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"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

(There’s only 7 chapters in this book. I encourage you to read them.  You’ll be glad you did)

Isn’t it interesting that the Ten Commandments were given way before Micah’s birth?  Micah knew all ten and their meaning, but why did he say God only required three things of us?  Obviously there were more than just ten. Looking back at Deuteronomy you’ll find a plethora of instructions in that book than just 10.  613 to be exact!

During the time of Micah’s ministry, the kings of Israel and Judah were playing with fire and doing just the opposite of what God expected of them, which is typical of all of us.  Corruption was running rampant within the rulers of God’s chosen people.  Government leadership was living very lavishly at the cost of the people. Humility was all but forgotten among the people.  Starvation, disease, and death was epidemic among the poor and lower classes of the population.  This all sounds so familiar, doesn’t it?!   

Micah was no fool to what was going on.  He was one of the very few that stood up and confronted the people and government leaders, exposing their corruption and sinful ways.  He got in their faces and flat out warned them what was coming if they didn’t change their behavior.  He boiled the whole thing down to three basic eternal truths: Practice justice, love, mercy, and humble yourself before God.  Interestingly enough, this verse is very similar to what Jesus said recorded in Mark 13:30,31, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.”  Seems to me there is a message here for all of us.  

God’s directive is very clear with His desire to bless us and keep us healthy spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.  He laid out His laws in the book of Deuteronomy to show us just how to do that.  But as you know, as time passed, the levitical priests continually added to the list to the point it became impossible for anyone to keep up with it.  Sounds just like the governments today, doesn’t it?  Keep us confused and control the masses.  Ever look at the latest IRS tax code?  6,871 pages!  Does anyone really understand ALL those pages?!  

I can picture God sitting there watching His priests and leaders backsliding again.  It’s like watching your toddler refusing to stop trying to open the kitchen cabinet door.  You help them the best you can, putting a childproof door lock on, but they persistently try to open that door and finally get their fingers pinched in that small opening.  Then you hear the wailing that sounds like the noon siren going off!  We come dashing around the corner, and with our most sympathetic voice we say…..”Oh honey, did you get hurt?!”  NO WE DON’T!  What they hear is…”See what happens?! I told you not to do that!”  Or am I the only one here?  

Anyway, God instructs Micah to tell His kids and Micah goes and does a shout out…”Hey! Listen up! It’s not complicated…do these three things and everything else will follow.”  Or as Jesus said it in Matthew 22:37-40  “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. [40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

There are many times we make things that are very simple, more complicated.  God has told us several times in His Word that He desires compassion more than sacrificial works. God’s redeeming love can transform any sacrificial works into compassion.  You just gotta wanna.

This verse and back story brings us face to face with our sinful nature and weakness.  It’s a call to serve our God and adhere to His direction to serve one another.  And it’s also a calling for self examination.  I don’t like exams, period! But self examination? Makes me tremble.

So let’s do this and face reality.  Who are the people in your everyday life that desperately needs to experience compassion and fairness in their lives? How can you bring such provision? How is your lifestyle reminiscent of Jesus’s love and compassion? When you purposely consider those hard questions, that’s where you’ll come face to face with the Author and Creator of compassion, and there you will find the life-giving power to give others what He’s given you...  justice, love, and humility.  

Let’s go to prayer and ask God to break the confusion, and illuminate His path.

Gracious Father, we’re all here because our hearts are drawn to Your calling to serve one another.  We are very susceptible to forget the message of the cross and become self-centered and deaf to Your voice.  We ask You to open our eyes and convict our hearts to become more like Your Son, and empower us to live the example of Jesus’s humility and love.  Thank You, Father, for Your justice, love, and humility You have bestowed on us.  In the powerful name of Jesus we pray….Amen.

TR