Micah the Prophet, not the Predictor.

Lesson for Sunday, October 22, 2017

REVIEW:

  • We have been looking at the history of the kingdom of Judah. Today we will be looking at some of the prophecies of Micah.
  • Group Activity: Let the class work in groups to discover facts about who Micah was, when he lived, etc. Have them report back and share.
  • Our focus today will be on one part of Micah’s message of hope.

BIBLE STUDY:

  1. A Specific Promise (Micah 5:2-4)
  2. Observe God’s Word
  3. Who is speaking in this passage? Micah, on behalf of God. Compare to 4:6.
  4. What type of literature is this passage? Prophetic – lots of figurative language and prophetic imagery. Notice the future tense wording.
  5. Does anyone see evidence of this passage speaking of the Messiah to come? What evidence? Make sure to point out the four direct points we are emphasizing:
  6. Birth in Bethlehem (vs. 2a)
  7. His connection with Judah (vs. 2)
  8. His eternal nature (vs. 2b)
  9. His role as a shepherd (vs. 4a) – this one can be difficult to see in the KJV language. Here is a comparison to point out:
  10. KJV – “And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord.”
  11. NewKJV – “And he shall stand and feed his flock.”
  12. Amplified – “And he shall stand and shepherd and guide his flock.”
  13. Interpret the Truth
  14. Sometimes we might say that Micah predicted the birthplace of Jesus. What’s the potential danger in using that word to describe what Micah did? We use that word for things like predicting the weather, who will win the game, etc. Bible prophecies are not predictions of something the men thought may come true. Prophecy means “to say before.” These things were in God’s plan, and He spoke through prophets to let us know that they were coming.
  15. Micah didn’t get lucky; he boldly proclaimed the truth of what would happen in the future, speaking as the mouthpiece of God.
  16. Micah was offering hope in the midst of despair over coming judgment. That hope could only come from God.

Use Micah’s Prophecies Handout

  • See the handout with the answers to teach from.
  1. The Specific Work of the Messiah (Micah 7:18-20)
  2. Observe God’s Word:
  3. Now that we have looked at the coming Messiah and Micah’s proclamation, let’s see what He would work among His people at His arrival.
  4. What words from this passage are used to refer to sin? Iniquity, transgression, iniquities, sins – each of these is a unique angle on sin of different character.
  5. According to this passage, how does God view mercy? He delights in showing mercy to sinners!
  6. What things will God do with sin? Subdue it, cast sins into the depth of the sea, pass over transgressions, and pardon iniquity.
  7. God is angry against sin, but what will happen to His anger? He will not retain His anger forever.
  8. All of these things are pointing to the forgiveness of sin. Is this forgiveness applied to all people? Passage speaking specifically of the remnant of Israel and directed toward God’s people. The pronouns are referring to those who have received the promises of redemption through Jacob and Abraham. In a New Testament sense, we can apply these things to Christians as they are repeated in the New Testament.
  9. If God is just, how can He pass over the sin of His people? He must demand a payment for the sin, and that sin was paid for in Christ’s work on the Cross.
  10. Let’s connect this to 1 Peter 2:20-25. How has God been able to send our sins to the bottom of the ocean, pardon our iniquity, and set His anger aside while maintaining His justice? Our penalty for sin was laid on Christ, so God is just in that the penalty has been paid.
  11. How is God’s mercy – the mercy He delights in – demonstrated in this passage? God has withheld the punishment deserved by sinners, laying it on Christ in our place.
  12. Interpret the Truth
  13. The Old Testament saints understood the gospel, looking to God to forgive their sins. They knew He was merciful and just. They did not know the name Jesus, but they knew the Christ – the Messiah.
  14. They looked forward to the promise of His coming. We look back to the work He finished on our behalf. But we both look to Jesus for His saving work and righteous life.
  15. The gospel message is often referred to as “the great exchange.” Christ took our sins, and He has given us His righteousness, though we deserved nothing but His wrath. That should stir us to praise Him!

Applying God’s Word

  • We can learn much about our Savior by studying the Old Testament. God planned the redemption of a fallen race before the world was ever created. As history progressed, God revealed more and more about the plan of redemption and the Person who would bring it to completion.
  • Speaking 700 years before Christ came in human flesh, Micah gave very specific details to the people of Israel and Judah. That should give us great confidence in our God!
  • What was most helpful to you in our study today?
  • Have you been guilty of thinking about Old Testament prophecies in the same way as you think about predicting who will win the Super Bowl? How has your thinking changed?
  • How could you use ideas from this lesson to share the gospel? To encourage another believer?