Micah Waited on Jehovah – Micah 7:4 – David Schafer

“Their best one is like a brier, “their most upright one is worse than a thorn hedge.” This is
an example of many agricultural metaphors that Micah used in his writing.

But who was he talking about? Why did he say this, and what lesson can we take away from
today’s text? To find the historical setting, it’s helpful to look at the “Table of the Books of the
Bible” that appears on page 1662 of the printed edition of our New World Translation.

But if you’re using the JW Library app, this is what you need to do.

Please follow along.

First, go to your home page for the Bible.

In the menu bar at the top, you’ll see the word Introduction on the left.

At the bottom of the list that comes up, you’ll see “Names and Order of the Books.” Tap that.

And don’t be put off by the fact that you’re only seeing the names in order of the books.

Rather, scroll all the way down to the bottom, and there you will see “Table of the Books of
the Bible.” Tap that.

You can bookmark it if you’d like to get there faster the next time.

And then scroll down to Micah.

What do we learn about the context of our day’s text? It was written by Micah; we knew that.

Where was he? In Judah.

When did he write this prophecy? Sometime before the year 717 B.C.E.

And what time period does his writing cover? The 60 years spanning from 777—717 B.C.E.
counting backwards toward the time of Jesus.

Now what was happening during those 60 years? We have a chart in Appendix A6 that helps
us.

Again, if you’re following along in JW Library, go to the upper left-hand corner of your screen
and tap the menu bar, “Names and Order”; that is to say, go back.

There you’ll see toward the bottom of the list Appendix A.

Or you can always go back to the home page and select Appendix A from the menu ribbon.

In any event, when you get to Appendix A, you’ll see the option for “A6 Chart: Prophets and
Kings of Judah and of Israel.” And remember, we’re looking for what life was like during the
60 years between 777 and 717 B.C.E.

So likely, Part 2 would reveal what we’re looking for.

Tap Part 2. There we find this beautiful chart.

What does it tell us? That Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea and that his
service as a prophet in Judah ran during the reigns of Jotham for 16 years, wicked King
Ahaz for 16 years, but also most of Hezekiah’s 29-year reign.
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 Micah Waited on Jehovah – Micah 7:4 – David Schafer

Meanwhile, what was happening up in the northern ten-tribe kingdom? Look at the chart
again on the right starting in 777 B.C.E.

Nineteen years are left of Pekah’s reign, and then nine years of Hoshea’s rule, but here
things began to destabilize.

We see the Assyrian monarchy moving in exerting its influence in Israel’s affairs.

And then, in 740 B.C.E., it’s all over for the northern ten-tribe kingdom.

Did those events have an influence on the south? Certainly, it fed the Assyrians’ pride,
fueling their belief that they could come in and overtake Judah in the same fashion.

And what do we know about Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah? Well, it was during Jotham’s
reign that Judah began to experience military pressure from an alliance between King Pekah
and King Rezin of Syria, and that alliance would eventually weaken Judah’s defenses and
leave them open to brutal attacks by the Edomites in the southeast and the Philistines
coming from the west.

However, none of that humbled wicked King Ahaz.

He led a debauched life, he sought refuge with pagan rulers, he adopted their way of
worship, and he even sacrificed his own sons in the fire in the Valley of Hinnom.

No wonder Micah wrote what he did in the words of today’s text.

Let’s go back and read it now from Micah 7:2-4: “The loyal one has perished from the earth;
“among men there is no one upright.

“All of them lie in ambush for bloodshed.

“Each hunts his own brother with a dragnet.

“Their hands are expert at doing what is bad; “the prince is making demands, “the judge
asks for a reward, “the prominent one makes known his desires, “and they work it out
together.

“Their best one is like thorns, “their most upright one is worse than a thorn hedge.” So,
what’s the meaning of the metaphor? The topic: the unfaithful Israelites.

The image: a patch of briers and thorns.

The point of similarity: just as getting stuck in briers, or a thorn hedge, injures anyone who
walks into it, these corrupt Israelites harmed anyone with whom they had dealings.

Now, how far did the corruption go? Back in verse 2, it said it was all-pervasive.

There was no one, not even one who was upright.

Verse 3 indicated it reached the highest levels of society.

The prominent expressed their wishes, the judges accepted bribes to carry out those wishes,
and they all were in cahoots.

They worked it out together.

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 Micah Waited on Jehovah – Micah 7:4 – David Schafer

Now verse 3 says this included the prince.

Who would have been the prince in the days of King Ahaz? Hezekiah? Might Micah have
written those words during the actual reign of Hezekiah? If so, how would Hezekiah
respond? Wasn’t he a good king? Wouldn’t he say: “Now wait a minute, Prophet.

You’ve got it all wrong”? Would he get offended? Would he imprison Micah for sedition? We
gain a fascinating insight from a conversation that took place a century or so later recorded
by Jeremiah in chapter 26. Notice what it says in Jeremiah 26:18, 19: “Micah of Moresheth
was prophesying “in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, “and he said to all the people of
Judah, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says,’” quoting Micah 3:12; verse 19: “Did King
Hezekiah of Judah and all Judah then put him to death? “Did he not fear Jehovah and beg
for Jehovah’s favor, “so that Jehovah changed his mind concerning the calamity that he had
spoken against them?” Hezekiah repented at what Micah preached —fascinating insight.

Did Micah stir in young Hezekiah a desire to be a better student of God’s law? Did Hezekiah,
as a prince, then write the 119th Psalm with its famous concluding words: “I have strayed
like a lost sheep.

“Search for your servant, for I have not forgotten your commandments”? Although we can’t
say for certain, it’s all within the realm of possibility.

And what we do know is that Hezekiah took Micah’s counsel to heart because Micah was
patient; Micah stuck with his assignment.

Even though Micah wrote the words of today’s text, he refused to give up hope in Jehovah’s
ability to bring about changes in people’s hearts and people’s thinking.

Micah’s patience paid off.

He waited on Jehovah.

He saw wonderful results right in his own lifetime.

And you too are acting loyally in a very disloyal world.

What will be the effect of your patient endurance on others today?

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