How to Read Micah

Micah had the big view of history, and thus he covered a lot of grounds. His book, only seven chapters, is loaded with pronouncements on the events of several thousand years. Because so much is jammed into so short a space, reading Micah can be confusing. A fragment may deal with the Messiah, for instance, and without warning the next few verses shift to the battle against Assyria.

To grasp Micah’s message, think of his book as a collection of short speeches. One speech doesn’t necessarily lead to the next. Instead of reading quickly from start to finish, pause after each short section to see whether you fully understand what it says. Try to understand who is speaking. Sometimes God speaks, sometimes Micah, sometimes the rebellious people.

In general, Micah follows this outline: chapters 1-3 indict both Northern and Southern Kingdoms, with their leaders, chapters 4 and 5 turn to the wonderful future God is planning; the last two chapters give the trial, punishment, and hope of the guilty nations.

t’s very helpful to understand Micah’s historical situation. Micah 1:1 names the kings of Judah he worked under. You can read about these kings, and their northern counterparts, in 2 Kings 15:27-20:21 and 2 Chronicles 27-32.