EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries
Micah 6:16
The important people in Jerusalem wanted to make profit. That was their main aim in everything that they did. In order to make profit, they had been cruel to people. The result was that everyone had become afraid. People did not speak the truth any longer. Nobody would believe anything that other people said. The people had chosen to *worship other gods. They had followed the laws that Omri and Ahab (earlier wicked kings of *Israel) had followed. That meant that the people did not *worship the real God any longer. They had stopped *worshipping him completely. Instead they had chosen to *worship Baal. Baal was a false god whom the other nations *worshipped.
Again God accuses the people in Jerusalem city. He says that he will punish them. Micah mentions two kings of *Israel (the northern nation) by name. In Micah’s messages this is the only verse where he does that. Those kings lived more than a century before Micah. God accuses Jerusalem’s people. He says that they have done the same *sins as Omri. Omri was a wicked king (1 Kings 16:25). His son Ahab was even more wicked. Ahab cheated people. He stole their property (1 Kings chapter 21). Ahab married Jezebel. She *worshipped Baal. Ahab copied his wife and he too *worshipped Baal. When people were *worshipping false gods like that, the people did terrible things. For example, they performed wrong practices in connection with sex. Their wicked practices had many forms. People even killed their children. Then they offered them to another false god called Moloch. That happened in *Israel (the northern nation) for many years. Omri and Ahab had not been kings of *Judah (the southern nation). So they did not even rule Jerusalem. But the people in Jerusalem were imitating the wicked behaviour of the people from *Israel.
The leaders in business, law and politics have copied those practices. Therefore God will ruin them. They will become very fearful and anxious. The other nations will cause terror to *Israel’s people. All the nations will laugh at them (Deuteronomy 28:37). *Israel should have become like a light to the other nations. That was God’s original intention. Now the other nations will hate *Israel. The *prophet Jeremiah spoke about these things (Lamentations 2:15-16).
The word ‘therefore’ means that God can make no other choice. The wages for *sin is death. That is true for all people who *sin. But there is good news. God gives a gift to his people. It is free. That gift is *eternal life which will never end, by Christ Jesus our *Lord (Romans 6:23).
God will punish Jerusalem’s people. Jerusalem is called ‘the city where there is peace’. Its name means that. God ordered the people to pray that Jerusalem would have peace (Psalms 122:6-7). But they looked elsewhere for peace and safety. The people thought that other gods would help them. They imagined that wealth would give them security. They spent their wealth on themselves. We can find peace only in Jesus, who is called the Prince of Peace. That is the truth.
prophecy ~ messages and stories that God has given to a person; messages that tell about things before they happen; the messages that a prophet speaks or the messages that he writes.
prophet ~ a person who is able to tell other people what God wants; a person who speaks on behalf of God; someone who tells about things that will happen in the future. But a false prophet is someone who merely pretends to speak God’s words.
remnant ~ the few people that remain from the nation called Israel.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
covenant ~ a serious agreement between two or more people; a serious agreement between God and a person (or a nation).
Lord ~ someone with authority; or, a name for God in the Bible; it means that he is above all other things; a name that we use for Jesus; we use that name when we obey him.
LORD ~ the special name for God that he himself told the Jews to call him in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word is Yahweh. Do not confuse ‘LORD’ with ‘Lord’. ‘Lord’ can mean that you respect any person. But ‘LORD’ only means the real God. ‘LORD’ and ‘Lord’ translate two completely different Hebrew words.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on the Earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
messenger ~ a person who brings messages.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
plead ~ here, to accuse a person of a crime; to state what evidence you have against that person.
prophet ~ a person who is able to tell other people what God wants; a person who speaks on behalf of God; someone who tells about things that will happen in the future. But a false prophet is someone who merely pretends to speak God’s words.
worship ~ a way to act when we are with God; to give thanks to God and Jesus; to bend oneself down in front of God (or a false god); to show honour to God; to say that we love God very much. We usually worship together with other people, with prayers and many happy songs.
sin ~ when people do wrong things against God; when we do not obey God’s commands; the evil nature that is in us, which we were born with.
Israelite ~ a Jew; a person from the nation called Israel.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
priest ~ a man who gave gifts and burned animals as gifts to God for the Jews; a man whom God chose to serve him and to do special work for him.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
curse ~ to declare strongly that an evil thing will happen to someone; the words that a person says when he or she curses someone; an evil thing that someone declares will happen to someone else.'New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after Jesus lived on the Earth. It is about Christ’s deeds and the things that he taught. It is also about the church, the people that have believed in him.
Assyrians ~ these people came from the country called Assyria.
Lord ~ someone with authority; or, a name for God in the Bible; it means that he is above all other things; a name that we use for Jesus; we use that name when we obey him.
LORD ~ the special name for God that he himself told the Jews to call him in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word is Yahweh. Do not confuse ‘LORD’ with ‘Lord’. ‘Lord’ can mean that you respect any person. But ‘LORD’ only means the real God. ‘LORD’ and ‘Lord’ translate two completely different Hebrew words.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on the Earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
religious ~ pure, holy and sincere; when someone follows a religion; when someone loves God.
rod ~ a thin stick; a stick that someone uses to give punishment; an object that is like a stick and it shows authority.'Temple, temple ~ the special building where Jews went to praise God; the holy place in heaven where God is; OR a special building where people went to praise false gods.
Temple, temple ~ the special building where Jews went to praise God; the holy place in heaven where God is; OR a special building where people went to praise false gods.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Judah ~ after the nation called Israel split, Judah was the name of the south part.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.