The Good Requirements of God3/22/2024 Micah 6:8 ~ "He has told you, O man, 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?" Does God hold a standard up for His people to follow? Are there requirements from the LORD that are impressed upon those who belong to Him? The answer to both questions is: yes. The people of Judah, during the time of the prophet Micah enjoyed a sense of external stability and prosperity, all the while only giving mild observance to the LORD God who rescued them from slavery and delivered them into their own land. But isn't that often the way with the people of God? When times are relatively peaceful and the comforts of life are abundant, there is a tendency to forget the LORD. Moses warned of that very thing in Deuteronomy 8:13-14, "...and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." Micah, in verses 6 and 7, rhetorically repeated the sentiments of the people. The questions that are asked in those verses are as if the people were asking, "What more does God want from us? Haven't we given enough?" But all they could understand was the external expression of religious duty--God was looking for something deeper. And that brings us to the verse for today. It is the answer to the people concerning the expectation of the LORD for those who claim to follow Him. And the first thing that Micah says is--"God has already told you what He expects." And the fact is, my friends, God did tell Israel what was expected of them. In Deuteronomy 10:12-13 we read, "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?" In response to the people's reticence against the requirements of God, Micah reminds them--do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with the LORD. And these three carries with them the fullness of a believer's heart. For to "do justice" is to view sin and rebellion in the same light that God does. And then, "to love kindness" (at other times, translated as "mercy") is to show the same merciful disposition to those who are repentant toward the LORD. And, finally, to "walk humbly with your God" is to have a heart filled with the desire to know and follow the LORD. The external, sacrificial service that we offer to the LORD does not come before the heart is transformed. Those who try to serve Christ Jesus without having their hearts renewed in His grace will ultimately find it to be a burdensome weight that they cannot carry. Consider what the LORD says to the people during the days of Malachi, "But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts" (Malachi 1:13). Therefore, beloved, God does have a standard--but it not the rote, religious duty that comes out of an empty heart. God's standard is an inward disposition that reflects His character. If you want a view of justice, kindness (mercy) and humility, you must look to the LORD Jesus who upheld these without failure. Upon the cross of Calvary, the LORD Jesus showed each quality in perfection--He took our punishment for sin, receiving in Himself our just condemnation (justice). He made the way for all who believe to be forgiven, becoming our substitute (kindness). And, He went to the cross as a lamb went to the slaughter (humility). So, when the Almighty God sets out His requirements, it will always be set upon us to bear a right reflection of His Son. In His Grace, Pastor Michael
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