Micah Chapter 7
Israel’s Confession and Comfort
A. God’s people humbly confess their sin.
1. (Micah 7:1–4) An honest confession of their sinful state.
“Woe is me!
For I am like those who gather summer fruits,
Like those who glean vintage grapes;
There is no cluster to eat
Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires.
The faithful man has perished from the earth,
And there is no one upright among men.
They all lie in wait for blood;
Every man hunts his brother with a net.
That they may successfully do evil with both hands;
The prince asks for gifts,
The judge seeks a bribe,
And the great man utters his evil desire;
So they scheme together.
The best of them is like a brier;
The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge;
The day of your watchman and your punishment comes;
Now shall be their perplexity.”
a. “Woe is me!”
Micah spoke as the representative of the nation and mourned over the spiritual and moral condition of Israel. He compared himself to one who goes out after harvest hoping to find leftover fruit but discovers only barrenness and emptiness. The image of summer fruit and gleanings of grapes points to a land once fruitful now stripped bare because of sin. There was no spiritual fruit to satisfy the soul because the people had turned from God. He lamented that the faithful man has perished from the earth and that no one upright remained among men. This does not mean absolutely no righteous individuals existed, but that faithfulness and righteousness had become exceedingly rare. Corruption was normal and righteousness was the exception.
He described society as predatory and violent. They all lie in wait for blood refers to a culture where people took advantage of one another without restraint. Every man hunts his brother with a net means deceit and betrayal had overtaken honesty and compassion. Sin was no longer hidden or occasional, it was deliberate, aggressive, and premeditated.
Micah then exposed the corruption of every level of authority. The prince asks for gifts, the judge seeks a bribe, and the great man utters his evil desire. Leaders, judges, and influential men all worked together in a scheme for personal gain. They successfully do evil with both hands, meaning sin was done eagerly, earnestly, and without hesitation. They were not reluctant sinners, they were determined and skillful in wrongdoing. Even the best of them was like a brier, and the most upright was sharper than a thorn hedge. Even the most respectable members of society caused pain and injury like thorns tearing flesh. This shows the depth of depravity and moral collapse within the nation.
b. “The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; now shall be their perplexity.”
Though the people felt secure in their sin and believed their corruption would go unchallenged, God reminded them that the day of your watchman and your punishment comes. The watchmen were the prophets who had warned them of coming judgment. That day would no longer be a distant warning, it would arrive in reality. When that day comes, the self-confidence and boldness of the sinner would be replaced with confusion, fear, and perplexity. They would not know what to do because the consequences of their rebellion would fall upon them. This is the inevitable result of ignoring God’s warnings. For a time sin may seem profitable and secure, but judgment always arrives. God’s justice is sure, and the proud self-assurance of sinners will collapse in the face of His righteous judgment.
2. (Micah 7:5–7) Crumbling relationships among God’s people.
“Do not trust in a friend;
Do not put your confidence in a companion;
Guard the doors of your mouth
From her who lies in your bosom.
For son dishonors father,
Daughter rises against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
Therefore I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me.”
a. Do not trust in a friend; do not put your confidence in a companion:
Micah described a society so consumed by sin and self-interest that even the most personal and sacred relationships could not be trusted. The breakdown of trust extended from acquaintances to close companions, and even to the marriage bed, when he said, guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom. This was not instruction to be unloving or paranoid, but an honest description of a culture where sin had eroded integrity, loyalty, and honesty. What God designed to be relationships of trust had become sources of betrayal.
b. For son dishonors father… a man’s enemies are the men of his own household:
The family unit, which is the foundation of a righteous society, had collapsed. Children rebelled against their parents, daughters rose against their mothers, and in-laws turned on one another. The one place where love, loyalty, and safety should be found had become the breeding ground of hostility and division. This fulfills exactly what sin does when left unchecked. It does not merely affect individuals, it corrupts homes, destroys relationships, and turns hearts cold. When a people turn from God, natural affection breaks down, and households become battlegrounds.
This condition also anticipates what Jesus later quoted in Matthew 10:35–36. Yet in Micah’s setting, these divisions were not because of righteous commitment to God, but because of selfishness, greed, and corruption. It shows how far a nation falls when it abandons God’s law.
c. Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me:
In such a world of betrayal and broken relationships, Micah declared where his confidence remained. He turned his gaze away from unstable people and firmly toward the LORD. He said, I will look to the LORD, meaning he would depend on the character, promises, and faithfulness of God instead of people who failed him. He added, I will wait for the God of my salvation, showing patient faith. God may not act immediately, but He will act righteously. Micah was certain of this when he said, my God will hear me. Even when people betray, God listens. When friends fail, God remains faithful.
This response is both an act of faith and an example. When the world is crumbling morally and spiritually, when trust is broken and relationships collapse, the believer must fix his hope on the Lord alone. He is the God of my salvation. He hears, He sees, and He delivers in His perfect time.
3. (Micah 7:8–10) The humble state of God’s people.
“Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The LORD will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the LORD,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case
And executes justice for me.
He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness.
Then she who is my enemy will see,
And shame will cover her who said to me,
‘Where is the LORD your God?’
My eyes will see her;
Now she will be trampled down
Like mud in the streets.”
a. “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise.”
Micah spoke on behalf of the humbled and repentant people of God. They acknowledged distress, defeat, and darkness, yet they also clung to hope. Their enemies looked at their fallen condition and mocked them, believing God had abandoned them forever. But Micah declared that their fall was not final. They said, when I fall, I will arise. Even in darkness, when all seemed hopeless, the LORD will be a light to me. This is the voice of faith in the midst of failure. It does not deny sin or sorrow, but it refuses to let the enemy claim victory over what God still intends to redeem.
b. “I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against Him.”
Here Micah showed true repentance. He did not blame others, nor did he argue with God’s discipline. Instead, he humbly accepted God’s indignation, acknowledging, I have sinned against Him. This is not despair, but submission. He trusted God even in chastisement, believing that the same God who disciplines is the God who restores. He would wait until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. This means God Himself would eventually take up their cause, not because they were innocent, but because He is gracious. Their hope was not in their own merit, but in God’s covenant mercy.
This is the difference between worldly remorse and biblical repentance. Worldly remorse grieves over consequences. True repentance grieves over the offense against God and submits to His correction in hope.
c. “He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness.”
Though humbled, they were not hopeless. After confession came confidence. God would not leave them in darkness but would bring them forth to the light. To see His righteousness means they would witness His faithfulness to His promises. The same God who judges is the God who saves. Their enemies who once mocked, saying, where is the LORD your God, would see God’s vindication. Shame would cover them when they realized that God had not abandoned His people. The tables would turn — those who rejoiced over Israel’s fall would be trampled like mud in the streets.
This is a profound picture of the gospel pattern. Sin acknowledged, discipline accepted, hope restored, and God glorified. God’s people were not excused from consequences, but neither were they cast away. Brokenness led to repentance, repentance led to restoration.
B. God’s comfort and pardon to His people.
1. (Micah 7:11–13) The restored city of the people of God.
“In the day when your walls are to be built,
In that day the decree shall go far and wide.
In that day they shall come to you
From Assyria and the fortified cities,
From the fortress to the River,
From sea to sea,
And mountain to mountain.
Yet the land shall be desolate
Because of those who dwell in it,
And for the fruit of their deeds.”
a. In the day when your walls are to be built, in that day the decree shall go far and wide:
After confessing sin and acknowledging judgment, the message shifts from sorrow to hope. God promised a future day when the walls of Jerusalem would be rebuilt. Walls symbolize safety, stability, and restoration. This restoration is not the work of man alone, but the result of God’s decree going far and wide. His command would go out to the nations and to the scattered people of Israel, calling them back to their land. They will come from Assyria, from the fortified cities, from the River (Euphrates), from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain. This speaks of a worldwide regathering of the Jewish people, something that finds partial fulfillment after the Babylonian captivity, but its ultimate fulfillment will be in the future millennial reign of Christ when Israel is fully restored under the Messiah.
b. Yet the land shall be desolate because of those who dwell in it, and for the fruit of their deeds:
God’s promise of restoration does not erase the reality of past judgment. Before the restoration, the land would be left desolate. This desolation was the direct result of the fruit of their deeds. Their own sins produced the ruined condition of the land. It is a sobering reminder that while God forgives, sin still carries earthly consequences. Israel would return to a devastated land, cities in ruins, fields untended, homes destroyed. Yet even this fulfills God’s purpose, for He restores what sin has broken, so that His grace is magnified.
So the passage holds both judgment and hope together. The land is desolate because of sin, yet the walls will be rebuilt because of God’s mercy. The same God who tore down because of sin will rebuild because of grace. His judgment is righteous, and His restoration is glorious.
2. (Micah 7:14–15) God cares for His people as in days of old.
“Shepherd Your people with Your staff,
The flock of Your heritage,
Who dwell solitarily in a woodland,
In the midst of Carmel;
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
As in days of old.
‘As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
I will show them wonders.’”
a. Shepherd Your people with Your staff:
This is a prayerful request for God to take up His shepherd’s staff once again and personally tend His people. The staff speaks of guidance, authority, protection, and care. Israel is described as the flock of Your heritage, meaning they belong uniquely to Him by covenant. They dwell solitarily in a woodland, in the midst of Carmel, a poetic description of their scattered and vulnerable condition. They are like sheep without defense, surrounded by wilderness, isolated from safety, yet belonging to the Shepherd.
The prayer asks God to let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, regions known for rich pastures and abundant provision. Bashan on the eastern side of the Jordan and Gilead to the north were symbols of prosperity and peace. To feed there means to be fully secure, shepherded, blessed, and satisfied under the Lord’s care.
b. As in days of old… “I will show them wonders.”
The request is to restore the relationship between God and His people to what it was in the past. The prophet looks back to a time when God led His people intimately and powerfully. God answers by promising, as in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders. Just as God delivered Israel from Egypt with mighty miracles, He promises future acts of deliverance just as great, and even greater.
This reminds Israel that their future restoration is not based on human strength but on God’s faithfulness. The same God who parted the Red Sea and led His people by cloud and fire will again shepherd, protect, and perform wonders. Their relationship will not only be repaired, it will be restored to the richness and closeness of the past.
3. (Micah 7:16–17) The nations are brought low before restored Israel.
“The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;
They shall put their hand over their mouth;
Their ears shall be deaf.
They shall lick the dust like a serpent;
They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth.
They shall be afraid of the LORD our God,
And shall fear because of You.”
a. The nations shall see and be ashamed:
Micah looked forward to the time when God restores His people, and the watching nations are forced to acknowledge God’s work in Israel. These nations had trusted their military strength, political power, wealth, and pride. But when they see Israel restored by the mighty hand of God, they will be ashamed of all their might. Their confidence will collapse in silence and shock. They shall put their hand over their mouth, meaning they will have nothing left to say in defense or accusation. Their ears shall be deaf shows that the nations will be stunned into speechless awe. What they once mocked, they will now respect. What they once opposed, they will now fear.
b. They shall lick the dust like a serpent; they shall crawl… they shall be afraid of the LORD our God:
Micah used imagery that goes all the way back to Genesis 3:14, where the serpent was cursed to eat dust. The nations who rebelled against God and oppressed Israel will be humbled to the lowest place. They shall lick the dust like a serpent is a picture of absolute humiliation and defeat. They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth represents their fear and their attempt to hide from the presence and power of God. No longer proud or defiant, they shall be afraid of the LORD our God and shall fear because of You.
This does not mean they will love God, but they will reverence and fear Him as the One who defends His covenant people with unmatched power. God’s vindication of Israel will demonstrate His faithfulness, justice, and dominion over all nations. The same people who once asked, “Where is the LORD your God?” will now tremble because they see Him act on behalf of His people.
This anticipates the millennial reign of Christ, when Israel will be restored and exalted among the nations, and the Gentile nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the LORD and honor His rule (Isaiah 2:2–4, Zechariah 14:16–17). The power of God’s grace toward Israel will lead to the humbling of all who opposed Him.
4. (Micah 7:18–20) The glorious mercy and pardon of God.
“Who is a God like You,
Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
You will give truth to Jacob
And mercy to Abraham,
Which You have sworn to our fathers
From days of old.”
a. Who is a God like You:
Micah ended his prophecy with worship, reflecting on the unique character of God. His very name Micah means “Who is like the LORD,” and here he declares that truth openly. In the face of God’s judgment and Israel’s failure, Micah marveled not at wrath, but at mercy. God pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage. Unlike human forgiveness which is often shallow and temporary, God’s pardon is complete, undeserved, and rooted in His covenant love. There is no god among the nations who forgives like this. Every idol demands effort from man, but only the living God freely gives mercy to the repentant.
b. Because He delights in mercy:
The reason for God’s forgiveness is not found in the worthiness of His people, but in the nature of God Himself. He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. Mercy is not something God is forced to show. It is His joy to do so. This does not mean God ignores sin or abandons justice. Rather, in perfect harmony within His character, He judges sin yet loves to forgive those who repent and return to Him.
c. He will again have compassion on us:
Though Israel had resisted and rejected God’s compassion in the past, Micah affirmed that God will again have compassion. Restoration is possible not because people change, but because God does not change in His covenant love. His compassion is active: He will subdue our iniquities, meaning He will conquer the very sins that enslave His people. They are not strong enough to overcome sin on their own, so the Lord Himself brings sin under His feet and grants victory.
d. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea:
This is one of the clearest statements of full forgiveness in all Scripture. God does not store sin, recycle it, or place it on probation. He takes all our sins and casts them into the depths of the sea. What He forgives, He removes completely. There they sink beyond recovery. There is no reminder, no probationary period, and no fishing permitted. His pardon is final.
e. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham… sworn to our fathers from days of old:
Micah concluded by anchoring God’s mercy in His unchanging covenant. Jacob and Abraham represent the nation and the covenant. God promised truth and mercy to the patriarchs, and those promises still stand. What God swore to their fathers, He will fulfill for their children. His future work of restoration is not a new idea, but the continuation of His ancient promises, grounded in His character. What He began with Abraham and confirmed with Jacob, He will finish with restored Israel in the future.
