We have all asked that question.Could someone in a simple and clear way, just tell me what God expects of me?We often know what the church or our friends or society expects.But in a way that is not nearly as important as knowing what God wants.Moses raised that question in one of his final messages to his nation.He said, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you…?”He went on to give this answer, “…but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve Him” (Deut. 10:12).
Many years later, as the nation was in decline the prophet Micah raised the question again.He wrote, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you” (Micah 6:8a).
They had mistaken ideas.They thought He wanted sacrifices.And they thought if one sacrifice was good that ten thousand would be better.They even went so far as to wonder, if they, like the nations around them, should sacrifice their firstborn.
God’s answer was that He was looking for obedience to the original directive given by Moses.Obedience, not sacrifice, was what God wanted.Samuel, earlier, had said to Saul, “…to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).
The prophet Micah went on to give a simple answer to a seemingly profound question.He stated three things God required and they are all action words.
þDo Justly
þLove Mercy
þWalk Humbly with your God
First, we are required to Do Justly.There are two streams in the Bible regarding justice.Justice means to do the right thing.Most of the time in life we know what is right. The challenge is to do it.
Justice and integrity are the same.We are living in a society where there has been a serious decline in integrity.
Integrity is always telling the truth.Integrity is doing a good day’s work and earning the wage you are paid.Integrity is paying your debts on time.Integrity is being true to your marriage vows.Integrity is not automatic.The Bible says, “Learn to do good and seek (pursue) justice” (Isaiah 1:17a).
The other side of justice has to do with the proper treatment of the weak, the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the refugee.Isaiah wrote, “seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17b).
They are not poor because of bad choices.These are the genuine poor, the poorest of the poor, and God requires our care of them.
Second, we are urged to Love Mercy.Mercy is the disposition to love the unworthy and the suffering.It means to treat people better than they deserve.It means to exhibit God’s character because He is a God of mercy.It is to treat others as He has treated us.He has treated us better than we deserve.
Jesus said, “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36).
Finally, Micah instructed us to Walk Humbly with our God.Humility is to live our lives in utter dependence on God.Humility is to assume the attitude of Jesus.It is to walk in His steps and follow His example as He took upon Himself the role of a servant.He said, “…learn from Me for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matt.11:29).
So there we have God’s three-fold answer – Do Justly – Love Mercy – Walk Humbly with your God.
