16 August | EVERYONE
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6: 8
Chapter 6 of the book of Micah describes a conflict between God and His people. God asks His children why they are rebellious. He reminds them of the love with which He has cared for them since the day He delivered them from the enslaving power of Egypt and the tender way He protected them through the wilderness.
However, the people do not seem to understand. In their opinion, the Lord complains for no reason because they meet every Sabbath in the temple, performing the ritual. That is why they ask: "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? […] Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" (Mic. 6:6-7).
The people's questions are peppered with irony and sarcasm. It implies that God claims are because He is dissatisfied with the number of sacrifices. They know that is not true, but their question implies that the divine claim is exaggerated. They also seem to wonder whether it is necessary to perform human sacrifices to satisfy the Lord, thus revealing the influence of the pagan culture that surrounds them.
They do not perceive their sad situation. Everything is fine for them. In this context, God responds that all He asks is to do justly, to love mercy, and to humble oneself before Him.
With the Western mentality, we would give more or less importance to these three actions according to the order in which we read them (doing justice would be the most important). But in Hebrew culture the order of priorities is reversed. The basis of the relationship with God is to humble oneself before the Lord, and the result of that submission to the Lord is to practice justice and exercise mercy. Despite the word order meaning in Hebrew, the Jewish people did just the opposite. They were more concerned with appearing and doing than with being. What is your attitude?
Take Action
God does not ask you to "buy" Him (or His blessings) with formal "good" behavior, nor with outward rituals. What he wants is for you to recognize your insufficiency, allow yourself to be changed by Him, and then reflect His love to your fellow human beings. Sing "What God Requires of You" (if possible, with your family).