Micah is an eighth-century BC prophet who boldly denounces the corruption of leaders, the oppression of the poor, and the idolatry of Israel and Judah, announcing God's inevitable judgment. But in the middle of the storm, a shining promise arises: from Bethlehem a king will be born who will shepherd his people with peace and justice. This book is an eternal call to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.
Micah was a prophet from Moresheth, a small rural village in Judah, and carried out his ministry during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, roughly between 735 and 700 BC, being a contemporary of Isaiah. The book alternates sections of judgment and restoration, a literary pattern typical of the Hebrew prophets. One of his most famous prophecies — the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem Ephrathah (Micah 5:2) — is directly quoted in the New Testament when the magi seek the child Jesus. Verse 6:8, "What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?", is considered one of the most profound ethical summaries in the whole Bible. Curious fact: Jeremiah 26:18 quotes Micah by name, one of the few instances where one biblical prophet explicitly mentions another prophet.