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About Micah
Micah 7:18 “Who is like YHWH?”
The last chapter 7 in Micah actually reflects Micah’s own name. In Hebrew his name is Mika H4318 – mîḵâ, which is a short version of his full name H4320 – mîḵāyâ. The name means “who is like YHWH”, where “Mi” means who or what, and “Ki” means ‘because of’ or undoubtedly, and Ya H3050 – yâ is the short version of YHWH’s name H3068 – Yᵊhōvâ. Micah’s name doesn’t just ask, “who is like El/Elohim or God” – but he speaks about the specific Elohim, giving His Name YAH!
THE ANSWER: The rest of this verse and chapter, Micah gives some answer to the question: “that pardons (bear/carry) iniquity (punishment/faults), and passeth (passover) by the transgression (sins) of the remnant (residue/remainder) of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”
Visions
Micah 1:1 “The word of YHWH… which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.”
Samaria was the capital and region of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, located north of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Jerusalem served as the capital of the Kingdom of Judah.
The Hebrew word for “he saw” is Haza H2372 – ḥāzâ, means the word “behold!”, or a vision or to prophesy. The sister-word for Haza is Hazon H2377 – ḥāzôn, which means Vision. There are times when visions and prophesies are rare. Like in the days before Samuel, as it says in 1 Samuel 3:1, “And the child Samuel ministered unto YHWH before Eli. And the word of YHWH was precious in those days; there was no open vision. H2377”
But in this time with Israel and Judah before going into exile, the Prophets came forward in their droves! Trying to warn them, but they obviously thought it was going well and they were enjoying their sins, so they didn’t want to be warned. Micah 2:6 and 3:5-11 shows how people can get angry if you prophesy bad things, and not the good things they want to hear, “Your prophets say ‘Don’t prophesy such things! Disgrace will never overtake us. …. This is what YHWH says about the prophets who mislead my people: … they say ‘All is well!’ but they declare a holy war against those who don’t agree.. Your prophets will be put to shame, they will cover their faces, because Elohim won’t answer them. But I am filled with the power of the Spirit of YHWH with justice and strength, I will tell the descendants of Jacob about their crimes and Israel about its sins”
One of the first prophets, with Jonah, said this in Joel 2:28, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions”. This verse is also quoted in the New Testament in Acts 2:14-18 by the sermon of Peter when the Ruach HaChodesh (Holy Spirit) was poured out, “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith YHWH, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams”
Messianic Prophecy, Torah
Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me. The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of the east/ancient, for everlasting days.”
Matthew 2:1 tells us about the Messiah being born, “Now when Yeshua was born in Bethlehem of Judaea”. Micah prophesied around 750 to 700 BC, right in the middle of when Israel and Judah were to be exiled. His prophecies are both of doom for Israel and Judah, but also a hopeful vision of future restoration under a coming Messiah.
Just before this verse of the coming Messiah, Micah prophecy the following in Micah 4:2, “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, and to the house of the Elohim of Jacob; and he will teach us of His Ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the Torah H8451 shall go forth of Zion, and the word of YHWH from Jerusalem.”
The Hebrew word for Torah that will go forth is H8451 – tôrâ, meaning Laws, Directions or Instructions. This Messiah will “teach us His Ways” through the Torah. Click here to learn more about previous posts about the Torah.
The Hebrew word for Bethlehem is H1035 – bêṯ leḥem. It is generally told that Bethlehem means “house of bread”, but back in the book of Ruth (click here to read more), we looked at the meaning of the word and it the meaning is more in line with “a household of sustenance”. That is what the Word of YHWH is, we shall not live of bread alone, but of the Word and Torah of YHWH.
Summer fruit and Ripe Figs
Micah 7:1 “Woe/Alas to me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; but there is no cluster to eat of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires.”
In Matthew 21:18-19 we read of Yeshua also desiring the fruit from the fig tree, “Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.”
In our previous post with the Prophet Amos, chapter 8, he prophesied about the Summer Fruit. The summer fruit is a play on the word “end”, for the end times, or the end of the season. Psalm 1:3 teaches, “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither;” The water (Spirit of YHWH) and the word (Torah, Instructions) is what gives life, and causes one to produce good fruit (your works and your character). If by the end times, we do not have fruit to show, then the tree will wither.
Remnant
Micah 7:18 “He that passover the sins of the remnant H7611 of his heritage”
The Hebrew word for Remnant is Shaarit H7611 – šᵊ’ērîṯ, meaning those who survive, left standing, the residue, the remainder, refugees, the offspring. Back in Genesis 45 (click here to read more) YHWH already said, and many times throughout Scripture, that He will save the Remnant. Click here to see that post, and some of the Scriptures of YHWH on what He said. A remnant is unfortunately not “most people”, or large groups of people. It is the ones who need to seek refuge (refugees), the ones who are in the minority, the ones who don’t conform to the world, the ones who are ridiculed for taking things too seriously. It is the last 8 people who made it to the ark, or the prophets who fear to be killed, or the Daniel and 3 friends who refused to bow down, or like Lot and his 2 daughters who were the only survivors from Sodom and Gomorrah.
In the book of Micah, he talks about the Remnant four times. See just a few of the prophecies in Micah and other Scriptures on the Remnant:
- Micah 2:12 “I will surely gather the remnant H7611 of Israel;”
- Micah 4:7 “a remnant, H7611 and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and YHWH shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.”
- Amos 5:15 “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that YHWH Elohim of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant H7611 of Joseph.”
- Jeremiah 31:7 “For thus saith YHWH; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O YHWH, save thy people, the remnant H7611 of Israel.”
