Freedom is Good News Part 137

“To walk humbly with your God”; these are the words of Micah the prophet that we were looking at in our previous article.  Perhaps as we ponder this thought, our minds must come to the realization that God is awesome, powerful, majestic and wonderful – and we are not!  He is God of all the universe – and we are not!  He is the creator and sustainer of all that exists – and we are not!

Okay, point made, we must walk humbly with our God.  We reach back approximately 2700 years to grab this quote from the prophet Micah.  He was sent to the two capital cities of God’s people: Samaria, the capital of the northern tribes of Israel; and Jerusalem, the capital of the southern tribe of Judah. (Micah 1:1)  The news he was to deliver was not good.  His chastisements were deep and severe.  God’s people were not walking with Him.  On the contrary they were walking in rebellion to Him.

By the time we get to chapter 6 (where our above quote comes from) we read that God is, through Micah, setting up a “court of judgement”.  God says, “Stand up, plead your case before the mountains, let the hills hear what you have to say” (6:1).  In verse two, Micah speaks so as to announce the trial, “Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s accusation; …. For the LORD has a case against His people; He is arbitrating a charge against Israel.”

In verses 3 – 5, God’s case begins by asking a rhetorical question, “…What have I done to you?  How have I burdened you?”  He then goes on to refresh their memories, “I brought you up out of Egypt, and redeemed you from slavery …. Remember your journey through the wilderness that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD”.

But the people respond with a very arrogant defense, “So, with what shall I come before the LORD?  ….  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?  Shall I offer my firstborn for my sin?”  Essentially, they were saying, “Hey we’ve been offering sacrifice to you, what more do you want?  How can we buy you off and get you off our backs.”  These people had been offering sacrifices to Yahovah, the God of Israel, but they were also offering their sacrifices to the pagan gods, Dagon, Molech and Baal.

And so this is God’s reply through Micah, “He has showed you, O man, what is good, and what does the LORD (Yahovah) require of you?  To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” 

Many times, you and I are just like the ancient Israelites.  We spend some time each week (maybe) coming before God.  We may even call Him Father and His Son, Jesus.  We know the names to use and for one or two hours a week we even sing a song or two to Him.  But do we then go and sit at the altar of this world’s gods?  Oh, we have other names for them but “a rose by any other name ….”

Will you act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God all the hours of the week?  We will look more closely at this walk next time.