Sunday School Lesson: Although Micah’s precise audience is uncertain because the referents appear to alternate between Israel and Judah, it is most likely Judah that he is speaking to in this section given the mention of a remnant and the rebuilding of city walls (v. 11).
Sunday School Lesson: HOPE FOUND
Micah 7:1–10, 18–20
Reality Defined (1–6)
Micah had been urging people to repent, but it didn’t appear to be having any effect. He compared himself to someone who goes to eat harvested food only to discover the fruit is bad. The people’s actions did not alter in spite of his admonitions and reprimands.
Israel’s ruling class, however, appeared to become even viler. Government representatives did not care about justice; they took bribes. Even relatives turned against one another, dividing families.
Micah’s lament over Judah’s evil deeds is featured in the opening of Chapter 7. Judah is compared to a vineyard that has been cleared of all its fruit.
Micah bemoans the fact that, just as one cannot find delectable fruit in a vineyard that has been picked, neither can he find any pure, godly people in Judah, and those who are left only behave in selfish, wicked, and deceptive ways, at best resembling “a hedge of thorns.”
They are so adept at the evil that they can commit it with both hands, Micah cynically observes, underscoring how ubiquitous corruption is.
In addition to criticizing Judah in his own time, Micah also conveys the plight of a lost humanity: “There is no one who does what is good,” said Paul. God is not feared in their presence.
Community leaders are rife with corruption: The authorities, judges, and powerful people who bribe them all concoct selfish schemes while preying on others.
But Judah as a whole is affected by the issue. No one has any loyalty. Even spouses can be trusted because neighbors betray one another, kids turn on parents, and parents turn on kids.
In addition to addressing disagreements over His identity and the message, Jesus cited Micah 7:5–6 in order to emphasize that He was God the Son (Matt. 10:35–36). Micah issues a judgment-imminent warning.
Salvation Discovered (7–10) Sunday School Lesson
At this point in the text, Micah declared he would wait on God regarding Israel, shifting his focus from his circumstances to God.
This is a wise lesson to learn. When we consider our situation, it is simple to feel helpless and overwhelmed. There are ungodly things all around us:
The government frequently seems to care more about virtue signaling than for the governed, crime rates are rising, and the media often seems to silence the righteous.
How should we react? We rely on God. First of all, only God has the power to transform hearts. The Holy Spirit must convict someone of their sinfulness and need for a Savior before they can see it. As we beg God to change them, it is our responsibility to pray that other people’s hearts may be softened.
Non-believers will only be wearing their own righteousness, which will be as dirty clothes when they stand before a holy God.
They will be found guilty and must spend an eternity without God. As a result, we pray that God will change people’s hearts while also trusting that He will uphold justice. We have no control over it.
This is a huge relief because it allows us to rely on God rather than trying to convince people to change. This is not to say that Christians do not advocate for biblical justice, help the needy, the impoverished, etc., but rather that God alone has the power to bring about the change we seek.
Despite Judah’s weak spiritual condition and the knowledge of impending judgment. Micah is aware that there will be grace and salvation after judgment.
Here, Micah skillfully conveys his own reliance on God’s provision and grace, as well as his own sinfulness and outlook on the future. Micah’s individual repentance and faith in the Lord stand in for Judah’s overall guilt, repentance, and hope.
Forgiveness Celebrated (18–20) Sunday School Lesson
God is praised at the end of the Book of Micah for having a character that is forgiving, compassionate, faithful, and loving. This list of qualities is a fantastic approach to sum up the book.
There is hope in God despite the Israelites’ impiety and desolation. Seeing God’s attributes gives the reader enduring hope and delight.
We can see ourselves and God’s relationship with us clearly. As we turn our eyes toward God and away from our circumstances.
In spite of our sins, God is a forgiving God. He doesn’t harbor resentment. When we repent, He does not hold our sins against us in Sunday School Lesson.
Christ is the greatest example of this. But God demonstrates His own love for us in that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, as Paul writes in Romans 5:8.
This offers us hope that God can alter people’s hearts since it demonstrates that He loves sinners who don’t love Him.
To faithfully represent God, we must treat our neighbors as we would want to be treated, share the gospel with them, and demonstrate to them the love of Christ in our daily encounters.
As with Hosea and Jonah, Micah’s prophecies end with a hymn of praise that challenges the listener. Yahweh is merciful and forgiving, even while administering justice, in contrast to the so-called gods of the nearby peoples. He is unwavering in his affection (hesed) and compassion.
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