Bible Discussion Thread

In Verse 8 of chapter 1: "Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls." who is "I"? Is it Micah? Or a reference to the people there?

Hi Syrstephen007. You are correct, this the prophet Micah referring to himself. You can tell he is in great anguish ( Micah 1:3-9) for the horrible sins of Israel (of which the head was Samaria, where the kings had their residence, idolatry was rampant, setting a bad example to the rest of the people). And the sins of Judah (where Jerusalem which was the main city, having the same evil influence over her, as Samaria had over the ten tribes).

So Micah was so distraught by what God was telling him & what he then had to proclaim of their judgement because of their sins, that his (Micah) response would be a blood-curdling cry as when one is alone at the dead of night in a forest with jackals and owls screeching around him. That he would tear off his garments (probably not all clothing, as was done by many in that period) in demonstration of his agony & bitterness for his people's coming judgement. All this makes the prophet appear melodramatic, but we can't read and appreciate the force of God's Word coming to him and the horrors of judgement to follow. It must have been awful to hear and then to proclaim it. Wasn't the best job being a prophet at that time.