Micah Outline and Overview Detailed Micah Outline A Modern Man's Perspective
A. Promotes Confession (Micah 1-2) 1) Destruction: Evidence of Judgment (1:1-7) 2) Revelation:   Evidence of Sins (1:8-2:11)  3) Restoration: Evidence God’s Patience (2:12-13)	A• Micah convincingly points out the connection between the pain they suffer with their sinful and wayward ways.
B. Fosters Responsibility (Micah 3-5) 1) Decline Under Present Leadership (3:1-12) 2) Potential Under God’s Rule (4:1-8)  3) Goodness Growing From Hardship (4:9-5:15)	B• Micah persuades them to accept responsibility for their difficult situation and to understand where it will lead to if they do not change.  He encourages them to adopt God’s ways to find hope.
C. Demands Commitment (Micah 6-7) 1) God’s Expectations (6:1-8) 2) Results of Resisting Change (6:9-7:6)  3) Blessings of Hoping in God (7:7-20)	C• Lastly, Micah puts a clear assignment before them which helps them to evaluate how they are doing.  He summarizes the terrible consequences of continuing in their evil behavior and again paints the hope of those who find compassion with God.

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Summary Outline of Micah

Victims Become Victors

What is your perspective of your society?

Most of us condemn the parts of society that we are not involved in as guilty of crime and vice while at the same time justifying the quality of the sector we belong to.  When a person gains God’s perspective of his own sector of society, he then can no longer avoid the evil about him. He not only sees it but becomes repugnant toward it. But if he can cleverly convince himself that the problem is somewhere over there, then he can continue in his “merry” own way. 

A. Promoting Confession (Micah 1-2)

The Advantage of Judgment

If judgment comes early, we can escape.  Many think that if they escape scrutiny then they are the clever ones.  But Micah rightly rebukes those who tell the prophets to shut up, “If they do not speak out concerning these things, reproaches will not be turned back” (Micah 2:6).  This is the reason we must repent now of our sins and not a possible later date.

Truly innocent?

We might look down on these people as wicked schemers of evil (2:1-2), but the warning is before us.  We must not assume innocence just because we do not have the opportunity to sin and get away with it!  Each of us are called to examine our lives for the presence of the seeds of sin which if permitted grow up to poisonous plants.

Not necessarily the end

Under God’s discipline, it is easy to lose hope because we assume God to be like us.  We say, “We are destroyed” (2:4), but we forget that the Lord’s intent is on gathering His sheep together  and blessing them (2:12-13).  If we are His sheep, we will listen to His voice.

Sin grows

Sin always has a beginning (1:13), and if it is not dealt with, it grows right up touching the most virtuous part of your life and destroying your life (1:9, 12)!

B. Fostering Responsibility (Micah 3-5)

Moral Leaders Wanted

Governmental, commercial and religious leaders were corrupt.  Money seemed to dictate their society because it did (3:11)! Calamity will come because of their irresponsible ways (3:12). Hope doesn’t seem to come from them.

Follow His Leader

Our enthusiasm for others than the appointed leader over the remnant is a bad mistake.  Leaders come and go, but it is “this One will be our peace” (5:5a).   Kings and presidents must bow to Him.  Why not volunteer yourself to His service now and live an abundant life?!

Join His Remnant

We would be wise to take the nations’ advice to “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord” (4:2).  No one wants to live in a dying civilization.  Hope and life is with the Lord.  He takes the lame and makes us a remnant; He takes the outcasts and makes us a strong nation (4:7).

Defeat His Enemies

Unless our enemies are the Lord’s enemies, we are in tremendous trouble. He may allow His enemies to crawl for a while, but it is only for a brief vain fleeting moment. His armies will lay siege against the chief foes (4:13).  His mountain will grow taller than all the others (4:1).  He will gather all His flock and lead them on ahead (2:12-13).

Always too big

God despises man’s great projects.  They will melt down into nothingness.  They bragged of horses and first class chariots (5:10); we our modern armaments. They laughed from their fortresses and walled cities (5:11); we from our missile silos.  They place their confidence in sorcery (5:12); we hidden knowledge.  They trusted carved images (5:13-15); we confide in a controlled market.  God’s power is seen in that He uses the simple to destroy man’s most sophisticated devises (4:12-13; 5:5-6).

Never too small

God specializes in small beginnings.  4:1 says the mountain of the house of the LORD will become the chief of mountains.  The greatest leader, the Messiah, would come from humble beginnings in a no name place called Bethlehem (5:2).  It is the remnant that will multiply to be greater than the whole, “Like a lion among the beast of the forest” (5:7-8).

“As for us, we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.” (Micah 4:5).

C. Demanding Commitment (Micah 6-7)

Surrender to His Sovereignty

Look not to those who depend on lent authority, but on the issuer of all authority and power.  Every power that stands against Jehovah the LORD will be smashed. Those who wait upon the Lord will be greatly rewarded.

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.  (Micah 7:7-8).

Live by His Compassion

We have not understood the greatness of our God until we have experienced the depth of His compassion. His power is seen in His ability to deal so gently with the objects of His anger.  His love is more powerful than His might. No one has drawn close to God except the one who has cried over God’s compassion on Him.

Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. (Micah 7:18).

Don’t Hesitate

Our second chance is right now.  Take it.  Too many have shuffled off an immediate response to the Living God for foolish and temporal reasons. Why hold to those things which will turn into dust and why put off now that which will bring eternal benefit?  We have had the miracles; now is the time to respond to Him (7:15).

Nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will put their hand on their mouth, their ears will be deaf. They will lick the dust like a serpent, like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; to the LORD our God they will come in dread, and they will be afraid before Thee. (Micah 7:16-17).

Under a Fig Tree

A Modern Christian’s Outlook

Micah’s Words

And it will come about in the last days, ... And each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. (Micah 4:4; also see Zech 3:8-10)

John’s Words

Nathanael said to Him,  “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” (John 1:48-50).

Facts

It took 1430 for God’s kingdom to reach 1% of the world’s population.  Today we have reached 11% of the world’s population.  Now it takes only 2 to 3 years to gain another percentage point! 

Application

How do we see ourselves fitting into God’s kingdom?  Do we belong?  Have we committed ourselves to His ways?  We must see our profession of Him to affect our daily lives or it is vain.  Jesus claimed that His kingdom would drastically alter the face of the earth.  Are you part of this process?