The thing that shapes our lives the most (Mic 1:1-7)
Mic 1:1-7
A former colleague at a Christian conference in India found his Western team-mates outraged over the way the caste system still defined Christians’ behaviour to each other there. ‘Why don’t they just get rid of the caste system?’, they asked, irritated. Indian Christians countered with the challenge, ‘Why don’t Westerners get rid of their materialism?’. For most of us, living with ideas and patterns of behaviour that are deeply ingrained in our cultures comes naturally and it is hard to feel the tension between these and Christian convictions when society reinforces such patterns in subtle ways. We may know in our head that they are wrong, yet not be able to disentangle ourselves from their hold. It is easier to see the unfaithfulness of other people and cultures than recognise it in ourselves.
For Israel and Judah, idolatry (worshipping God through images or worshipping other gods) was just such an issue. Idols in the ancient world were tangible manifestations of the divine and the means to relate to a spiritual reality. The gods were thought to affect every area of existence and worshipping them demonstrated piety, as well as ensured smooth sailing in life. King Ahaz of Judah, for instance, allied himself with the formidable Assyrian empire to protect him from enemies (2 Kgs 16:7-9). Assyria’s power indicated the might of its gods, so the king had one of their altars copied and erected in the Temple to ensure the benefits of such power for himself (2 Kgs 16:10-13). Thus, he worshipped in a syncretistic way mixing the service of Israel’s God with that of other gods.
How does one warn against such a problem that is at once glaringly obvious and completely invisible to its practitioners? Micah’s strategy is to draw listeners in then spring a surprise. The picture of the Lord descending from His heavenly temple or palace (Mic 1:2; the Hebrew hekhal means both) suggests that the divine King is coming to rescue His people from foreign threat (notice ‘peoples’ and ‘earth’ in v.2; Mic 1:2-4 cf. Ps 18:6-19; 68:7-8). This seems comforting when Assyria is an increasing menace on the doorstep, but the surprise comes like a bucket of ice-cold water: God’s battle is against His own people.[1] The reason is their rebellion, the word taken over from the political sphere meaning treachery against an ally, but here indicating unfaithfulness to God’s covenant (Mic 1:5). When God brings judgment, it is not for petty crimes or obscure offences in some hidden corner, but because the people’s sin strikes at the heart of the relationship with God in the very centres of the two kingdoms (Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals of Israel and Judah respectively). While the instrument of destruction will be Assyria, taking Israel into captivity in 722 BC (see my intro to prophets here), Samaria’s ruin will be the result of seeking things other than God (Mic 1:6-7).[2]
Underlying the prophet’s message is an assumption regarding what matters most in life. When we face fears over money, health, the loss of relationships, internal struggles about identity or self-worth, where do we turn for support? What will affect and shape our lives most? Will it be how much money we saved? Our education? The perfecting of our abilities? A job? Status? Network of friends? These are not negligible, of course, but do we believe what God’s Word implies here that the most important aspect in how we tackle life’s challenges is our relationship with the Lord? The Assyrian attack is not simply God’s judgment, but a visual demonstration that when we look outside the relationship with God to gain a full life and face testing times, we ultimately destroy ourselves in the process. King Ahaz sought human strength to help against his immediate enemies and for a while this looked like a successful strategy. However, by allying himself with Assyria he became its servant and controlled by it. It is an apt illustration of how sin entraps us with promises to rescue and with a better life only to enslave us beyond our power to escape. As we read, may we be challenged to seek the Lord and a deeper fellowship with God who gives life.
[1] The word eretz in v.2 can mean ‘earth’ or, more commonly, ‘land’ (i.e. of Israel). The ambiguity allows the prophet to create the surprise.
[2] The mention of harlot’s earnings in Mic 1:7 probably refers to the brothels attached to pagan shrines. Scholars debate whether these were used for sacred prostitution (union with temple prostitutes to ensure the fertility of land and people) or simply as a means of providing income and financing the making of idols. The looting Assyrian soldiers who would destroy these shrines would presumably use the gold found there to pay for their own pleasures with prostitutes.
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