Micah 6:1-8

Micah 1-3 contains God’s charge against His people.  Micah 4-5 speaks of Israel’s restoration in the time of the Messiah.  Micah 6-7 emphasize the current call to repentance in light of Judah’s sin and with the hopeful future in view.

·        6:1-8 is a call from God to repentance and holiness.

·        6:9-16 describes the evil God currently sees.

·        7:1-7 expresses the godly sorrow of the LORD and His prophet.

·        7:8-13 is the confession of the person who truly repents.

·        7:14-20 speaks of the Messianic restoration of the nation.

In today’s passage consider the themes in God’s call.

·        6:1-2: the LORD has a complaint against Judah which they need to hear.  “Hear”, the same as in 1:2 and 3:1: a call to hear and heed.  As is often said: He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

·        6:3-5: What have I done to you? How have I wearied you?  What a strong complaint.  It takes into account His mercy and grace to Israel in the past and her current state of ingratitude.  Do we hear this today?

o   What did Balaam tell Balak in the days shortly before Israel entered the land (Num. 22-24)?  First he told Balak he could only way what God told him (Num. 22:38).  Then in his first three messages he said: God has said to bless Israel; thus I cannot curse them (23:8, 19-20; 24:9).  In the fourth message he declared an amazing Messianic prophecy (24:17) and then declared God’s curse on the nations who were seeking to thwart God’s plan for Israel.  What a reminder of God’s gracious plan for Israel at this time in their history when they are turning from Him to serve other gods.

·        6:6-8: God does not simply complain.  He tells them how they can come to Him, how they can remedy the situation.  It is not simply by carrying out a myriad of sacrifices; they have likely been doing this anyway.  The problem is in the heart, as v8 indicates.  God calls for:

o   What is good: i.e. what is pleasant, excellent, right and beneficial.

o   Justice: unlike the injustices that characterized Judah’s leadership God calls for treatment of others that is fair, lawful and righteous.

o   Mercy: a chief attribute of God (Ex. 34:6-7) AND of those who walk in His ways (Prov. 3:3-4); the Heb. checed, lovingkindness.  It’s importance is seen in that they were (and we are) to love mercy, a term for every type of love (soul, spirit, body) and relationship (human/human, God/man).

o   Humility: only used twice in the Old Testament (Prov. 11:2); it speaks of lowliness, the opposite of pride that leads to shame.

This is powerful.  God commanded the sacrifices but never apart from a true heart.  Always underneath were the great commands to love God and love one’s neighbor.  Micah speaks to this day.  Let us HEAR what the LORD says!