28
Micah
Micah was a prophet of God who came from a small town in Judah, who
spoke the words of God to both kingdoms of Israel and Judah during the times of
Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
The Lord speaks against both Israel and Judah for their unfaithfulness to Him,
and for the wicked prophets who speak to the people things that He has not said.
Israel and Judah will both be overthrown by their enemies, and the peoples taken
away as slaves. The fulfillment of these things will happen at different times, with
Israel being conquered by the Assyrians (around 700 BC) about 100 years
before Judah is likewise conquered by the Babylonians.
In chapters 4-5 Micah prophesies about the last days, when Jerusalem will be
the city of God, Jesus will reign as king, and the children of Israel in those days
will be restored to the land. He also prophesies in chapter 5 the birth place of
Jesus, in Bethlehem.
The Lord makes clear what He expects from His people, which has nothing to
do with sacrifice or religious duty…
Michah 6:8 NKJV - He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the
LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with
your God?
In the end, the Lord will faithfully restore and bless a remnant of His people.
He will forgive and restore the descendants of Abraham, and He will lead them.
2 King 16 and 2 Chronicles 28 and Isaiah 7-8
Ahaz, the son of king Jotham, became king in Judah and reigned for 16 years.
He was exceedingly evil, and did many things to anger the Lord. He sacrificed
his own children to false gods, he plundered and shut up the temple in
Jerusalem, he built an alternate place of sacrifice and worship to idols in
Jerusalem, and he aligned himself with the king of Assyria.
The Lord sends the prophet Isaiah to confront Ahaz, and tells him that He will
protect Judah against the upcoming onslaught of Syria and Israel, although the
king doesn’t want to hear what God is saying, and even refuses to ask for a sign
from God to confirm His Word. In Isaiah 7:14 God gives Ahaz the sign,
promising to bring forth a Son, born of a virgin, Who will be called Immanuel.
Isaiah 9-12
9 - In the first part of this chapter God promises to bring the nations who walk
in darkness into the light, and then tells of the child that will be born, Whose
government will be without end, and Who will establish His throne on David’s
throne in Jerusalem, and bring peace forever. The remainder of this chapter
predicts the judgements that God will bring against Israel.
10 - God declares judgement upon the Assyrian, who greatly exceeded the
Lord’s intended discipline on Israel. A remnant of Israel will survive the Assyrian,
and return to the land, and God will destroy those who abused Israel. This is a
dual prophecy concerning Israel - both following the days of Isaiah, as well as in
the last days, when one who is called “the Assyrian” will seek to destroy the Jews
entirely.
11-12 - At the end of the age the Lord will gather His people together in the
land of Israel, and everything will be changed. Even the wolf and the lamb will be
at peace together, and children will safely play with serpents who were formerly
deadly. All the nations will look to Jesus as king in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 13-16
In Isaiah 13-14 the Lord predicts the judgement and destruction of Babylon,
which is also seen in Jeremiah 50-51, and Revelation 17-18. Throughout human
history Babylon has been conquered many times, but never completely
destroyed, as described here in Isaiah. It’s hard to distinguish between spiritual
and physical Babylon, but it will clearly be a factor in the final judgement of God
against satan and his anti-christ.
In Isaiah 14:12-17 satan is called the king of Babylon, and we get a glimpse of
his fall in heaven, when pride rose up in his heart, and he declared that he would
be like The Most High God. A parallel view of this brief picture of Lucifer can also
be seen in Ezekiel 28:12-18.
God declares His judgement upon Moab in chapters 15-16, who were historic
enemies of Israel, who occupied a large portion of the desert regions to the east
of the Dead Sea, and who were descended from the eldest son of Lot, by his
eldest daughter (Genesis 19).
Isaiah 17-22
17-20 - The Lord speaks woe and judgement upon Israel, and upon
surrounding nations that Israel has attempted to align themselves with in the face
of threats from Assyria. Damascus (Syria), Ethiopia and beyond, and Egypt.
Yet, in the last days the Lord will save Egypt and Assyria and Israel, who will join
together in serving God - which seems impossible today, given the deep hatred
that exists between these nations.
21 - A prophecy against Babylon and Persia, and against the descendants of
Ishmael, who make up many of the Arab nations today.
22 - A prophecy against Jerusalem, who will be (unsuccessfully) attacked by
the Assyrians. Two of king Hezekiah’s officers are spoken of in this prophecy -
Eliakim and Shebna. Eliakim is God’s choice, and Shebna is rejected, however
this prophecy quickly transitions into a future vision of Jesus and the anti-christ,
typified by these two men. In the Lord’s letter to the Philippian church in
Revelation 3:7, Jesus refers to Himself as having the key of David, Who opens
and no one shuts, and Who shuts, and no one opens, quoting from Isaiah 22:22.
Isaiah 23-27
Isaiah takes up a lament against the city of Tyre, which was a very wealthy
Phoenician coastal city north of Israel. The city was divided between an island
about 1/2 mile off the coast, and also on the coast. Ezekiel 26 gives an even
more detailed prophecy about the destruction of Tyre. Nebuchadnezzar
destroyed much of the coastal portion of Tyre around 580 BC, but most of the
inhabitants moved to the island, which was considered impregnable. Alexander
the Great fulfilled the prophetic details in Ezekiel 26:12, using the stones of the
old coastal city to build a causeway out to the island, and eventually destroy it
completely.
In chapters 24-27 Isaiah prophesies about the world in great tribulation, and of
the Lord coming to judge satan (Leviathan, that great serpent) and all of his
followers who hate God. Death will be abolished, and all nations will come to
worship the Lord in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 28-30
The focus of Isaiah is returned to the present time, and he takes up a lament
against both Israel and Judah, Samaria and Jerusalem, whose people had
forsaken the Lord. God will bring their enemies upon each of them in due time,
and they will experience the Lord’s discipline for a time. However, in the end, the
Lord will keep and save a remnant, and all His people will have a song of
rejoicing when He judges His enemies in the earth.