Studying through a minor prophet can be confusing because they don’t speak in a way that we are accustomed to.

The book of Micah is comprised of 3 sermons, each one begins with the word “hear” (1:2; 3:1; 6:1) His first message is all about the sins that the people of God had been committing. What were some of these sins? Idolatry was a big one. The people began valuing creation, especially the creations of their own hands above the Creator. This led to them covet what others had (2:1-2) to the point of laying in bed figuring out ways to get more things, even if it included fraud and violence.

Seeing these people, whom God chose as His special nation dive headlong into these sins, without care, remorse or repentance broke Micah’s heart (1:8-9). He saw the damage their actions were causing in their own lives and in the lives of others, and so he spoke out against them, warning them that their actions would bring judgment from God.

Do you know how the people reacted? They demanded that Micah stop preaching. They didn’t what to hear the truth, they didn’t believe that their actions would have any real consequences, and they certainly didn’t want to change. (2:6)

We always need to ask, “What do we learn about God?” And here we clearly see that God is jealous for His glory and will not allow His people to worship someone or something besides Him.

He knows that idolatry always leads to other sins and strips people of their joy, dignity, and contentment.

Do you see yourself in this account?

Idolatry is not just carving a god out of stone or wood and bowing down to it. We don’t do this. Instead we carve our gods out of thoughts and ideas. Maybe we worship our time, our intellectual abilities, our moral standing, or our material possessions.  

Idolatry is a dethroning of God and, often, we try to place ourselves on that throne.  Any time we sin we place ourselves and our desires above God, His word, and His ways. This is idolatry and this deserves judgement.

But like the people of Israel during the time of Micah, we don’t want to hear this message, do we?  

What are some of your idols? Is it collecting degrees or accolades in order to hear the praise of men? Is it filling your head with knowledge so you can feel superior to others? What takes the place of worship? What keeps you from praying and studying your Bible regularly? What do you spend your money on and why?

If you are brutally honest with yourself, what do you love more than God? We are not much different then the people during the time of Micah, but we have a Savior who paid for those crimes so that we do not have to experience the judgment of God.

We need to work at weeding out those idols. Ask the Lord to show you what your idols are. Some of them you will hate, and when you do ask God to help you smash them. But some of the them you will love. Plead with God to help you see their ugliness and learn to hate them because of the affront they are to God, what it cost Jesus, and how it actually hurts your life.

Looking to Jesus,

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Jen Thorn

Jen Thorn grew up in Germany and then spent her teenage years in Africa, where her parents were missionaries. She moved to the United States for college and attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where she met her husband. They have been married for twenty-two years and have four children. Jen lives in the suburbs of Chicago, where her husband is the pastor of Redeemer Fellowship. Jen is passionate about theology and the connection to daily living.