Micaiah and Micah

 

by

 

Damien F. Mackey

 

 

 

 

“Micah uses the imagery of a threshing floor (same word in Hebrew) and

iron horns that come from the events surrounding Micaiah’s prophecy”.

 

Christadelphian Books 

 

   

 

 

 

Many have observed the amazing series of compelling likenesses between the words and visions of the prophet Micaiah and those of the prophet Micah. {“The name Mica(h) is the accepted abbreviated form of the name Michaiah (like … Rick is to Richard)”: Abarim Publications: http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Micah.html#.W8vYKWdRc_w}

However, the next step, to identify Micah as Micaiah, would clearly seem to be a step too far, given Micah’s contemporaneity with king Ahab of Israel (c. 871 - 852 BC, conventional dating) (1 Kings 22:8-28), and Micah’s contemporaneity with king Hezekiah of Judah (c. 715 - 686 BC, conventional dating) (cf. Jeremiah 26:18).

 

That is a time separation of at least a century and a half!

 

 

Micah, though, does seem to be making definite reference to king Ahab and the Naboth incident.

(See chart below). Not to mention this clearly direct reference to Ahab and Omri (Micah 6:16): “The statutes of Omri and all the works of the house of Ahab are observed; and in their devices you walk."

So I suspect that the Divided Monarchy needs further shortening, with the age of Ahab brought significantly closer to that of Micah.

 

The following chart is one example of just how well Micah lines up alongside Micaiah: http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/mannell/jehoshaphat/JEH5%20(Micah%20and%20Micaia

 

Micah		Micaiah		Comment
“Hear, O peoples, all of you; listen, O earth” (1:2)		“Listen, all you people." (2Chron 18:27)		Micah’s opening quotes Micaiah’s final words (the only occasion of this phrase in scripture).
“…the Lord from His holy temple.“ (1:2)		“I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left.” (2Chron 18:18)
“All this is for the rebellion of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? What is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? For I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the open country, planting places for a vineyard. I will pour her stones down into the valley, and will lay bare her foundations. All of her idols will be smashed, all of her earnings will be burned with fire, and all of her images I will make desolate, for she collected them from a harlot's earnings, and to the earnings of a harlot they will return. Because of this I must lament and wail, I must go barefoot and naked; I must make a lament like the jackals and a mourning like the ostriches. For her wound is incurable, for it has come to Judah; it has reached the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.” (1:5-9)		Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. (2Chron 18:9)		Micah’s concern is that the evil from Samaria is infecting Judah, it has even reached the gate of Jerusalem. That infection can be traced back to the gate of Samaria.
Micah	Micaiah		Comment
“Woe to those who scheme iniquity, who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, for it is in the power of their hands. They covet fields and then seize them and houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.” (2:1-2)	So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food. (1Kings 21:4 and context)		Micah’s description of evil doers is very reminiscent of the incident of Ahab and Naboth.
"If a man walking after wind and falsehood had told lies and said 'I will speak out to you concerning wine and liquor,' He would be spokesman (KJV: prophet) to this people.” (2:11)	"Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; for the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.” (2Chron 18:22)		Lying prophets
"I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together like sheep in the fold; like a flock in the midst of its pasture they will be noisy with men. (2:11)	So he said, "I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, like sheep which have no shepherd…” (2Chron 18:16)		Scattered sheep.
“Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets Who lead my people astray; when they have something to bite with their teeth, they cry, "Peace," but against him who puts nothing in their mouths, they declare holy war.“ (3:5)	Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men …And they said," Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king." (2Chron 18:5) …400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table. (1Kings 18:19)		Ahab’s false prophets were clearly only saying what their employer wanted.

 

 

Micah	Micaiah	Comment
Therefore it will be night for you-- without vision, and darkness for you-- without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, and the day will become dark over them. The seers will be ashamed and the diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed, they will all cover their mouths Because there is no answer from God. (3:6)	And Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day, when you enter an inner room to hide yourself." (2Chron 18:24)	Zedekiah was a blind seer (“seer” and “see” are almost identical in Hebrew) who would finally see on the day he cowardly hides himself in shame. (Inner room can mean the toilet as in Judges 3:24)
On the other hand I am filled with power-- With the Spirit of the LORD-- And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, even to Israel his sin. (3:8)	"How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?" (2Chron 18:24)	Zedekiah claims that Micaiah did not have the spirit of Yahweh as he makes known Ahab’s sin.
"But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, and they do not understand His purpose; for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor. Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, for your horn I will make iron and your hoofs I will make bronze, that you may pulverize many peoples, that you may devote to the LORD their unjust gain and their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. (4:12-13)	Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'With these you shall gore the Arameans, until they are consumed.'" (2Chron 18:9-10)	Micah uses the imagery of a threshing floor (same word in Hebrew) and iron horns that come from the events surrounding Micaiah’s prophecy.
"Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; they have laid siege against us; with a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek.” (5:1)	Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek… (2Chron 18:23	Struck on the cheek

 

 

Micah	Micaiah	Comment
And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD… (5:4) Shepherd Thy people with Thy scepter, the flock of Thy possession which dwells by itself in the woodland, in the midst of a fruitful field. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. (7:14)	Israel Scattered on the mountains, like sheep which have no shepherd; and the (2Chron 18:16)	Micah looks forward to the day when Israel and Judah will have a proper shepherd. He also looks forward to that flock feeding in Gilead, the very place Ahab and Jehoshaphat were seeking to reclaim.
"My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab counselled…Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my first-born for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (6:5, 7)	When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him 700 men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land. (2Kings 3:26-27)	A couple of years later Jehoshaphat and Ahab’s son were again joined in a campaign, against Moab when the king of Moab offered his first born son.
"The statutes of Omri and all the works of the house of Ahab are observed; and in their devices you walk." (6:16)		Micah’s criticism of Judah is that it is following the example Ahab and his father.