NOTES for Mic 7:1-20

We see scenes of moral collapse. The merciful are gone; no one can be trusted. To the prophet, the state of society at that time resembles a garden stripped bare after the fruit has been gathered, when not a single berry remains on the branches. Yet the Law of Moses instructed people to leave part of the harvest ungathered for the poor and the stranger. This rule is not observed; everything is swept up for oneself alone. Family ties are falling apart. In short, it is all familiar, nothing new, and it constantly recurs. Once again, as we immerse ourselves in testimonies from ancient times, we can repeat: this too has already happened. Therefore, when descriptions of the coming reckoning follow the picture of the general situation, it is once again difficult to change perspective and not apply the prophecy to our own times.

Once again, however, we encounter hope, for the Lord is the same today as He was in that age so distant from us. He is not merely merciful but delights in showing mercy, and therefore He is always ready to receive the sinner who strives in repentance to reject former sins.

Thus, even today, when we stumble, the words of Micah can support us: though I have fallen, I shall rise; though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is light for me.