Lifespan

Micah may have begun his ministry in approximately 725 B.C.; otherwise unknown.

Ministry

Micah is a native of Moresh-gath, a small village in the Judaean foothills. Little else is known about him. He prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, all kings of Judah, and was perhaps a lesser-known peer and contemporary of Isaiah.

Preparation and Calling

Unknown

Interaction with God

Micah seemed to receive God’s word and direction primarily through his prophecies and revelations given to the Judaean people he addressed.

Social Situation

Judaean society was in a moral downslide. Idolatry was rampant, and the upper classes were oppressing the commoners. Micah seems to have come from that oppressed common class, unlike his contemporary Isaiah, who was city born and privileged. The northern kingdom was already doomed to defeat at the hands of the Assyrians, and Judah was manuevering to hold off the same fate. (In the end, they too fell, to the Babylonian successors to the Assyrians.)

Key Teachings

Micah’s name, shortened from “Micaiah” (Jeremiah 26:18), means “Who is like Jehovah?” His prophecies of restoration contain some insightful glimpses of the coming Messiah. For example, Micah is the only Old Testament figure to prophecy of Bethlehem as the Messiah’s birthplace.

Prophecies of Christ

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2).

Living with the Prophet

Have you ever wanted to know what God expects of you? Yes, you! Micah has a good answer to that question. He was a humble prophet from a small village. He cared about the poor, and his message was simple: “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8). Set a goal today to invite God’s Spirit to walk with you as you go about your daily life, doing justly and showing mercy to those around you.

Sources

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Micah, the Book of”

Learning Bible, the book of Micah

Holy Bible, the book of Micah