As the people of Israel began to respond to the LORD's provision and
protection for them, they wondered what sacrifice they could offer
that would satisfy Him. They questioned whether “burnt
offerings, calves of a year old, thousands of rams, ten thousand
rivers of oil, or their firstborn for their
transgression, the fruit of their body for the
sin of their souls” would be
sufficient to fulfill all that the LORD required. In chapter six and
verse eight of Micah's prophesy, we see the apex of Micah's words as
he declared how the people should respond to the LORD where we read:
He has showed you, O
man, what is good; and what the LORD requires of you, but to
do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
The
verse begins, “He has showed you, O man, what is
good; and what the LORD requires of you,...” Micah
began by making a historical reference, “He has showed”
which means “made known, told,
announced, declared, informed, published, reported and announced”
“you, O man” which
is the Hebrew word “adam” and refers to “mankind or human
beings” “what is good”
which means “pleasant, agreeable, excellent rich and appropriate”.
Micah added, “and what the LORD”
which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah” “requires of
you” or “resorts to,
seeks, seeks with care, or enquires from you”. We might imagine the
people waiting at this point to hear what exactly what they must do
to satisfy their need to reestablish a relationship with the LORD.
The
verse continues, “but to do justly,
and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah
included three “good” requirements
from the LORD as he informed the people. The first was, “but
to do justly”
which means “having justice, right, rectitude, proper behavior,
what is fitting, of full measure, doing what is fit and correct”.
The second was, “and to love mercy”
which is “goodness, kindness and faithfulness”. The third
requirement was, “and to walk humbly”
which means “come and go, enter and depart in a
modest and lowly manner” “with your God”
which refers to the “Divine One and the One
and Only True God”. Rather than offer multitudes of sacrifices or
meaningful gestures to somehow acquire the acceptance of the LORD,
the people of Israel were questioned as to whether they remember the
LORD directing them in “justice, mercy and humility”.
As we meditate upon Micah's
words, we should examine our own lives for these three “good”
traits. Do we act “justly” in this world or are we unjust?
Do we “love mercy” or are we rather inclined toward
revenge? Are we walking “humbly” with our God or has pride
become a prevalent trait? As we think through these “good”
behaviors, rather than attempting to satisfy our relationship with
the Lord through huge sacrifices, let us simply hear Him as He
directs us in the way we should live. May the Lord help us to heed
His “good” ways.
Next
time Micah writes about the LORD's voice crying in the street,
so read ahead, and
we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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