Bread for the Journey, Friday and Saturday in the Eighteenth Week after Pentecost

From the Daily Lectionary for Friday/Saturday October 9-10, Proper 22

Micah 5:1-4

In Jewish tradition, the Bible has three parts—the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. From the first letters of the Hebrew words for these parts (Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim) comes the frequently used acronym Tanakh, which for Jews is simply the Bible. Most scholars call it the Hebrew Bible while Christians often call it the Old Testament. The Torah is the first five books of the Bible, and the Writings consists of a variety of books of different types, including Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and others. The Prophets are divided into the Former Prophets and the Latter Prophets. The Former consist of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. These continue the narrative of the Torah from the death of Moses until the destruction of Jerusalem including the temple in 586 BCE, and subsequent Babylonian captivity. The Latter prophets are divided into the Major Prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—and the Minor Prophets—the twelve books from Hosea through Malachi. Of note, the prophets are divided into “major” and “minor’ solely on the criterion of volume or length of their writings and not on their quality or significance. I will reflect today upon Micah, partly because he is one of my favorite prophets, and also because his core message of social justice is especially relevant to our lives today.

Micah likely wrote during the final quarter of the eighth century BCE, near the time of the fall of the Northern Kingdom and its capital, Samaria, to the Assyrians, and of their attack and unsuccessful invasion of Jerusalem in Judah in 701 BCE. He lived in the small town of Moresheth-Gath in Judah south and west of Jerusalem, during the same time as the prophet Isaiah. Micah’s primary concern was for social justice and sympathy for the poor. He accuses the leaders including judges and priests of economic corruption, and calls out the evildoers who covet fields and seize them from their owners. There is great disparity between the haves and the have-nots. He attacks the Judean law courts for closing their ears to the appeals of the poor and the oppressed who have no legal recourse. He brings a covenant lawsuit by Yahweh against Israel for breach of contract, that is, for violation of the Sinai covenant. His concern was that Israel had lost its moral integrity, and he saw his task as strengthening the moral fiber of the people. Sound familiar? The first three chapters are predictions of doom for the nation. It is not clear if the remaining four chapters were written by Micah or were editorial additions from later authors. Nonetheless, chapter five, including our verses today, offers hope for restoration and salvation. In verse 2 Micah writes about one born in Bethlehem “who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days”, and in verse 4 “And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.” Who is this new ruler from Bethlehem? There are two possible answers. For those who assume that Micah was writing to the people of Israel in his own day (or perhaps to the exiles in Babylon if this was a later addition to Micah’s prophecy), then he was probably writing about a new earthly king who would restore Israel to living out its covenant with Yahweh. The other possible answer is that Micah was predicting the birth and reign of Jesus. This is certainly how many Christians read the text. Advent readings have reinforced that interpretation. Matthew in his gospel refers to Micah’s prophecy when the frightened King Herod inquires of the chief priests and scribes where the Messiah was to be born. They tell him “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet…. And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” (Mt 2.5-6) That prophet was Micah, and the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, the town of King David.

Isn’t it interesting how a biblical text that seems obviously written to a specific group of people in a specific time can be removed from that historical context so that the words can have meaning to people at a much later time? In our search to know more about Jesus we often find Hebrew Bible passages which we interpret to be speaking about him. I think it unlikely that Micah or whoever else wrote this book had Jesus in mind back in the eighth century BCE. However, although we may not be his first audience, I do think the words he wrote still speak to us today. That is the beauty of scripture. Some of the words are unbound by time and context, and universal in their meaning. So it is with Micah. Perhaps it is the Holy Spirit at work here, speaking the Word to us now in our own time and place.

I am going to use a little poetic license now, and jump ahead to chapter 6 in Micah. The people have asked what they must do to please God, what kind of sacrifices or acts of piety might suffice. This is the answer: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” In other words Micah is saying that God is more interested in how people live their everyday lives than in their religious practices. Note that these are actions: “do” justice, “love” kindness, “walk” humbly with God. This is all about how we look at life, how we live it, and our ethics. There is no one “thing” we can do to please God. Rather, it is about walking with God as our constant companion. I remember this verse well partly because when I was in seminary preparing for the General Ordination Exam—I must have been anticipating an exam question like this—I asked our rector Jim if he had a “rule of life”, or a personal mission statement. He quickly quoted and referred me to Micah 6:8: do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God. I can’t think of one better.

Rev. Bob Donnell

Collect For Social Justice (BCP p. 209)

Almighty God, who has created us in your own image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen