God’s Requirements
(Micah 6:1-8)
Intro:
A. I have been a dad to four children, a father-in-law, a grandfather, a child to my parents and in all of the family situations I have been in there comes a time, the terrible two that last until 32, where the child says to the parents, “What do you want from me?”
B. Let’s back up. That normally starts after mom has been trying very hard to get her teenage son to something, to respond to something, to finish something and she’s frustrate with her kid. In that frustration, the son replies, “What do you want from me, mom? You want me to clean my room, wash the car, replace the roof on the house?” Oh ya, he just went there. There comes this increasing cry out like they are being mistreated and then respond with over the top things.
C. It went from clean my room to replace the roof. That type of response is normal, wrong maybe, but normal. Mankind has done that for millennia.
D. This morning I want us to be challenged by God to look at what God requires from those who call themselves his children.
I. The Setting
A. You need to understand the context of the book of Micah. The rich have gotten rich off the backs of the poor. The kings have no credibility and are corrupt. Many of the prophets are bribed and tell them only what they want to hear. God had enough. Don’t tell God how great Thou art, and then live life like it’s how great you are. Based upon that context lets READ Micah 6:1-3.
B. That’s God question to them as if this were a courtroom drama. “What have I done to you, Israel? How have I wearied you, Israel?” God wants an answer. But before you do, stop and remember what God has done for you. READ Micah 6:4-5. What has God done for you fellow children of the King? How do we respond?
C. Listen to their reply. READ Micah 6:6-7. Do you see the progression of what they say? Their response is God, you ask too much. You demand too much. You expect too much. So what will make you happy God? I’ll do my sacrifices, are you happy with that? It would be like saying, “God, I go to worship for an hour most Sunday mornings, isn’t that good enough for you God?”
D. Then it escalates into hyperbole. What about 10,000 rivers of oil? Do you want me to offer my child for my sin that you say I am doing? I don’t believe these are things they are wanting or willing to offer. Some commentators say they are speaking about a humble repentance, but I just don’t see that in the writing of the Micah so far in this book.
E. READ Micah 6:8. The response they get is God telling them the minimum requirement. The key here is “requirement.” This is the expectation God has and it has nothing to do with coming to worship, putting money in a collection box, taking communion, singing songs.
F. Now, I know this is OT and we are not under the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets, but hear with God has to say and I believe you will hear Jesus and the apostles saying the same thing in the NT.
II. God’s Requirements
A. The first thing God says is to “Do justice.” The idea God gives us is that people are important. God doesn’t say be just and fair, he calls us to do justice. It is more than not being unjust, it is actively being just and standing against injustice. When you read the book, you understand how the common person was mistreated and taken advantage of by those who had the money. The calling for us to “do justice” is stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.
B. The second requirement God has is not as easy to grasp. Many translations say, “love mercy.” Yet, you will find other translations say, “love kindness,” “Steadfast love,” or “faithful love,” and “love grace.” Understand, God doesn’t say choose one of these qualities. He puts them together so we can see the heart we need that pleases God. Jesus is mercy.
C. The third requirement, “to walk humbly before your God,” is really the heart of what makes the first two requirements happen naturally. Humility is learning the real spiritual meaning of selflessness.
D. C S Lewis wrote, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” Less of me, and more of others. John the Baptist put it this way concerning Jesus, “He must increase, and I must decrease.”
F. Ask yourself this question, “If people who know me well, were asked to describe me, would the first thing they say is that I deeply love Jesus and seek to follow him?” I don’t want people to think of me simply as a preacher of the Glen Rock church of Christ, I want people to think of me a disciple of Jesus who seeks to walk in the way of the Lord. I want to be know as one who practices what he preaches.
G. David was not a perfect king of Israel, but he was a deeply loved king. God speaks of him as a “man after my own heart.” What is it about David that set him apart from Saul, his son Solomon or any of the kings that followed? It was he deeply cared about the “lesser than” people, he understood mercy, kindness, faithfulness and most importantly, he tried to walk humbly before God.
Conclusion:
A. What does God require of the Glen Rock church of Christ? What does God require of me personally? The teaching of doing justice, loving mercy, walking humbly with God are a summery of how we live as children of the King. They are also our response to God.
B. The right response to God asking us if we remember all that He has done for us is live a life that honors him. Less of self, more of Thee. It is a life that walks humbly before God. The beauty of all that is when we humble ourselves before God, God lifts us up.
C. May we be a people who with joy in our heart, humble ourselves before a loving God. If we can encourage your walk with the Lord, come as we stand and sing.
