Micah 1:1

This and the following chapter (2) which are grouped together in the sacred text have the record of the word of the Lord through Micah; and, since this section has a prophecy of the approaching destruction of Samaria, that part of it must surely have originated in the times of Jotham king of Judah, that doubtless being the reason for Micah's inclusion of that king in the superscription.

Micah 1:1

"The word of Jehovah that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem."

The battle of Micah begins with this verse. It is clearly the imprimature of the Holy Spirit, validating the entire book of Micah as the word of the Lord. Concerning this author, and other inspired writers of the Old Testament, an apostle of Jesus Christ declared that "Holy men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21), and that the prophets themselves, far from merely commenting upon current conditions as they discerned and interpreted them, were delivering the true words of God to men, "which the Spirit of God that was in them did testify" (1 Peter 1:11). These comments by the apostle Peter are more valuable in understanding Micah than a hundred of the current commentaries that proceed to deny every other word of it as having any authenticity or significance whatever. This verse 1, like all the rest of the book, is written by Micah; without this verse, nothing is left. Although, to be sure, there are other examples of "thus saith the Lord" in the prophecy, this verse identifies (1) the author of its contents, God Himself, (2) the prophet through whom the message was delivered, and (3) the names of the kings of Judah during whose reigns the message was delivered "concerning Samaria and Jerusalem." In this verse, the Holy Bible says that the prophecy is "The word of the Lord." It is inconceivable that Micah could have delivered this great prophecy without this validating superscription, in exactly the same manner as that followed by many other prophets of the sacred scriptures. Micah, therefore, included it; he wrote it; he made it a part of his book; he testified that the prophecies in it must be dated as early as the days of Jotham, before the fulfillment of his prophecies.

Ever since the Garden of Eden, however, Satan has loved to contradict what God says; and the evil one has not hesitated to contradict what God says in this verse. He says that:

"This superscription is not the prophet's words.[1]; Micah 1:2 was inserted by the redactor.[2] The second and third lines of Micah 1:5 are not the language of Micah.[3] "Thus saith the Lord," God's Word still comes to those who hear and obey the prophetic call.[4] (in other words, Micah had no more insight into God's will than obedient Christians today!). Micah 1:1 was prefixed to Micah by a compiler (long after the book was written). etc., etc."[5]

Just as God, of old, spake through men; so does Satan; and therefore we have accurately ascribed the above words to their true source. It is the old, old lie, "Ye shall not surely die," as delivered by our Enemy in the Paradise of Eden. This does not question the honesty or the sincerity of the evil one's spokesmen; but the very fact of God's Word being contradicted identifies the source of the contradiction by those who may, or may not, be deceived. We have hit this problem rather firmly here in the first verse, for it is our intention to waste very little time with it in the following notes. Before passing, however, it is a joy to recognize that there are many of the greatest scholars who have not hesitated to honor all of Micah, including this superscription as indeed the word of Jehovah. "This verse introduces the whole prophecy as having come from Jehovah."[6] "Micah began prophesying before the destruction of Samaria (Micah 1:5)."[7] "The threat of the destruction of Samaria was evidently uttered before 722 B.C."[8] We appreciate this especially from McKeating, because he went further and gave the reason why "some scholars" have felt compelled to tamper with this verse. The problem is predictive prophecy which they do not believe is possible! "They are therefore obliged either to translate the words differently, or to see the words as a prophecy after the event, inserted at a later date."[9] The faithful student should, therefore, always remember that contradictions of the sacred prophecies are merely testimonials to the unbelief of their advocates, and that the most ridiculous and unscientific "reasons" imaginable are pressed into service to bolster their infidelity. The great giants of Biblical exegesis throughout the ages were unanimous (in all practical sense) in their acceptance of the total of this book as inspired of God. Rampant unbelief in the last century or so is not founded either upon intelligence, or scientific evidence, but merely upon the subjective speculations and imaginations of men who are determined, before they ever begin their investigations, not to believe. See more on this in the introduction. In recent times, many of the ablest scholars such as Deane, Keil, D. Clark, and many others, firmly hold to convictions that in this prophecy we are dealing with the Word of God. We may conclude this study of the superscription with Deane's flat statement: There really is no sufficient reason for doubting the accuracy of the superscription."[10]