Drafted with AI assistance, then reviewed, edited and approved by Jeff Robb. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version.
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Key passage: Micah 6:6-8 (KJV)
6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Reflection
Micah was a prophet from a small town who spoke to Israel and Judah in a time when religion was busy but hearts were far from God. In chapter six God brings a case against His people, like a court hearing. The mountains are called as witnesses.
Then the people ask a question. Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God?
And they start guessing. Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Then they go even further. Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression?
Notice the direction they're going. Bigger, more costly, more extreme. As if God were a bargain to be struck, and the only question were the price.
But Micah answers, He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good. It isn't a mystery. God has already said it. And what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
To do justly. That means being fair and honest in how we treat people. In business, at home, and with those who can't do anything for us in return.
To love mercy. Not just to show mercy now and then, but to love it. To be the kind of person who delights in kindness and forgiveness.
And to walk humbly with thy God. That is the root of the other two. Walking with God is a daily, ordinary thing. Step by step, side by side. And humbly, remembering who He is and who we are.
This verse doesn't mean the sacrifices were wrong. God had commanded them. But sacrifice without justice, mercy, and humility had become empty. Jesus would say something similar to the religious leaders of His day. They tithed carefully, but had omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.
It's Saturday. Maybe today isn't a day of big spiritual events at all. That's fine. Micah's three things fit perfectly into an ordinary day. Deal fairly. Be kind. Walk with God. That is what is good.
Cross-references
Prayer
Lord, You have shown me what is good. Help me today to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You. Keep me from trying to impress You with outward things while my heart is far from You. In Jesus' name, amen.
For today: Look for one chance today to do justly, one to show mercy, and stay close to God as you go.