Let’s finish off chapter 1 of Micah: v12-16

v12: Maroth was a city in Judah.

Pined for good – the people did not know G-d.  In the midst of their rebelliousness, they had a misplaced hope that G-d would relent. Their hoping for good was not based on the truth of G-d but was based on the fact that they thought they could sin and not suffer the consequences of their sin.  

• Maroth was a city in Judah.  
• Disaster came – this disaster was manifested through exile – a removal from the land,  a removal from the temple (so that they could not worship G-d correctly – even today, although many Jews are back in Israel, because there is no temple in Jerusalem many commandments and festivals etc cannot be Biblically kept), becoming slaves to their enemies etc

v13: Swift steeds – they hoped to sin/transgress (do what their flesh desired)  in the hope that they could outrun and escape the judgement of G-d.

• Lachish was a border city in the southern kingdom – a city close to where the Philistines lived.  
• Beginning of sin – The idolatrous practices of the southern kingdom began in this city of Lachish. G-d knows where sin begins and if repentance doesn’t take place there will be no escape from the consequences of it.  
• Zion: another word for Jerusalem. The sins that began in Lachish had implications that attacked the very promises and the purposes of G-d for His people.  

v14: Give gifts – they were going to try to offer a bribe to the Philistines in order to get the Philistines to protect them from judgement. These bribes would not be successful. 

• Moresheth Gath was a Philistine city
• Achzib – we see another play on words here. The city was called Achzib which meant “to lie or deceive”. The Philistines would take the gifts (bribes) and they would make promises, but these would turn out to be lies and false promises.  When the time of calamity came the Philistines did not help them.  
• The kings of Israel made alliances with Assyria, and others, but they eventually found out that these alliances were of no profit to them. The nations around Israel were untrustworthy and they did not help Israel accomplish her own purposes and desires.  

v15: Someone else was going to inherit (an heir inherits) what should have been theirs.  

• Again a play on words as Mareshah means “inheritance”. 
• Adullam was an obscure place – David hid there when he was fleeing from Saul (1 Sam 22v1-2) Even in obscure places the glory of Israel (G-d Himself)  would find them and judge them.  

v16: Baldness was a sign of shame

• The hair that they were going to cut off was the hair from their beards. They cut their beards as a sign of humility.  
• Children speak of the next generation.  These children (their next generation)  are not going to experience the goodness of G-d.  They are going to experience mourning,  shame and humility.  
• Their children will go into exile and they are going to be separated from those they love. No parent wants this for their children. But even this did not cause them to repent and change their ways