Mic 7:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | This last chapter is closely related to the book of Lamentations. Here we hear the prayer of the repentant remnant in the days of the great tribulation. The prophet speaks on behalf of those who no longer walk in pride, but humbled by their sins, they acknowledge the righteous hand of Him Who struck them. He makes himself one with them; he takes the reproach of the city as his own and complains about its sad state. At the same time, he condemns their behavior, thus expressing God’s thoughts and feelings in relation to their condition. But he does so with all the interest that stems from God’s love for them. No excuses or second causes are sought, but they accept everything as a just reward for their actions. Yet they look up with confidence to the God of their fathers, Whose infallible grace they count on for restoration. Here one of the most characteristic features of the true prophet emerges and that is that he is an intercessor for his people. Jeremiah says: “But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now entreat the LORD of hosts …” ( ). And God says to Abimelech about Abraham: “He is a prophet, and he will pray for you” ( ; cf. ). The Spirit of God pronounces the judgment. But because God loves His people, in the prophet the Spirit also acts as the Spirit of intercession for His people. Here Micah is the voice of the God-fearing. He describes the general destruction in Israel. He compares the people with an orchard and a vineyard after all the fruits have been picked. He looks if there is anything left to eat. But it seems that there are no good people left among the people on whom the LORD can look down with joy (cf. ). The fact that there is “not a cluster of grapes to eat” means that there is not a group of people that wants to honor God. When faithful people are found, they are individuals. It is the time when the Antichrist is in power. Anxiously, Micah searches around to see if he can discover something among the people that gives right to the title ‘people of God’. When Micah says that his soul craves to find something of fruit for God, he expresses the craving of God’s heart. But he finds nothing but deceit and deception, a zealous lurk on neighbor’s blood and a desire to do evil with both hands.

‏ Micah 7:1-2

Introduction

This last chapter is closely related to the book of Lamentations. Here we hear the prayer of the repentant remnant in the days of the great tribulation. The prophet speaks on behalf of those who no longer walk in pride, but humbled by their sins, they acknowledge the righteous hand of Him Who struck them. He makes himself one with them; he takes the reproach of the city as his own and complains about its sad state.

At the same time, he condemns their behavior, thus expressing God’s thoughts and feelings in relation to their condition. But he does so with all the interest that stems from God’s love for them. No excuses or second causes are sought, but they accept everything as a just reward for their actions.

Yet they look up with confidence to the God of their fathers, Whose infallible grace they count on for restoration. Here one of the most characteristic features of the true prophet emerges and that is that he is an intercessor for his people. Jeremiah says: “But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now entreat the LORD of hosts …” (Jer 27:18). And God says to Abimelech about Abraham: “He is a prophet, and he will pray for you” (Gen 20:7; cf. Psa 74:9). The Spirit of God pronounces the judgment. But because God loves His people, in the prophet the Spirit also acts as the Spirit of intercession for His people.

There Is Nothing Left to Eat

Here Micah is the voice of the God-fearing. He describes the general destruction in Israel. He compares the people with an orchard and a vineyard after all the fruits have been picked. He looks if there is anything left to eat. But it seems that there are no good people left among the people on whom the LORD can look down with joy (cf. Isa 17:6). The fact that there is “not a cluster of grapes to eat” means that there is not a group of people that wants to honor God. When faithful people are found, they are individuals.

It is the time when the Antichrist is in power. Anxiously, Micah searches around to see if he can discover something among the people that gives right to the title ‘people of God’. When Micah says that his soul craves to find something of fruit for God, he expresses the craving of God’s heart. But he finds nothing but deceit and deception, a zealous lurk on neighbor’s blood and a desire to do evil with both hands.

There Are No More God-Fearing People

When Micah looks around to see if there is still “a godly person” to be found, he has to conclude that he has “perished from the land”, that is Israel. The prophet almost seems to say that he is left alone, just like Elijah once at Horeb (1Kgs 19:10). The godly person is the God-fearing, kind, merciful and beneficent man. Just as the early fig of good quality in the advanced season of summer cannot be found, a godly and upright man cannot be found in Israel. Just as the orchards are without fruit, so is Israel without God-fearing and upright people in the days of Micah (Psa 12:1 ; Psa 14:2; Isa 57:1).

On the contrary, Micah observes bloodshed and devoting oneself to killing one’s fellow man. They do their best to catch their fellow people with a net. A net is used for fishing or hunting. Once an animal is caught in the net, it cannot free itself from it. It is caught to be killed.