What Does the Lord Require?
"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?" (NKJV)
The Pharisees of the New Testament were obviously not the first Jews to believe
that the letter of the law outweighs the spirit of the law. The Pharisees' form
of "checklist godliness" was obviously being practiced by the hearers of Micah's
prophecy.
Micah 6:8 reminds us of the conditions God set on His promises to Abraham,
namely to do righteousness and justice (Gen. 18:19). Additionally, the
directions for Israel from God (via Moses) come to mind: 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 and to
love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you
today for your good? (Deut. 10:12,13)
Both Samuel and Hosea emphasize God's preference for obedience, knowledge, and
mercy over sacrifice and burnt offerings. (1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6.)
With all of these Old Testament passages in view let's examine Micah's three
imperatives if man wishes to fulfill the Lord's requirements and come to realize
and live "what is good."
To Do Justly
Adam Clarke suggests that for man to do justly, he must render unto everyone
that which is due to them. Of course Clarke does not mean "what is due them" in
men's eyes, but "what is due them" according to God's will.
To give God His due. God is deserving of our heart, body, soul, and spirit; our
wisdom, understanding, judgment. Jesus tells us (Mk. 12:28-30) that the first
commandment is to "love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." Because He created us in
His own image, God rightly and justly deserves all of our
worship and adoration. "This is the first commandment."
To give your neighbor his due. Jesus continues (Mk 12:31) His discussion of the
greatest commandments with the second, "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself." Can we sin against someone we truly love? Perhaps we might
momentarily sin against a loved one, but not continually. True love desires to
bless and not to injure. Note however that we are not to give that which is due
to God to any man - neighbor or self.
To give to yourself what you are due. According to Paul, we are not our own but
instead our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). So what we
have coming must be tempered by what we must avoid. Paul reminds us first of all
to "flee sexual immorality." Elsewhere Paul gives us lists of characteristics to
avoid and attain (Gal. 5:19-25)
To Love Mercy
God realized what man has come to know; justice, while necessary, can be cold
and unfeeling. (Micah 7:18.) To do justly alone is not sufficient for a child of
God; we must love mercy and do what it requires. Mercy comes from
characteristics that include
kindness, benevolence, and charity. Part of what mercy requires is to be willing
to forgive the sins of others as God is willing to forgive our sins. It is this
aspect of mercy through which our own salvation comes (Titus 3:5).
To Walk Humbly
But how are we to do this? We must first acknowledge our sins and then be
willing to submit to God's mercy. It is only through a humbling of ourselves
that we will be allowed to walk with God. "God resists the proud, but gives
grace to the humble." (1 Pet. 5:5.) Paul points out that it is high-mindedness
that leads to unbelief and lack of faith in the power of God (Rom. 11:20; 12:3).
The humble attitude required by the Lord will make itself manifest in a life of
prayer, contrition, and service.
What Then, Is Good?
Homer Hailey suggests that "the 'good' that [God] requires is the doing of His
will." To accomplish that lofty (yet necessary) goal man must act toward God and
man according to the divine standard of righteousness revealed in God's will; he
must show every man a compassionate warm-heartedness; and walk humbly in
recognition of the absolute holiness and righteousness of God by submitting to
God through obedience to His desire and will. (Hailey, A Commentary on the Minor
Prophets, p. 214.)
There is no "Christian To Do List." It is just not that simple. And yet we know
that living Christ-like is not impossible (Mt. 11:29,30). But we must be mindful
it is a "life" and not a series of accomplishments.
By Carey Dillinger
From Expository Files 11.3, March, 2004
