Today’s Immerse Bible reading immerses listeners in the book of Micah, a prophet whose message weaves together warnings of judgment and promises of restoration. Explore how Micah confronts injustice, idolatry, and corruption in Israel and Judah, while also proclaiming God’s faithfulness, compassion, and the hope of a future ruler from Bethlehem. This episode highlights the call to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God, offering encouragement and challenge for all who journey through the Bible in a year.

Show Notes & Chapters:

• 00:00 – Introduction
  • Welcome and overview of Micah’s prophetic context and themes.
• 00:32 – The Message of Micah
  • God’s unique character, covenant relationship, and the structure of Micah’s oracles.
• 01:56 – Judgment for Injustice
  • Warnings to Judah and Israel for exploiting the vulnerable and practicing corruption.
• 03:41 – The Covenant Lawsuit
  • God’s case against His people, recalling His faithfulness and their failure to respond with true devotion.
• 05:27 – What God Requires
  • The famous call: “Do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”
• 06:49 – Prophecy of a Ruler from Bethlehem
  • The promise of a future leader, immediate reference to Hezekiah, and a foreshadowing of the Messiah.
• 08:11 – Hope Beyond Exile
  • God’s promise to deliver and restore His people after exile, echoing the Exodus.
• 09:19 – The Mountain of the Lord
  • Vision of global worship and peace, with nations streaming to God’s house.
• 10:59 – Micah’s Prophecies Begin
  • Accusations against Samaria and Jerusalem, the consequences of idolatry, and lament over coming destruction.
• 14:00 – Injustice and Social Breakdown
  • Condemnation of leaders, prophets, and priests for corruption, and the resulting ruin.
• 17:16 – Restoration and the Remnant
  • God’s promise to gather the remnant, restore Jerusalem, and bring peace and prosperity.
• 21:14 – The Coming Exile and Deliverance
  • Exile to Babylon, God’s plan for redemption, and the defeat of Israel’s enemies.
• 24:00 – The Ruler from Bethlehem Revisited
  • Further prophecy about the ruler from Bethlehem and the peace he will bring.
• 26:33 – God’s Judgment on Idolatry and Injustice
  • The destruction of idols, false prophets, and corrupt practices.
• 29:49 – God’s Case Against His People
  • Recounting God’s faithfulness, the people’s empty rituals, and the true requirements of God.
• 34:48 – Lament and Hope
  • Micah’s personal lament, the absence of the godly, and hope in God’s justice and restoration.
• 39:11 – God’s Compassion and Faithfulness
  • The closing oracle: God’s forgiveness, unfailing love, and the fulfillment of promises to Abraham and Jacob.
• 44:05 – Conclusion
  • Closing remarks and encouragement to continue the Immerse Bible journey.

Key Themes:

• The seriousness of injustice, idolatry, and corruption
• God’s call to justice, mercy, and humility
• The hope of restoration and a coming ruler from Bethlehem
• God’s faithfulness and compassion, even in judgment

Continue your journey through the prophets, reflecting on Micah’s timeless call to live justly and trust in God’s redemptive plan.

Buy Immerse: Prophets Now!

Volume 4 

Immerse: Prophets is the fourth of six volumes of the Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience program. Prophets presents the First Testament prophets in groupings that represent four historical periods, beginning with the prophets who spoke before the fall of Israel’s northern kingdom (Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah), then before the fall of the southern kingdom (Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk), around the time of Jerusalem’s destruction (Jeremiah, Obadiah, Ezekiel), and after the return from exile (Haggai, Zechariah, Joel, Malachi).

4 Questions to get your conversations started:
1. What stood out to you this week?
2. Was there anything confusing or troubling?
3. Did anything make you think differently about God?
4. How might this change the way we live?

QUICK START GUIDE
3 ways to get the most out of your experience

1. Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.
2. Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together
   for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open,
   honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.
3. Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 483) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”