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Leviticus 26:20
And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

Deuteronomy 28:38-40
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gatherbut little in; for the locust shall consume it…

Isaiah 62:8,9
The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy cornto be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: …

you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil;
Olive oil was a staple in ancient Israel, used for cooking, lighting, and anointing. The inability to anoint oneself with oil signifies a loss of prosperity and blessing. Anointing with oil also had religious significance, symbolizing consecration and the presence of the Holy Spirit, as seen in the anointing of kings and priests (1 Samuel 16:13). The absence of oil for anointing suggests a spiritual barrenness and a break in the relationship with God. This phrase underscores the theme of judgment and the removal of divine favor due to Israel's disobedience.

you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.
Wine was a symbol of joy and celebration in biblical times, often associated with God's blessings (Psalm 104:15). The inability to drink the wine from one's own vineyard represents a loss of joy and fulfillment. This imagery is reminiscent of the curses inDeuteronomy 28:30, where disobedience leads to others enjoying the fruits of one's labor. The phrase also foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment of joy and abundance in Christ, who is the true vine (John 15:1) and whose blood, symbolized by wine, brings eternal life and joy to believers. The futility of treading grapes without enjoying the wine serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God.

“You will sow but not reap” (Micah 6:15).

• The Lord promises a literal loss of harvest as a covenant consequence for persistent injustice and idolatry, echoingDeuteronomy 28:38 where Israel is told, “You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because locusts will consume it.”

•Leviticus 26:16 speaks of the same curse: “You will sow your seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.” God does not bluff; He follows through on His word.

• The principle remains: when people reject God’s righteous standards, He may remove the fruit of their labor.Haggai 1:6 illustrates it in another era: “You have sown much, yet bring in little… and he who earns wages puts them into a bag with holes.”

• For believers today,Galatians 6:7 reminds us, “God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Sinful sowing still yields empty fields, while obedience invites God’s blessing (Psalm 128:2).

“You will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil” (Micah 6:15).

• Olives were a cornerstone of Israel’s economy—oil for cooking, lamps, medicine, and worship. The promise of an unused press echoesDeuteronomy 28:40: “You will have olive trees throughout your territory, but you will not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off.”

• Losing oil meant more than financial hardship; it removed daily comforts and hindered temple worship (Exodus 30:25, 31). The people’s sin left them without the very resource that symbolized God’s favor and presence (Psalm 23:5;Isaiah 61:3).

•Joel 1:10–12 paints the devastation graphically: “The vine has dried up… the olive tree is withered.” The physical emptiness mirrors spiritual barrenness. Apart from repentance, there is neither abundance nor the anointing joy it represents (Romans 14:17).

“You will tread grapes but not drink the wine” (Micah 6:15).

• Wine in Scripture often signifies celebration and covenant blessing (Psalm 104:15;John 2:1-11). God’s warning removes that joy.Deuteronomy 28:39 foretold, “You will plant and cultivate vineyards but not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.”

•Amos 5:11 delivers a parallel rebuke: “You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine.” Oppression of the poor brought forfeiture of the harvest—a direct, just response from a holy God.

•Zephaniah 1:13 adds, “They will build houses but not inhabit them; they will plant vineyards but not drink the wine.” Fruitless vineyards underscore the emptiness of relying on self while ignoring God.

• In Christ, the blessing reverses:John 15:5 promises fruitfulness to those who abide in Him, whileRevelation 19:9 pictures the redeemed drinking the wine of eternal celebration.

Micah 6:15 presents three vivid images of labor without reward—sowing, pressing, treading—each echoing covenant curses in the Law. God faithfully fulfills His warnings: unrepentant sin leads to frustrated efforts, economic loss, and vanished joy. Yet these same images highlight His mercy: when people turn back to Him, He restores harvests (Joel 2:19), replenishes oil (2 Kings 4:1-7), and refills the winepress (Amos 9:13-15). The passage therefore urges every generation to walk humbly with God, trusting His word as both sure warning and sure hope.

"Impius haec tam culta novalia miles habebit?
Barbarus has segetes? en, quo discordia cives
Produxit miseros! his nos consevimus agros!"Tread the olives. Olives were usually pressed or crushed in a mill, in order to extract the oil; the process of treading; was probably adopted by the poor. Gethsemane took its name from the oil presses there. The oil was applied to the person for comfort, luxury, and ceremony, and was almost indispensable in a hot country.Sweet wine. Thou shalt tread the new wine of the vintage, but shalt have to leave it for the enemy (comp.Amos 5:11). The Septuagint has here an interpolation,Καὶ ἀφανισθήσεταινόμιμα λαοῦ μου, "And the ordinances of my people shall vanish away," which has arisen partly from a confusion between Omri, the proper name in the next verse, andammi, "my people."

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