"The Word of Jehovah That Came to Micah," poetry

Revised Edition: LukivPress (Victoria, BC), 2022.

Introduction

Micah's seven chapters cover about 60 years (circa 777 to 717 BCE), foretelling the fall of Samaria, capital of Israel, and Jerusalem, capital of Judah. He says that Jehovah will make "Samaria a heap of ruins....All her graven images will be crushed to pieces...." (Micah 1:6, 7). He asks, "What are the high places [places of apostate worship] of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?" (Micah 1:5) He speaks of the Hebrews' humiliation for abandoning the worship of their Creator by telling them to "make [themselves] as bald as an eagle [likely referring to a type of vulture]." (Micah 1:16) That is their glory? Due to corruption among kings and princes, and false prophesizing, along with false religious practises adopted from nations that reject the worship of Jehovah, even Jerusalem-the seat of David's throne that will eventually usher in the Messiah who will transform earth into an Edenic paradise-will "become heaps of ruins." (Micah 3:12) And yet, in spite of the stiff-necked attitudes of these descendants of Jacob, Jehovah reveals that, mercifully, he will "certainly gather all of...Jacob....In unity [he] will place them, like sheep in the pen." (Micah 2:12) Such a prophecy explains that Jehovah offers hope to his wayward people, even though "their best one is like thorns." (Micah 7:4)

An excerpt

5.

Seven shepherds?

Count them, eight

Dukes. Each sheep,

They call out, by name,

Each day, as these ones

Eat and rest and play in

Grassy pastures, near

Streams. See their rods,

Their courage,

Dangerous to wolves

And beasts with teeth,

Even claws,

Watch! A bruised hip,

Cut knee. "Here, my

Cherished little one,

Let me pour this oil

Upon your wound."

See, another sheep,

Sick; he holds it firmly,

Pours a remedy of juice

Into the weakened crea-

Ture's mouth, from a

Well-used skin bottle:

"There, my little one,

The bad taste will make

You well." And, there,

A sheep too weak to stand;

He carries the limp

One, wrapped in a blanket

Made from its brothers'

Own wool: "Let me show

You love, my darling

Little one. It will make you

Strong." And the sheep

Love their eight dukes,

Their princes,

Their shepherds with staffs

That attack strong ones of

The thick forest who wish

Them harm.

The author

Dan Lukiv, published in 19 countries, is a poet, novelist, columnist, short story and article writer, and independent education researcher (hermeneutic phenomenology). As a creative writer, he apprenticed with Canada's Professor Robert Harlow (recipient of the George Woodcock Achievement award for an outstanding literary career), the USA's Paul Bagdon (Spur Award finalist for Best Original Paperback), and England's D. M. Thomas (recipient of the Cheltenham Prize for Literature, Orwell Prize [biography], Los Angeles Fiction Prize, and Cholmondeley award for poetry). He attended The University of British Columbia (creative writing department), the acclaimed Humber School for Writers (poetry writing program), and Writer's Digest University (novel writing program).