Micah 7:20

God’s qualities prove that he will be true to his *covenant. He made a promise to *Israel’s people a long time ago. That is the reason for *Israel’s hope. God will carry out his promise to Jacob. This is the 10th time that Micah has mentioned Jacob. But it is the first time that he has mentioned Abraham. Another way to say the verse is this. ‘You will be true to Jacob. You will show kindness to Abraham. You made a holy agreement with us. You made it with our fathers a long time ago.’ ‘Fathers’ here means male relatives that lived in the past. The nation called *Israel came from Jacob, who was also called *Israel. Abraham was Jacob’s grandfather.

God carried out his promise to Abraham. God carried out his promise to Moses. God led *Israel’s people out of Egypt. God carried out his promise to Joshua. God led the people into Canaan. That was the country that he had promised to them. God also carried out his promise during the time when Micah lived. God rescued *Israel’s people from the *Assyrians.

When Abraham’s life had almost ended, God gave a promise to him. God promised to do good things for the whole world. He would do that by means of Abraham’s family. Therefore it was very important that Abraham’s son Isaac should marry the right wife. So Abraham sent his servant on a journey. Abraham told him to find a suitable wife for Isaac. Abraham’s family would then continue to grow.

Abraham’s servant found Rebekah. The servant knew then that God’s promises would not fail. He bowed his head (bent his head down lower) and he *worshipped the *LORD. He thanked God that he (God) had not disappointed the servant’s master, Abraham. The servant knew that God still loved Abraham greatly (Genesis 24:26-27). God had carried out his promise to Abraham. God had helped the servant to choose the right wife for Isaac. Later, people would see how important that choice was.

Those things were what God promised to *Israel’s *ancestors (or ‘fathers’) a long time ago. Those promises were good enough for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God’s great love is the same for us today. He has dealt with our *sins. He did that by means of his Son’s (Jesus Christ’s) death. So it is even better for us today than it was for Micah’s nation then.

God’s great love and kindness have continued through all time. He raised Christ from death. Very many people have believed in Jesus. They believe because of his death on the cross. They come from all the nations on the Earth. In a *spiritual way, those people become Abraham’s ‘children’ (*descendants). (Look at Romans 4:17; Galatians 3:6-29.) That is because those people belong to God. All this is possible because of Jesus Christ. He took the punishment for his people’s *sins. All people that believe in Jesus have great value to God. They can trust this wonderful God in every situation. So those people today are like *Israel’s *remnant in the *Old Testament.

Micah writes about an earlier time. Religion caused little difference in the way that people lived at that time. Micah told the people what God expected from them. Micah told them to be fair. He told them to be kind. Micah told the people to be humble (Micah 6:8). God wants Christians to behave in the same way today. Society is similar today to how it was in that earlier time. Rulers and people alike deal badly with other people. People do not forgive each other for their faults. People are proud. They are selfish. But we as Christians must live humbly. We must trust in God always. We need to live by God’s rules. Then our lives will have a good effect on our homes, our society and our world.

prophecy ~ messages and stories that God has given to a person; messages that tell about things before they happen; the messages that a prophet speaks or the messages that he writes.
prophet ~ a person who is able to tell other people what God wants; a person who speaks on behalf of God; someone who tells about things that will happen in the future. But a false prophet is someone who merely pretends to speak God’s words.
vineyard ~ a place where grapes (a special fruit) grow. (People use the fruit to make wine.)
thorns ~ sharp points that grow on a plant or bush.
prophet ~ a person who is able to tell other people what God wants; a person who speaks on behalf of God; someone who tells about things that will happen in the future. But a false prophet is someone who merely pretends to speak God’s words.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
covenant ~ a serious agreement between two or more people; a serious agreement between God and a person (or a nation).
sin ~ when people do wrong things against God; when we do not obey God’s commands; the evil nature that is in us, which we were born with.
Assyrians ~ these people came from the country called Assyria.
Lord ~ someone with authority; or, a name for God in the Bible; it means that he is above all other things; a name that we use for Jesus; we use that name when we obey him.
LORD ~ the special name for God that he himself told the Jews to call him in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word is Yahweh. Do not confuse ‘LORD’ with ‘Lord’. ‘Lord’ can mean that you respect any person. But ‘LORD’ only means the real God. ‘LORD’ and ‘Lord’ translate two completely different Hebrew words.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on the Earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
salvation ~ when God removes us from sin’s results and its power; when God rescues a person from evil things and their results; forgiveness by God when we follow Jesus and we are sorry for our wrong behaviour.
sin ~ when people do wrong things against God; when we do not obey God’s commands; the evil nature that is in us, which we were born with.
forgiveness ~ when you show pity towards a person that has done something wrong to you; when you do not accuse that person any longer and you do not continue to remember those bad things; when God frees us from punishment for wrong things.
remnant ~ the few people that remain from the nation called Israel.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Israelite ~ a Jew; a person from the nation called Israel.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.

'psalms, Psalms ~ songs about God that tell how good and great he is; songs that tell what God has done; a book that contains such songs, in the Bible.

psalms, Psalms ~ songs about God that tell how good and great he is; songs that tell what God has done; a book that contains such songs, in the Bible.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
shepherd ~ a person who looks after sheep.
worship ~ a way to act when we are with God; to give thanks to God and Jesus; to bend oneself down in front of God (or a false god); to show honour to God; to say that we love God very much. We usually worship together with other people, with prayers and many happy songs.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
rod ~ a thin stick; a stick that someone uses to give punishment; an object that is like a stick and it shows authority.
shepherd ~ a person who looks after sheep.'eternal life ~ a special and new life that a person starts when they accept Jesus. This new life is to be with Jesus for always.
Lord ~ someone with authority; or, a name for God in the Bible; it means that he is above all other things; a name that we use for Jesus; we use that name when we obey him.
LORD ~ the special name for God that he himself told the Jews to call him in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word is Yahweh. Do not confuse ‘LORD’ with ‘Lord’. ‘Lord’ can mean that you respect any person. But ‘LORD’ only means the real God. ‘LORD’ and ‘Lord’ translate two completely different Hebrew words.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on the Earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Lord ~ someone with authority; or, a name for God in the Bible; it means that he is above all other things; a name that we use for Jesus; we use that name when we obey him.
LORD ~ the special name for God that he himself told the Jews to call him in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word is Yahweh. Do not confuse ‘LORD’ with ‘Lord’. ‘Lord’ can mean that you respect any person. But ‘LORD’ only means the real God. ‘LORD’ and ‘Lord’ translate two completely different Hebrew words.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on the Earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
forgiveness ~ when you show pity towards a person that has done something wrong to you; when you do not accuse that person any longer and you do not continue to remember those bad things; when God frees us from punishment for wrong things.'New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after Jesus lived on the Earth. It is about Christ’s deeds and the things that he taught. It is also about the church, the people that have believed in him.
ancestors ~ members of a family in previous centuries.'spiritual, spiritually ~ holy; these words describe the inner part of a person, that can contact God; these words describe holy things.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on the Earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.