The Word of the Lord

Micah saw it coming. The evidence was all around him: international unrest, political instability, aggressive enemies, insecure borders, declining morality, and empty religion. Though enjoying a measure of prosperity, Judah - Micah's homeland - was in trouble.

I can't help but make some comparisons to our own day. The very first verse in Micah lends itself to these comparisons:

In the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Consider the impact of changing administrations on the people of Judah. Jotham was the successor to a king who had been a leper - rendered ineffective by rejection - but Jotham pretty much kept his father's policies. Ahaz, Jotham's son, was a wicked king. He turned away from the God of the nation's founding, trying to combine the worship of God with the evil practices of the nations around him. Following Ahaz was his son, Hezekiah - one of the most godly and influential kings in Judah's history. Micah was a voice of stability in times of change.

Concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the capital of The Southern Kingdom, known as Judah - successors to the Davidic dynasty. Samaria was the capital of The Northern Kingdom, known as Israel - the tribes which had seceded from the original nation. Samaria served as a buffer to Judah, preventing invasion across the border. But Samaria's government was weak and ineffective and was about to fall, leaving Jerusalem vulnerable to invasion.

In a time of changing administrations and border threats, Judah needed "the word of the Lord." Micah was the man to deliver it, calling the people back to God. Do you see any parallels? Will you be a voice calling people back to the Lord?