The LORD’s Complaint

KEY VERSE: “He hath showed 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?” —Micah 6:8

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Micah 6:1-8

THE question of this text was addressed to the Jews under the Law. God had instituted a form of devotion and service for his people, Israel, which involved the sacrifice of animals. For those who observed these requirements in a spirit of obedience and reverence, God was pleased, but when performed merely as rituals, they had no merit at all. In the centuries preceding the time when Micah lived, innumerable animal sacrifices and much oil (also part of the Law) had been used in these services which apparently was not offered in a manner pleasing to God.

“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? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?” (vss. 6,7) While the Lord had arranged for his people to come before him with burnt offerings, this did not mean that they could ignore other requirements of the divine Law and then make compensation by presenting thousands of rams. ‘Ten thousands of rivers of oil’ is, of course, a hyperbole, used by Micah to help impress the point, that no amount of giving to the Lord will compensate for a wrong spirit, or take the place of heart obedience.

“He hath showed thee, O man, what is good.” God had also stated in the Law, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deut. 6:5), and, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Lev. 19:18) This heart essence of the Law is what had been greatly overlooked. One of the basic requirements of the Lord in every age is that his people practice justice. Its principle is beautifully set forth in the Golden Rule: Do unto others as we would they do unto us. This high standard of justice, in order to operate in our words and deeds, must of necessity be found in our hearts and minds. As a man “thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7) It follows, then, that to do justly signifies righteousness in thought and intention, even though we are now incapable of adequately expressing it in our words and conduct.

The word mercy is from a Hebrew word which is more properly translated ‘loving-kindness’. The prophet wrote that the Lord requires his people to “love” this divine principle, which goes far beyond the practice of simple justice. That God places this quality of mercy foremost in the portrayal of his own character throughout his Word is quite evident, and makes it plain that in order to receive his ultimate favor we must be merciful ourselves. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”—Matt. 5:7

The Lord also wants his people to walk “humbly” with him. This means we will not select those parts of the divine will which please us most, and be obedient to them, ignoring all other instructions as Israel did, and for which God criticized them. This, in practice, is a very exacting test of true love and devotion to the Lord. Can we from the heart say that we will do what the Lord requires in every aspect? The cost is the giving up of many strong desires of our own, to go where he wants us to go, and to be what he wants us to be. Can we walk humbly with our God, regardless of cost?

During the millennial kingdom, the same law of God given to the Jews through Moses, will be given to the whole world of mankind through the Messiah. The requirements will be to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. The success of this future administration of the Law will rest not only upon the forgiveness of sins made possible by the loving sacrifice of our Lord on Calvary’s cross, but also through the expert guidance and help of those who have aforetime proven themselves faithful in keeping these requirements of our God.

The Apostle Paul says these new teachers, in preparation for the kingdom, must have the law inscribed upon them “with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” (II Cor. 3:3-6) In this life they are being fashioned in heart and mind to be future ministers of the New Covenant, able to teach mankind the Lord’s requirements for good in the spirit of his law, and thus, in turn, have it effectively written in the hearts of all.

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