Micah 6:8
THE TIME OF MICAH — A TIME LIKE OURS
Micah prophesied in the days of King Hezekiah (Jeremiah 26:12–19). Hezekiah was a good king. A reviver and a reformer, he restored the true worship of the Lord (2 Chronicles 29–31). Yet clearly a great part of the worship in that day was merely formal. The sacrifices were offered, the feasts were kept, but at the very same time corruption, social injustice, and oppression reigned in the capital. It is precisely this situation that we find described in the book of the prophet Micah.
Micah 2:1
1 Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. (Micah 2:1)
Micah 7:2–3
2 The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains. Everyone lies in wait to shed blood; they hunt each other with nets. 3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire— they all conspire together. (Micah 7:2–3)
I would say that this is a very timely description of our situation today. The time of Micah was a time like ours — a time of sin, wickedness, and corruption.
GOD’S PROPHETIC LAWSUIT AGAINST ISRAEL
Because of all this injustice, in chapter 6 of the book we read how God begins a symbolic legal proceeding against His own people. He has been wronged by them. The plaintiff, the prosecutor, the chief witness, and the judge in this case is He Himself. The jury is made up of the mountains, the hills, and the firm foundations of the earth. Incidentally, the courtroom trial is a frequent format for presenting God’s position toward His people. In verses 1–2 we read:
1 Listen to what the Lord says: “Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. 2 Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. (Micah 6:1–2)
In this legal “case” God challenges Israel to accuse Him of something. What grounds do they have to be against Him? Let them lay out their charges (verse 3):
3 My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. (Micah 6:3)
But Israel can find nothing against God. They have nothing to seize upon, because in His love and care for His people God has always been blameless. He brought them out of “the land of slavery.” He blessed them and turned the curse into a blessing for them (verses 4–5).
4 I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. 5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord. (Micah 6:4–5)
THE DEFIANT ANSWER OF THE PEOPLE
Hearing God’s just words, Israel admits its guilt and asks God how it may please Him. But their proposals for compensating God and making up for the “wounds in God’s heart” reveal their complete ignorance concerning God and His Law. Almost defiantly they ask: “How large must the quantity of our sacrifices be in order to please You? When at last will You be satisfied?” They go so far as to offer God even their own children in sacrifice — something that would be an abomination before Him (verses 6–7).
6 With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 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? (Micah 6:6–7)
God, however, is not interested in the quantity and the formalism of worship, but in its motives and its heartfelt sincerity. David, the man after God’s own heart, had understood this. In Psalm 51:16–17 he says:
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. (Psalm 51:16–17)
THE CRY OF MICAH
At these defiant and ignorant proposals with which Israel tries to slip out of responsibility, the indignation of the prophet Micah rises up within him. He is stirred to anger and interrupts the plea of the defense with these words (verse 8):
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 6:8)
In other words: do not accuse God of always being displeased and of asking too much of you. God’s requirements are not great. He asks nothing excessive. Only three things. First, “to act justly” — a life according to His will, conformity to the standard He revealed in the Ten Commandments.
Second, “to love mercy” — active compassion, a brotherly attitude toward others — to be respectful, concerned, attentive, and kind, to have a forgiving spirit and to help those who have fallen into trouble.
Third, “to walk humbly with your God” — humble obedience — to be humble enough that we never turn away from our faith and our relationship with God.
MICAH 6:8 IN THE LIGHT OF THE OTHER PROPHETS
The rabbis analyzed the Law and determined that it contains 613 precepts or ordinances. These were reduced or condensed to eleven principles in Psalm 15, and then to six commands in Isaiah 33:15. Here, in Micah 6:8, they are compressed and synthesized into three requirements. These three requirements answer three important questions.
- “What are we to do?” — “to act justly.” This requirement is directed at our actions — they must be “deeds in keeping with repentance.”
- “What are we to be?” — people who “love mercy.” This concerns our relationships with other people. They must be marked by a compassionate faithfulness and love.
- “To whom are we to be attached?” — “to walk humbly with our God.” This third requirement touches our belonging and our bond with God.
In the keeping of these three requirements lies all “good.” Together they form an elementary model of the Christian life and conduct, and if we fulfill them, we will be pleasing to God.
Micah 6:8 is the “golden rule” of the Old Testament. In it are gathered into one place the teachings not only of Micah, but of his colleagues as well. Each of them in his own way supports the three requirements of the prophet Micah.
Amos, the preacher of righteousness, says (Amos 5:24):
24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:24)
Hosea, the preacher of love, says (Hosea 6:6):
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)
And Isaiah, the evangelist of the Old Testament, who was perhaps Micah’s teacher, says (Isaiah 57:15):
15 For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)
THE ABSENCE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, MERCY, AND HUMILITY
These three virtues — righteousness, mercy, and humility — make up the “good” (verse 8). Sadly, they are not to be found in Israel.
Honesty is absent (verses 10–11):
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house, and the short ephah, which is accursed? 11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights? (Micah 6:10–11)
Instead of mercy — violence (verse 12):
12 Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully. (Micah 6:12)
Instead of faithfulness — idolatry and spiritual adultery (verse 16):
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations. (Micah 6:16)
THE OUTCOME OF THE PROPHETIC LAWSUIT
The verdict is desolation, dissatisfaction, crisis, and ruin (verses 9, 13–15):
9 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city— and to fear your name is wisdom— “Heed the rod and the One who appointed it. 13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins. 14 You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. You will store up but save nothing, because what you save I will give to the sword. 15 You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine. (Micah 6:9, 13–15)
WHO WILL SHOW US THE GOOD?
But let us return to the three requirements of God that form “the good” in the widest sense. If we fulfill them, we will be pleasing to God. In them all good is synthesized. In Psalm 4:6 it is written:
6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us. (Psalm 4:6)
The people of this world cannot give a definite answer to the question “What is good?”, but here we find it.
- It is good “to act justly.”
- It is good “to love mercy.”
- It is good “to walk humbly with your God.”
IT IS GOOD TO ACT JUSTLY
It is good “to act justly” — this is something rightly expected of God’s children. In 1 John 2:29 the apostle says:
29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. (1 John 2:29)
And in 1 John 3:6–9 he adds:
6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. (1 John 3:6–10)
IT IS GOOD TO LOVE MERCY
It is good “to love mercy.” In Proverbs 11:17 it is written:
17 Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves. (Proverbs 11:17)
And when we speak of mercy, we must say that mercy is not merely some passive emotion; it is an active desire to remove the cause of suffering in others. “To love mercy” means two things. First, to be concerned for others, and especially for those who are in trouble. Just as the Good Samaritan showed mercy to the man attacked by the robbers (Luke 10:25–37).
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25–37)
Notice, in the parable of the Good Samaritan the expert in the law said that to be a “neighbor” to someone means to show him mercy. And Jesus encourages us also to be like the Good Samaritan — to be merciful as well and to help those who have fallen into trouble, even if it costs us time, money, and even trouble.
Second, “to love mercy” means to have a forgiving spirit and to be ready to forgive those who have wronged us. In this connection Jesus told another parable — the one about the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21–35).
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21–35)
In fact, our willingness to forgive depends on how deeply we grasp God’s mercy toward us. If God has forgiven us all our sins, who are we to withhold forgiveness from those who have sinned against us? Especially with respect to forgiveness, God’s standard for us is uncompromising. We are obligated to forgive just as God in Christ has forgiven us — “from the heart” — and we have no right whatever to be unforgiving (Ephesians 4:31–32).
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31–32)
If we cannot forgive, it means we have a problem grasping our own sin and the greatness of God’s mercy toward us. If God has been so exceedingly merciful to us, then we too must be merciful to others. Otherwise we provoke God to anger and lay ourselves open to judgment and punishment.
IT IS GOOD TO WALK HUMBLY WITH OUR GOD
It is good to act justly, it is good to love mercy, and finally, it is good to walk humbly with our God. This means not to grow so proud that we betray Him and forsake Him.
An example of how important humility is to God is the wicked king Ahab, the husband of Jezebel, who killed Naboth and seized his vineyard. Then God spoke to the prophet Elijah and sent him to Ahab with these words:
19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’ (1 Kings 21:19)
But when Ahab heard Elijah’s words, he humbled himself, and this humility of his so impressed God that He spared his life (1 Kings 21:27).
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. (1 Kings 21:27)
Do you see — Ahab humbled himself. And this showed itself not so much in his words as in his actions. The sackcloth (a garment of coarse cloth) and the fasting were a mark of humility. In Isaiah 58:5 God says that a day of fasting is “a day for people to humble themselves.” King Ahab’s humility unlocked the river of God’s grace, and even to him, in spite of all his wickedness, God at once showed mercy (1 Kings 21:28–29).
28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.” (1 Kings 21:28–29)
The apostle James expresses the importance of humility like this (James 4:4–10):
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:4–10)
Notice, the prophet Micah says not only that we are to be humble, but that we are to “walk” humbly with our God. Whenever it is a matter of walking with God, I think of Enoch. In Genesis 5:24 it is testified of him:
24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (Genesis 5:24)
I believe that to a great degree Enoch is a foreshadowing of every true believer. For if we too “walk humbly with our God,” one day He will take us to Himself, that we may be with Him throughout eternity.
It seems that this third requirement of walking humbly with God is the most important of all. For the One to whom we are joined determines who we are and what we do. If our relationship with God is right, this will immediately be reflected in our personal life and in our relationships with people.
IN THE LIGHT OF GOD’S CHARACTER AND NATURE
The three requirements of God that make up “the good” are by no means arbitrary. Each of them must be viewed in the light of God’s own nature. First, God is holy. He is light, and if we want to have fellowship with Him, then we too must “walk in the light” — or in other words, “act justly.”
Second, God is merciful. His mercy endures forever. In Romans 9:16 salvation is said to depend not on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. In His mercy He has saved us, and if we want to draw near to Him, then we too, like Him, must love mercy and show it to other people.
And third, God is the supreme Sovereign. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. If we want to walk with Him, we must be humble. We cannot be proud rebels or self-absorbed egoists — we must be faithful to Him. In Malachi 1:6 God says:
6 A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? (Malachi 1:6)
God has not only told us what is good. He has shown it to us by His own example and by His actions toward us, especially through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the embodiment of righteousness, mercy, and humility. God is good, and if we want to have fellowship with Him, we too must be good — righteous, merciful, and humble.
From this day on we no longer have any excuse that we do not know how to please God. From the prophet Micah we have learned what is good. God does not want only formal sacrifices and services, but a life according to His standard — “to act justly”; He wants a character like His own — as He is merciful, so we too are “to love mercy”; and finally, He wants an obedience toward Himself, an obedience fitting to His supreme position — to walk humbly with Him alone and to turn to no other gods. Is this much? No, this is not “much” — this is “the good.”
This is neither difficult nor excessive. Especially in the light of all the good He has done for us and of His boundless holiness, mercy, and power.