Israel was in the court of justice with they on one side, and Yahweh on the other. The LORD says to them that literally he has done nothing but good to them, shown mercy when they’ve blown it, forgiven them when they’ve repented, loved them through the desert and more. And yet on their side they only do evil.
They think that the only thing they need to do is bring their sacrifices and offerings and it won’t matter how they live. Sort of like those who think they can just go to church and tithe and it doesn’t matter how they live during the week. But the. LORD says this isn’t the case. It doesn’t work that way. Sacrifices and offerings are acceptable and pleasing because of how they’ve lived the rest of the week.
Think of it this way. If your spouse is cheating on you and you knew it, would it matter how many gifts they brought you or what they did for you at home? Their secrets they think you don’t know ruin the holiness of their gifts. They almost feel like bribes to cover over sin. Not happening.
God tells them plainly.
“He has told you what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you:
to act justly
to love faithfulness
and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
There it is. Right there. The ways of God that please him.
To act justly.
This is about doing what is right. Not showing preference. Not giving justice to one group of people and overlooking justice for another group of people.
To love faithfulness. Some translations say to love mercy.
This is about walking in faithfulness to God. Now almost everyone on the planet thinks they are a good person. The reason they think that is because they walk their own code of honor. God says to walk in his code of honor. And that’s so very different. That changes everything. Many do not know the Word of God to even know what are his ways of righteousness, faithfulness, justice and mercy. In the OT times they had the different gods they looked to. In our times the gods are ourselves.
To walk humbly with your God
Ok. This one is different. This is to walk knowing that all we have is from God. It is walk with looking to him for answers, solutions, direction and more. To realize he alone is God.
I remember a friend I had from college who used to work in the white house. He said all the time Ronald Reagan had regularly scheduled prayer meetings in which he asked for help from the LORD to lead the country. No matter what you think of him as a politician, he rightly knew that he need the LORD to lead.
So the verdict in this court case is passed. Israel is found as the guilty party. They would face exile into nations they did not want to go. But before that would be frustration.
They would eat but not have enough.
What they saved would be taken from them.
They would plant their gardens for food and others would take the harvest.
They would grow grapes for wine and yet others would be the ones to drink it.
Such would be the times of the discipline and punishment. Enough of their wickedness. The people followed their leaders into the ways of ungodliness, and the nation as a whole would face severe penalty.
Righteousness matters. Faithfulness matters. Humility matters.
And when a nation loses these, terrible times are ahead.
Brace yourselves. It’s coming.
Better yet.
Live righteously and fight for the change.