You Know What Is Required

-

Scripture
 
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
        and what does the Lord require of you
    but to do justice, and to love kindness,
        and to walk humbly with your God?

Observation

The king had become ignorant of what would please God. He had determined to appease God by offering sacrifices but this is not what God wants. It had all be made clear in the covenant and therefore the king’s ignorance is inexcusable. God wants a holy people who reflect the character and nature which would be revealed in Jesus Christ, that is, obedient and spiritual people who will do justice.

John Wesley says, “He—God hath already told you in his word, with what you ought to come before him. To do justly—To render to every one their due, superiors, equals, inferiors, to be equal to all, and oppress none, in body, goods or name;…To love mercy—To be kind, merciful and compassionate to all, not using severity towards any. Walk humbly with thy God—Keep up a constant fellowship with God, by humble, holy faith.” (Wesley)

Application

God does not want sacrifices, God wants the covenant people to reflect the very nature of Christ in their being. This is the good and it is what is required of God’s people; to be engaged in acts of justice, to love kindness and to remain in fellowship, day by day, and moment by moment, walking with God. It has been spelled out clearly for us to understand what it is that is required. Now, we must wrestle with how that is put into practice.

We have all experienced injustice in our lives; things that seem far outside our own control. Living outside the US for many years there have been many times that I needed someone who would help me. I’ve stood for hours trying to hold my position trying to get into an embassy to try and get a visa. I’ve spent hours pushing my way through immigration lines, hoping for a friendly face at passport control. I’ve had my car pulled over and a machine gun shoved in my face as the “officials” tried to confiscate my vehicle. It is in those moments that we pray that someone outside of our situation will speak up and become the voice that we do not have. We have our eyes open looking for someone to show compassion and justice.

We must begin by bringing ourselves to a place of  intimate fellowship with God. In this space our hearts will break for the things that break the heart of God. Then, it is the Lord who will send us forth into a world that is struggling and in desperate need of a Savior. And we may just be the one who intercedes, showing mercy and justice in the moment of someone's need.

Prayer

Lord, break my heart today. Amen.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a ti...
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her ...
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have ...
Read more