WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:7-8

Micah was one of the minor prophets in the Bible sent to Israel to proclaim God’s judgement. He lived at the same time as the prophet Isaiah. They spoke the same message to Israel albeit in different styles. God does not contradict Himself as is often the case with modern so-called prophets. The message is consistent. What God spoke to Isaiah concerning Israel is more or less what He spoke to Micah. When you read through Micah you get the feeling of a different prophet. Don’t get me wrong, he is typical, he has pronouncements of judgement as is often the case with the other prophets, but he also with equal measure pronounces mercy and retribution for sin. His message of judgement is peppered with mercy so you don’t end up feeling all doom and gloom. The passage we have read today is one of the most notable scriptures from the book of Micah.

How often times we have wondered what God wants from us? This passage reveals the will of God for our lives in the most simplistic ways. It is not ambiguous. It is direct. Before we dissect what God wants from us, Micah speaks for all of us when he lists down those things we would rather do to win God’s favour. Lev 5:15 required a sinner to bring in a ram without blemish as his sin offering. This was the common practice and we see it also when Solomon was anointed King in 1 Chron 29:21. We notice the same case when Solomon was dedicating the temple in 1 Kings 8:62-63. The idea was to get God’s attention through sacrifice. Yet this is not what God requires from us inasmuch as we are still required to offer sacrifice albeit now, not through the blood of animals but rather through our lips and service to Him. A grain offering would then be offered after a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to God. Lev 6:15. Olive oil would form part of the grain offering. These sacrifices would make up for your atonement for sin. Micah had informed Israel of their sin and naturally, this would be their response. The firstborn belonged to God as we see in Exodus 13:2 and would serve as a reminder of how God redeemed Israel from Egypt. He was to be offered to God and be redeemed back. He was not to be sacrificed. This was a malpractice that Israel had picked up at the time from their neighbours. 2 Kings 3:27. Giving only one of the sacrifices required a lot of effort and time let alone thousands of rams or rivers of oil. Micah was essentially saying that we cannot buy our freedom.

Yet as much as a sacrifice is important, God would require us to do 3 things. Act justly. Do what is right with God -obey Him and follow His decrees, with your neighbour -Love your neighbour as God has requested us and love yourself. This is justice. Doing unto others what you would want men to do with you. Matt 7:12. The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. Eccl 12:13 Love Mercy. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain Mercy. Matt 5:7. Part of showing mercy is pure religion as James 1:27 tells us. Visiting the orphans and widows in their afflictions. This is part and parcel of our Christian heritage. We must intentionally be different and show mercy just as we have received mercy. Walk humbly with God. This could mean a lot of things but I would concentrate on prayer as one of the ways we humble ourselves to God. If my people who are called by My name would humble themselves and pray…2 Chron 7:14. When we pray we are showing humility to God. When we fast, we are humbling ourselves to God. Remember God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6.

God delights in these three things. When we do these things then we can boast that we know Him for Jeremiah 9:24 tells us that He is a God who delights in justice, kindness and righteousness. Knowing God is delighting in the things that He delights in. You want to know God? Then friends, let’s seek justice and mercy. Let’s remember, justice and mercy are the foundations of His Throne. Psalm 89:12