Chapter 1
In the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Amos was in the days of Uzziah, so it would seem that Micah is at least several years later. Hezekiah is after the fall of Israel. The prophecy concerns both Samaria and Judah.
12/26/2024 Addendum - These verses from Jeremiah: 18 "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "'Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.' 19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did not the LORD relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves." [Jer 26:18-19 ESV]. Hezekiah was King well before Jeremiah's time. So perhaps what we are seeing is God's patience. God was done with Jerusalem a very long time before he actually destroys it. Hezekiah turns from evil, at least partly influenced by the preaching of Micah the Prophet, and God...doesn't relent, but He certainly does delay. Not a "wiping the slate clean" so much as a "revocable stay of execution". This was all dependent on performance. If they went right back to idol worship, dishonesty and greed, the punishment would be reinstated and an execution date would be set. And then the prophets would come again with the warnings and the exhortations to repent. God never ever wants to "kill people", to "spank his children", but his justice demands it at times. Even then he delays. He is patient even with defiant children who look him right in the eye and eat the cookie he just warned them never to eat. Even then he will stay his hand if they will repent in their hearts.
But the point here is that what seems like a constantly repeating chain of events in the OT is in fact a constantly repeating chain of events that repeats repeatedly over and over. That is really the story of the OT - or at least the story of Israel from the day they left Egypt. And the covenant was conditional...so consequences were written right into the agreement. God can choose to exercise His remedies or delay to exercise them. What is that old line from legal contracts that says if you're late on the payment but the property is not repossessed right away that does not mean that it cannot be repossessed tomorrow? God is like that. He does not want to snatch the promises - the property - right out from under us because he knows the consequences to us will be forever.
5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? [Mic 1:5 ESV]
Amos also used the phrase "...the transgression of Jacob..." as a reference to ALL Israel, because it was not just the northern tribes that were descended from the sons of Jacob.
Foretelling of an apocalyptic destruction coming to Israel. The idols and high places are to be brought low. And there is this phrase:
7 ...for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return. [Mic 1:7 ESV]
MSB says the pagan temples were financed by the temple prostitutes. So these idols were literally sourced from funds paid for prostitutes. And yet they worshiped the idols.
Vss 8, 9 extend the prophecy to Jerusalem, not restricting it to just Samaria. This verse:
9 For her wound is incurable, and it has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem. [Mic 1:9 ESV]
The whole nation of Israel is here pronounced incurable. It is beyond repentance - or at least, they will not repent. God knows where the line is, beyond which a nation cannot return. Only He knows it and only He knows when the line has been crossed. This verse implies that it is contagious.
2022 - They are lost. Saved people are never incurable.
2024 - This verse: 13 Harness the steeds to the chariots, inhabitants of Lachish; it was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for in you were found the transgressions of Israel. [Mic 1:13 ESV]. I see more and more about Lachish. Sennacherib had it under siege I think when he sent his envoys to Hezekiah and told him to surrender. I have seen photos of it. It is pretty famous as an archeological site. And look what it is here. "...the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion". It is like something happened in this city, and it was corrupt - perhaps it was the syncretism the intro mentions - and it was popular in Lachish, and from there it spread, particularly to the North.
It is not where I thought it was. I thought it was NE of Jerusalem, but it is well to the SW, near Gath. Why was that under attack before Jerusalem?
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Through 16 is difficult for me. Many place names. And I cannot tell if they are in Israel, or are nearby and are to fall with it. The chapter ends with "...for they shall go from you into exile." This seems to imply that the place names are cities that surround Israel, and that Israel will be taken from them though they are left. It is Samaria that will go into exile.