Did Micah Prophesy Naked?

Post by **_jrhahn** » Thu May 03, 2007 9:47 am

Did Micah prophesy naked? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts. The verse in question is Micah 1:8...

"Because of this I must lament and wail, I must go barefoot and naked; I must make a lament like the jackals And a mourning like the ostriches." (NASB)

We know that Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and probably knew him. He also probably had read Isaiah's prophecies so he would have known that Isaiah himself did this (Isa 20). The text also says "I must go barefoot and naked" which would be an impossible thing for God Himself to do.

However, it could also be seen in context as God stating that He must be put to shame. He is being shamed and humiliated by His own people.

Why do I care about this? I just find it to be a fascinating parallel to Isaiah if true. It tells us that the prophets knew each other and had been called by God to do this in order to demonstrate the prophecy of Judgment that was coming upon the nation.

The idea of the shame and humiliation of the act is also reminiscent of Jesus on the cross (Luke 23:34) and how Our Savior was forced to hang naked on the tree in utter humiliation.

If you have any insights on Micah 1:8 or know of any insights from commentaries I'd love to hear them!