What Satisfies God

“What Satisfies God?” Micah 6:1-8

1. Micah tells the people 61Listen to what the LORD says:

• Micah is from Moresheth in the land of Judah

• He tells the folks there prophecies of “doom” directed towards Judah and Jerusalem

• Why doom? Because the leaders of the people “despise justice and distort all that is right,” Micah said that “Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble” (3:9, 12).

• The leaders only looked for their own satisfaction. The Prophet said, “Jerusalem’s “leaders judge for a bribe, “her prophets tell fortunes for money” (3:11). Micah saw that people in power were trying to get ahead — in business, government and religion —using corrupt and unjust way

2. God is not satisfied with the People vs 2 For the LORD has a case against his people; he has a charge against Israel

• The Wealthy people were exploiting the poor “They covet fields and seize them,” said Micah. “They defraud a man of his home, a fellowman of his inheritance” (2:2).

• In Jerusalem, the rich were getting richer, and the poor were getting poorer. And this was happening on a playing field that was anything but level.

3. The people were not satisfied with Gods Goodness

• Then, the prophet accused the people of not being satisfied with God’s goodness to them. “Listen to what the LORD says,”. “I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery” (6:1, 4). Are you not satisfied?

• “I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam” (v. 4). Are you not satisfied?

• “Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,” crossing the Jordan River into the promised land (v. 5). God guided Are you not satisfied?

• God brought the people out of slavery, gave them leaders like Moses Joshua Caleb , and brought them into the promised land. And yet, they can’t get no … satisfaction!

• One theologian says, “No matter what they achieve or attain, they want more. Instead of enjoying the good life that God has given them, they resort to corruption and injustice to satisfy their wishes and expectations.”

4. God is not Satisfied with their way of Repentance

• They asked the prophet what they could do to make things better. “With what shall I come before the LORD,”? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?” (v. 6).

No, said the prophet, forget about your burnt offerings.

• “Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?” (v. 7).

No, said the prophet, God will not be pleased with rams and oil.

• “Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,” said the people, “the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (v. 7). No way said the prophet

5. The Prophet tells them what will satisfy God for their transgressions

• 8He 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.

• God says Act Justly be fair, equality for all of God’s people the poor, work on behalf of people who are weak or powerless or exploited by others. Don’t exploit the vulnerable

• God says, Love mercy. the word translated “mercy” is hesed, , Yes, it means mercy, but it also means kindness, grace, loyalty and faithfulness.

• God says, Walk humbly with God. This means to travel forward with God, walking in God’s way and staying close to God. It means to remain humble,

• When we travel in this way, we are mindful of our behavior, because we know that God is challenging us to act justly and to love mercy.

• True satisfaction does not come from property or power or money. Instead, it comes from being right with God, and right with the people around us.