Micah 6 - Introduction

God Had a Quarrel Against His People

Micah Six

It was God's desire that the entire world hear Him as He spoke about the controversy that He had against His people. He told Micah to speak as if He was in a court of law pleading God's side of the case. He wanted the people to understand what was right and what was wrong. God challenged the people to testify against Him and prove any bad thing that He had done against them. He asked them what He had done to have made them tired of Him.

God could not understand why they were so rebellious against Him. He had been so good to them. He had delivered them from the slavery of Egypt. He provided leadership through Moses, Aaron and Miriam. Even when Balak king of Moab hired Balaam to curse God's people, God turned his curse into a blessing. (Numbers 22-24) Still the people rebelled by not appreciating and honoring God. God had blessed His people from "Shittim unto Gilgal." "Shittim" was the place of Balaam's wicked counsel. "Gilgal" was the place of Israel's first encampment in the Promised Land. (Joshua 5:2-11) The Lord saved His people many times, but still they were ingrates.

God message seemed to somewhat get the attention of the people. Some asked, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord?" They appeared to be willing to offer an immense number of sacrifices, or very expensive offerings or even to offer their own children. They said that they were willing to give anything that God wanted. There was really no need for them to ask what God required. He had shown them a long time before this. "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul." (Deuteronomy 10:12) God wanted the people to love and obey Him, and to show justice and mercy to their fellow man!

The people were dishonest, deceitful, violent and full of lies. They would now see the words of Leviticus 26:26 fulfilled. "And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied." God warned them that they would sow but would not reap. The curses came straight out of Deuteronomy 26 and Deuteronomy 28. God was saddened that the statutes of Omri were kept. Omri was father of Ahab. It was he that had arranged the marriage of Ahab to Jezebel. Those were the two that brought Baal worship into Israel. Therefore the statutes of Omri were statues of Baal.