The moderator of a Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia, gave J. Hudson Taylor a flattering introduction. When the founder of the China Inland Mission stepped into the pulpit, he quietly said, “Dear friends, I am a little servant of an illustrious Master,” The late A. W. Tozer was once presented to a congregation in similar manner, and his response was, “All I can say is, dear God, forgive him for what he said--and forgive me for enjoying it so much!”
— James L. Snyder -- Minister in Christian and Missionary Alliance and award winning author.
After preaching a sermon on humility one day, a woman approached the pastor and said to him, "Pastor, humility is my forte."
This morning we conclude our three week summer series on, “What God Desires,” from Micah 6:8. If you haven’t guessed it by now, we ask the question, what does Micah mean by the phrase, “walk humbly?”
On our journey to this point, the words of the prophet Micah have helped us to understand that sacrificial worship is pointless unless it is supported with obedience. Accordingly God requires that we “Act Justly,” “Love Mercy,” and “Walk Humbly.”
To act justly means to do what is right. Justice is rooted in God’s character and so it is therefore seen as a quality found in a person who loves God. Those people who love him work for fairness and equality for all, particularly the weak and the powerless that are exploited by others.
Loving mercy or loving kindness is also a character trait of God. Human beings who love God are to display loving kindness and faithfulness toward each other, especially the poor, the weak and needy. God’s desire is to build righteous faith communities willing to display their love for God, by loving people. Jesus died on the cross in order that we might choose to love God, in response to his act of loving kindness, his act of mercy. God knew that human beings could not love by their own volition. So now, our religious practice, our rituals and sacrifices are no longer needed.
Before we continue let’s once again look at the prophet Micah’s words of advice in 6:8.
Walk Humbly
The purpose of the phrase “walk humbly” is different to the two previous phrases. You will recall that both justice and loving kindness are character traits of God. These traits are to be emulated by those who claim to love the Lord. You will notice that they indicate how we should treat others.
I guess one could argue that humility is a character trait of God; one that we could also emulate. But this is not what is being communicated here. Micah is telling us through this phrase that God is concerned with us having a right and proper relationship with him. For he adds, “walk humbly – with your God.” Be in right relationship with God, and you cannot fail.
All throughout ancient Israel’s history we find a pattern or cycle of rebellion. God promised to bless his people if they would remain faithful to him. This is the basis of the covenant that he formed with his people. God presented the people of God laws by which they demonstrated their faithfulness to him. The people of God rejected their laws, putting in place their own laws. The people even blamed God for their own misguided actions. The people did not walk humbly with God. They walked proudly in disobedience. So when they came to the temple to offer their acts of worship, God rejected their acts.
Micah called for the people to remember that any good found in them was due to the Lord’s enabling. God required from those who claimed the Lord as their God, proof of a godly lifestyle. And what does God then require: faith. To walk humbly was (and is to this day) to live by faith. Such faith sought to give God first place instead of usurping it for oneself. Jesus himself uses Micah 6:8 to give the same message in Matthew.
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. (Matthew 23:23)
In this we find three familiar requisites for pleasing God; “justice, mercy and faithfulness.” Now before we begin to think that ethics and duty are a sufficient substitution for worship, we must back up. The question asked by Micah is not intended that we believe that worship practices are corrupt and not merited. We cannot save ourselves through kindly acts of equity and fairness. Nor is Micah attacking the worship practices established in the tabernacle and temple (throughout the Old Testament). It is however a call for men and women, to demonstrate the reality of their faith by living it out in everyday life.
Acts 13:38-39
38 “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through: him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.
Romans 3:20-22
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
This is as Micah says is walking humbly with God.
Some biblical commentators have suggested that the Hebrew word for “humbly” should be understood as “carefully,” or “circumspectly.” The key word in this phrase is actually the word “walk.” The Hebrew word, halak gives the impression of fluid motion, such as with a river. We are to walk with God, being careful to put God first and to live in conformity with his will. Our life journey is likened to a walk with God as our constant companion.
Chrysostom, a pastor and thinker based in Antioch, in the early days of the Christian church said,
Humility is the mother, root, nurse, foundation, and centre of all other virtues.
The apostle John writes in one of his letters,
Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6)
When we walk humbly with God, our life will demonstrate the characteristics that are evident in God himself. The evidence of our walk will be witnessed in our acts of kindness, mercy, compassion, justice and the like. The flip side then becomes, that as soon as we feel like we are the ones responsible for these qualities, then we are not walking humbly with God.
A young man once received a medal from an organization which used very extravagant language in extolling his accomplishments. Jubilantly the prize winner repeated the words, to his mother. Then he asked, "How many great men are there in the world today?" His mother pondered for a while and then wisely said, "One less than you think!"
Sadly today we are surrounded by a “me” mentality. It is all about me.
It’s my life
... my money
... my possessions
... my relationships
... my focus
... my decision
... my church
... my needs to be met.
It’s all about me ... but when we walk humbly with our God it is...
... his money
... his possessions
... his relationship
... his focus
... his decision
... his church
... his will to be met
It’s all about the Lord our God.
Sometimes however we can be tricked into thinking that humility means to think less of yourself.
S. Craig Clickman -- Christian Author
Humility is not thinking less of yourself than you are. Nor is humility always talking about your faults and shortcomings as compared to everyone else’s superiority and achievements. Humility is simply a recognition of the truth about ourselves; and then most often, a forgetfulness of self that allows genuine concern for others and a genuine worship of God.
The fundamental basis for walking humbly with God is recognising that we cannot live without him. Jesus promised his disciples,
"If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
With the promise of God’ Spirit we don’t have to go it alone.
