Last week’s passage outlined the path God would take the people on toward their hope. The journey of hope begins in woundedness and suffering. Micah continues outlining the journey by showing how God will transform His people.

Chapter 4 returns to the theme of hope. Verses 1-5 revealed God's long-term plans for the flourishing of His people, which includes all people. Starting in verse 6, Micah outlines the journey to that hope.

Micah 3 returned to the theme of judgment: God will deal with the idolatry of power that has arisen in His people. Chapter 4 returns to the theme of hope: God has long-term plans for the flourishing of His people, which will include more than just the Jews.

Micah continues in chapter 3 to speak difficult words to God’s people who have gone off the rails morally. But there is idolatry at the root of the leaders’ oppression. And this is an idolatry that is just as common today as it was then: Power.

Micah 1 & 2 reveal God dealing with the people’s corruption, especially the injustice caused by greed. Chapter 2 ends with the hope that God does not abandon them to judgment.

The name Micah means, “Who is like God?” The peoples of his day thought they had an answer: wealth. Micah warns that God will deal with greed, because it destroys lives.

The name Micah means, “Who is like God?” The assumed answer is that no one is like God. But that didn’t keep His people from replacing Him with idols. A warning: the idols of their day look a lot like the idols of our day.

God’s incomparable nature is terrifying if He is against us. What chance would anyone have? But God is for us. This changes the question: who can stand against Him when He takes up our cause?

How we think about God is an important and practical matter for daily life. One of the most underappreciated ways Scripture tells us to think about God is as our Father. The more we understand Him as Father, the less we are driven by fear.

God is jealous? Wait, isn't that a sin? How can God be jealous? All of God's character qualities are worthy of our praise -- but how can we praise God for being jealous? Are we misunderstanding jealousy? What is it?