Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and, like him, was appalled at the greed and corruption of the rulers of Jerusalem and Judah. These were wealthy, powerful, and heartless in displacing the poor who were harshly deprived of the little property they had. They even put the people themselves into bondage to them. Micah could see that Samaria was about to fall to its conquerors, the Assyrians, and this gave cause for alarm. Jerusalem's sins were much like Samaria's, and Micah foretold the drastic punishment God was sure to heap on it for its injustice and exploitation of the poor.

His gloomy message was necessary because of the moral decadence of the people who deserved the punshment about to be meted out to them.

Isaiah, the more distinguished contemporary of Micah's, also prophesied in troubled times, but he spoke more on his vision of God. He believed strongly in obedience to an all-holy God whom he acclaimed as "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts".

Matthew, in today's Gospel Reading, indicated that Isaiah's description of the "Servant of Yahweh" (Chap 42:1-7) had a messianic interpretation. His mission would be difficult but it was what God desired most and it brought hope in setting up new relationships between God and man. And this hope, this 'Servant of Yahweh', was no other than Jesus Christ.