Prophets I Catholic Bible study Lesson 22

Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets

Volume I: A Kingdom Divided

Lesson 22 What Does the LORD Require?
the Second Book of the Kings 18:1–37
the Book of Micah 1:1–5
the Book of Micah 3:5—4:3
the Book of Micah 5:2–4
the Book of Micah 6:1–3
the Book of Micah 6:6–8

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
cross references in Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
next lesson: Hezekiah Consults Isaiah

This material coordinates with Lesson 22 on pages 133–139 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, and I showed myself their Master, says the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”—the Book of Jeremiah 31:31–34

welcome to Volume I of our in-depth study of the biblical prophets
We invite you to check out the sample first lesson and video from Volume I of this Turning to God’s Word two-part Catholic Bible study. Our online pages link to the free related lesson videos, a glossary, and cross references in the biblical text, and include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided contains 28 lessons and has been granted an imprimatur. It may be purchased from our website shop. The companion 23-lesson Volume II: Restoration & Redemption also is available for purchase. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the Second Book of the Kings 17:1–41
In Lesson 21 Israel’s Sins Lead to Deportation, the northern kingdom of Israel under the reign of Hoshea is conquered by the Assyrians, the rising political power in the region. The Assyrians deport the people to locations outside of their homeland and bring in other conquered peoples to settle in Samaria, which is how the territory of the former kingdom now has come to be known. After a problem with lions murdering the new inhabitants, the king of Assyria sends a priest from the former northern kingdom to Bethel to teach the foreigners how to worship the LORD. The mix of cultures results in a people who worship the LORD and also worship a variety of idols they brought with them from their original home nations. This worship of multiple gods seems eerily similar to the sins of Jeroboam, who encouraged religious innovation through shrines set up to worship golden calves at Dan and Bethel. The biblical text is clear that the LORD has orchestrated the fall of Israel as just punishment for the sins of the people living in the north, but the southern kingdom of Judah, under the rule of Ahaz, seems safe. Because Ahaz enlisted the Assyrians’ aid when the northern kingdom previously attacked Judah, the southern kingdom is implicated in the downfall of the north.

map notes—the mountain of the house of the LORD
Although scholars are uncertain whether the Book of Micah 4:1–3 echoes the Book of Isaiah 2:1–4 or the other way around, both prophets write about the mountain of the house of the LORD being established as the highest mountain. It’s easy to leap to the conclusion that this is a prophecy about the success of the reign of the good king Hezekiah in Jerusalem, but the prophecy is disclosing something more profound about the LORD’s plans. Because God was thought to live in heaven or the sky, the only way in which ancient people could approach the LORD was by climbing a mountain. Closer to the sky meant closer to God. Establishing Mount Zion in Jerusalem as the highest mountain isn’t intended literally—the mountain isn’t going to gain higher altitude, nor will Jerusalem become a more impregnable fortress. Instead, the mountain of the LORD will become a destination of peace for all people. The height of God’s mountain refers to the holiness of the people who worship the LORD. The spiritual journey is the inward climb toward holiness. The prophets are describing a time when all people will be invited to enter heaven. The Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth provides more information about what Jesus’ taught about the path to holiness. Christians understand that pathway to be through Jesus. Click on the map (above right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 137 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

ranking the good kings of Judah (01:06:20)
In the video overview for Lesson 22, “What Does the LORD Require?” Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses the breakdown of the institution of the kingship and why it’s doomed to fail as long as there are human kings ruling over God’s people. Although David, Hezekiah and Josiah are considered the three best kings to rule in Judah, it’s pointless to try to rank them in relationship to one another. No matter how good a king might be—and Hezekiah is very good—no mortal can be as good a ruler as God. For this reason, Jesus far surpasses any other king. Not only does Jesus perpetually lead his people in right relationship with God, he actually is God. Because Jesus is immortal and can’t die, any kingdom he rules is guaranteed for eternity.

The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the ranges for the sets of questions in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. You can follow along with the video as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 22, “What Does the LORD Require?” on pages 133–139 in the study book.

a strong contrast between north & south
The Second Book of the Kings 18:3 favorably compares a ruler of Judah with David, the king against whom every other king has been measured. This is based on Hezekiah’s devotion to the LORD and not on his military prowess. The people in the northern kingdom have just been deported because of how poorly the kings and people there have been serving God. In the south, however, the people suddenly are doing things right, so their king is described as the best king ever. For the time being, the kingdom of Judah is preserved because of its good king Hezekiah. This points to the serious problem of the eternal kingship promised to the line of David—Hezekiah is mortal and inevitably will die. Not all of the kings who follow him are going to be as pious as he. In order to thrive, the people need a guarantee that their king will lead them into right relationship with God. The failing of the northern kings of Israel can be seen in the barriers they erected to deter the people’s worship of the LORD.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about the destruction of the bronze serpent?
One of the more fascinating things that Hezekiah does when he begins cleaning up worship practices in the southern kingdom of Judah concerns the bronze serpent dating to when the LORD’s people were wandering in the wilderness on their way from Egypt to the Promised Land.

? Read the account of Moses and the bronze serpent in the book of Numbers 21:5–9. For what purpose was the bronze serpent made?
? What might explain why the people have kept it around so long?
? What’s implied about the way that the people regard the bronze serpent when the Second Book of the Kings 18:4 records that the people have been burning incense to it?
? Consider what King Hezekiah might find objectionable about the people’s regard for the bronze serpent.
? Read the Gospel According to John 3:13–15, in which Jesus refers to the bronze serpent. What point might Jesus be trying to make in that passage?
? What might explain why Jesus identifies with the serpent and not with Moses? You can learn more about Jesus’ reference to the bronze serpent in Lesson 4 A Man of the Pharisees, Named Nicodemus in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.
? What can Christians do to prevent valid religious practices from taking the place of God rather than leading their practitioners into a closer relationship with God?

a somewhat unclear transition
The Second Book of the Kings 18:14–16 records Hezekiah going to some length to find enough silver and gold to stop the Assyrian attack on the cities of Judah. Bribes, while not a good long-term solution, sometimes bring temporary relief. The Second Book of the Kings 18:17, however, indicates that after Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, accepts the money, he sends his army and top representatives to engage in an obviously hostile confrontation. The suggestion that war is imminent leaves Hezekiah in the difficult position of having a lot fewer resources to devote to defending Judah’s capital.

the Assyrians’ mistake
Although Sennecherib correctly determines that Judah has no military strength, he underestimates the differences between the religious practices in Israel, which he recently conquered, and the way in which the LORD now is being worshiped in Judah. In the conversation between the Assyrian delegates and those from Judah, the Assyrians rely on psychological warfare, pointing out the inadequacy of Judah’s military forces and mocking the LORD for not previously rescuing the northern kingdom of Israel.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about the Assyrians’ chances of success?
As part of the ploy to get Judah to surrender, the primary Assyrian delegate, the Rabshakeh, has been speaking in Hebrew so the people behind the wall in Jerusalem could hear and understand everything being said. Hezekiah’s representatives ask that the Assyrians instead conduct their negotiations in Aramaic. The Rabshakeh, of course, refuses.

? Why might the Rabshakeh expect such scare tactics to be successful?
? When the Rabshakeh lists the gods who recently failed to come to the aid of the northern kingdom of Israel, what might explain why he fails to include the LORD?
? What does the Rabshakeh suggest will happen if Hezekiah asks the LORD to come to Judah’s aid?
? What request has Hezekiah made of the people behind the wall in Jerusalem in regard to responding to the Rabshakeh?
? Consider what there is about Hezekiah’s relationship with the people that causes them to heed his request.
? How might this confrontation between Judah and Assyria be expected to end?
? What stake does the LORD have in the final outcome?

a promise similar to that made by Satan
The Rabshakeh tries to sway the people of Jerusalem by promising if they surrender to Assyria everything will be hunky-dory. He promises that all the people will be given land away from Jerusalem. It won’t be land in Judah, but it will be nice. At the heart of the Rabshakeh’s words is the promise of life—the people of Jerusalem won’t be killed if they just surrender. This recalls the Fall of Adam and Eve recounted in the book of Genesis 3:1–5, in which the serpent promises that—contrary to what the LORD has said—they won’t die if they eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Learn more about the consequences of sin in Lesson 3 The Fall of Adam & Eve in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis.

The parallel between the Rabshakeh and Satan is no accident. The Rabshakeh’s offer could seem like a good deal to people facing a difficult siege, and there’s no clear indication that Judah has any chance of winning against Assyria. From the people’s point of view, the Rabshakeh is asking them to trade one king for another. When Ahaz ruled Judah, a ploy like this might have been successful. Hezekiah, however, is a far more popular king than Ahaz. More to the point, Hezekiah is a righteous king who’s been leading his people to worship the LORD. Hezekiah demonstrates the kind of king God has in mind. The people don’t want to give up such a king, and they don’t want to give up their land, which they view as an inheritance from the LORD. The land isn’t theirs to surrender. The people trust their king, and their king trusts the LORD. As improbable as it seems that the Assyrians might somehow be defeated, the people of Judah continue to trust Hezekiah, and through Hezekiah to trust in the LORD.

one people in God’s eyes
The Book of Micah 1:1–5 provides a look at the two kingdoms from God’s viewpoint. The prophet is speaking to the people of Samaria, capital of the former northern kingdom of Israel, and to the people of Jerusalem, capital of the southern kingdom of Judah. The harsh message, which can be boiled down to the same basic content spoken by all of the prophets, is simple: Repent or die. For the people of Israel, it’s too late to save their kingdom, but the people of Judah still have a chance to respond to the call to conversion. Although God views all of the descendants of Jacob as one people, different things happen to the different kingdoms. Micah warns that the LORD is coming down from heaven against them to deal with them as one people, not two. The opportunity to repent is offered to all of the people; based on individual choice, the outcome can be different. For the time being, under Hezekiah’s guidance, the people of Judah have made the choice to renew their devotion to the LORD.

WHAT DO YOU THINK Micah’s messianic prophecy about Bethlehem means?
The Book of Micah 5:2–4 contains one of the Old Testament’s most familiar messianic prophecies. The prophet foretells that a great ruler will be born in Bethlehem. It’s highly unusual, following prophecies about the future greatness of Jerusalem, that Micah switches his focus to a small town.

? Who of note in the history of God’s people previously was born in Bethlehem? If necessary, refer to the First Book of Samuel 16:1–3.
? What likely is seen as the most significant political accomplishment of that person?
? What characterized that person’s relationship with the LORD?
? Based on the hindsight provided by 2,000 years, Christians interpret Micah’s prophecy of a king to be born in Bethlehem to be about the birth of Jesus. What evidence in Micah’s prophecy suggests that Jesus is going to rule over all of the descendants of Jacob?
? What might the prophet Micah be suggesting when he writes that the origin of the ruler to be born in Bethlehem is from of old, from ancient days?
? What is the major problem so far with the hereditary and eternal kingship that the LORD promised to the descendants of David?
? How might this new king from of old solve that problem?
? Consider how much of Micah’s prophecy concerning a king to be born in Bethlehem the prophet actually might have understood.

read the Catechism—the LORD speaks to the earth
In an unusual move, the prophet Micah addresses the mountains, hills, and foundations of the earth in his message about the need to repent. God doesn’t care about the land—its purpose is to provide for humanity. When humankind fails in relationship to God, the earth becomes unnecessary. In the Book of Micah 6:1–2, the LORD calls on Creation to bear witness to God’s controversy with his people. Paragraph 760 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches this about the role of the earth in relationship to God’s people.

760 Christians of the first centuries said, “The world was created for the sake of the Church.” God created the world for the sake of communion with his divine life, a communion brought about by the “convocation” of men in Christ, and this “convocation” is the Church. The Church is the goal of all things, and God permitted such painful upheavals as the angels’ fall and man’s sin only as occasions and means for displaying all the power of his arm and the whole measure of the love he wanted to give the world:

Just as God’s will is creation and is called “the world,” so his intention is the salvation of men, and it is called “the Church.”

the Reproaches
Also known as the Improperia, the Reproaches traditionally are sung during the solemn Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday. The antiphon for the Reproaches is taken from the Book of Micah 6:3: “O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me.” This unusual biblical text shows the extent to which the prophet Micah identifies with the LORD. Although the original prophecy was announced long before the time of Christ, it remains highly suitable for the Church’s Good Friday liturgy mourning Jesus’ death. Some readers also may be interested in checking out the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study, Jesus Passion: The Story of Redemptive Suffering, which is available to download free from this website each year during Lent.

righteousness—you could look it up in our archives
Righteousness sometimes is considered a synonym for justice, which in turn can be defined as giving others what’s due to them or what they deserve. The Book of Micah 6:8 contains a prescription for righteousness in the question posed by the prophet: “[The LORD] has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” You can learn more about the link between “righteousness,” which the prophet Micah understands as goodness, and justice in Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

biblical vocabulary—being kind is not the same as being nice
Present-day Christians can fall into the secular trap of valuing niceness over kindness, but it’s important to remember that the word nice doesn’t appear anywhere in the Scriptures. Instead, both the Old and New Testaments emphasize kindness as a personal trait worth developing. When the prophet Micah urges God’s people to behave justly, be kind, and develop humility, he’s listing characteristics that describe the LORD. Jesus and God never are described as nice. Often the word for God’s kindness is translated as loving mercy or merciful love. It’s never accurately translated as niceness.

read the Catechism—how well do you know your faith?
The precepts of the Church constitute a list of minimum requirements for those who consider themselves to be Catholic Christians. Sadly, a number of Catholics are unable to name all five of the precepts of the Church.

List all five of the precepts of the Church? They can be found in paragraphs 2042–2043 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

WHAT DO YOU THINK the LORD requires?
In the Book of Micah 6:8, the prophet sets forth the minimum behavior that the LORD expects of those who wish to do good.

? What is the main difference between the requirements listed by the prophet Micah and those found in the Catechism?
? How are the two groups of requirements the same?
? What other places in Scripture describe the sort of behavior God expects of his people?
? Based on previous knowledge of the Gospels, what does it seem that Jesus considered to be the most reliable indicator that a person was one of his followers?

what’s happening when & where
Click on the timeline for Lesson 22 to expand it. It also appears on page 138 in the study book.

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic Bible study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including the following passages from this lesson: the Second Book of the Kings 18:1–37, the Book of Micah 1:1–5, the Book of Micah 5:2–4, the Book of Micah 6:1–3, and the Book of Micah 6:6–8.

the Book of Micah 4:1–4—paragraph 762

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following links are to readings from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open one of the links and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV readings provide an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical texts. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the Second Book of the Kings 18:1–37 (NIV)
the Book of Micah 1:1–5 (NIV)
the Book of Micah 3:5—4:3 (NIV)
the Book of Micah 5:2–4 (NIV)
the Book of Micah 6:1–3 (NIV)
the Book of Micah 6:6–8 (NIV)

close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on this lesson’s biblical texts.

O God, you promised David an eternal dynasty,
then fulfilled your promise by sending your own Son
to rule heaven and earth.
Help us to serve Jesus willingly
that we may share in his eternal life.
We ask this in the name of Christ the King,
who through his divine love for humanity
accepted death that we might live. Amen.

Lesson 23 Hezekiah Consults Isaiah—the Second Book of the Kings 19:1—20:21, the Book of Isaiah 30:19–21, the Book of Isaiah 35:1–10, and the Book of Isaiah 38:9–20
Lesson 21 Israel’s Sins Lead to Deportation—the Second Book of the Kings 17:1–41

you also may like Volume II of our prophets study
Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption examines the biblical prophets after the Babylonian Exile in 586 B.C. It views the history of God’s people leading to the time of Jesus, and concludes with a look at John the Baptist and John of Patmos in the New Testament. Volume II of this Catholic Bible study builds on Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets— Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. Information about beginning this or one of our other Turning to God’s Word Bible studies can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I always are available to answer your Bible-study questions or concerns. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Scripture on the online study pages for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided links to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE). The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. A handful of significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.