Wednesday
With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has showed you, O man, 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 6:6-8, NIV)
Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea, prophesied against both Israel and Judah for their sins of idolatry and injustice. He warned them of the fall of Samaria and the collapse of the northern kingdom to the invading forces of Assyria and predicted the inevitable destruction of the southern kingdom as well. In chapter six, Micah pronounced God’s charges against Israel and foretold Israel’s destruction..
In presenting God’s judgment, the prophet asked a rhetorical question: “What does the Lord require of you?” (v. 8). He then contrasts sacrificial offerings with living a just, merciful and humble life of obedience. This was similar to the question that Samuel asks of Saul when he announces God’s rejection of him as a king. Samuel asks: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (I Samuel 15:22). King David shares the same insight when, after confessing his sin of adultery, he writes: “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalms 51:16-17).
The linkage between idolatry and injustice is clear in many of the prophets’ writings. In addition, holiness is not viewed by the prophets as practicing religious rituals, but living a good life according to God’s commandments. “To act justly and to love mercy” is an important instruction about how to live in society with other people, both friends and enemies. Living like this leads to peace and that is what pleases God.
Prayer
Sovereign God, who raises up and brings down the nations, we praise you that you are a just and loving God. Help us to understand the emptiness of practicing religious rituals as we live disobedient lives. Teach us to “act justly” in all our relationships, to “love mercy” because of our experience with your grace, and to “walk humbly” with you. Amen.