Micah

Micah is a rather interesting book, not least for its placement in the Christian Bible. While the preceding book, Jonah, teaches that the people of Israel should not condemn those who are non-Hebrew, Micah starts off with a rant against the "sin" of racially mixed Samaria! The juxtaposition of such opposed items is quite interesting, as if those who decided on putting the Bible together in this order were absolutely DARING a reader to pick up on this contradiction!

Mic 1:3-5 - For lo, the LORD is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. Then the mountains will melt under him and the valleys will burst open, like wax near fire, like waters poured down a steep place. All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?
Apparently, Micah felt that the racial mixing that took place in Samaria was the main cause of Jewish misfortune, and that it was making God very angry. He predicts a very "heated" response, which has never happened in a literal way.

Mic 3:6-8 - Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without revelation. The sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. But as for me, I am filled with power, with the spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.
When I came across this passage, I thought "Wow! This could be a prediction that God's revelations would stop, and there would be no additions to the Bible. This sort of thing could have been impressive, to some small degree. Then I read the last sentence, and the context became clearer. Micah was only saying that other prophets aren't really in contact with God, but that he was. Based on this statement, he figures he is authorized to tell everyone how awful they are!

Mic 6:3,4 - "O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent you before Moses, Aaron and Miriam."
God is here asking his chosen people what he's done to upset them. As if having priests sitting around all the time, demanding sacrifices to fuel the temple weren't enough, these spokesmen of God also spent their time working their level best at making the people feel dirty and ashamed and fearful. Maybe reminding these people of slavery wasn't the wisest ploy?

Mic 6:8 - He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Ever since I read this verse, it has been my flat-out favorite of the whole Bible. Indeed, what more should any person need but kindness, justice, and at least a little humility? It's just unfortunate that the definitions of these things are so completely twisted in this book.

Mic 7:2,3 - The faithful have disappeared from the land, and there is no one left who is upright; they all lie in wait for blood, and they hunt each other with nets. Their hands are skilled to do evil; the official and the judge ask for a bribe, and the powerful dictate what they desire; thus they pervert justice.
This is a verse that tries to support the notion that faith is somehow related to good actions, so that not being faithful would logically result in bad actions. This shaky logic is the very essence of the process of demonization. Not very pretty or helpful, unless one wants to scare people into believing the "right" way.

Mic 7:5,6 - Put no trust in a friend, have no confidence in a loved one; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your embrace; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; your enemies are members of your own household.
This is a nicely paranoid sort of statement, interestingly echoed by Jesus in the New Testament as a prophecy of his own.

Mic 7:18,19 - Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
So God was to be praised for not completely wiping out all of the Jews? I don't know. It seems that if he got a kick out of forgiving people, he wouldn't be so eager to wipe so many out.