Micah began with a vivid portrayal of the Lord coming in power to judge the nations (1:2-4). He then included the northern kingdom and its capital, Samaria, within the scope of this judgement. He subsequently caught the listeners from Judah, the southern kingdom, off-guard, by pointing out that Judah and Jerusalem would not escape divine punishment. Both cities had become centres of false religion, Samaria because of its Baal temple and Jerusalem because of its pagan high places.
Samaria would be reduced to a heap of ruins; her idols would be crushed to bits and burned. Micah bitterly lamented Samaria’s demise and he realised that the destruction of Samaria also signalled the impending disaster for Judah. His lament is characterised by irony and wordplay involving the names of these cities.
Micah told the nobles of Israel to shave their heads as a sign of lamentation and sorrow; Micah himself went about barefoot and naked, giving a picture of future prisoners who would be taken into captivity following the coming Assyrian invasion. Walking barefoot and naked (wearing just a loincloth) also gave a picture of mourning in Micah’s culture.
The people of God had broken the covenant with God and they had resorted to false worship and indulged in dishonesty and covetousness in their relationship, They exploited the poor and sought dishonest gains in their pursuit of wealth and selfish desires; at the same time they portrayed an external superficial religious demeanour. Judgement was therefore inevitable. This is a grim reminder for us today as God’s people in a new covenant. Adopted as children of God, we ought to manifest the characteristics of our heavenly father in our worship of Him and in our relationships with others. Judgement begins in the house of God and we must not take our calling lightly and frivolously.