With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 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? 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 6:6‒8
The message of Micah the prophet was mainly for the rulers in the political centers of Israel and Judah. He foretold the fall of both Samaria (1:6) and Jerusalem (3:10‒12) and rebuked the rulers for their idolatry and their cruelty toward the poor, but he also had good news. Micah presents a glorious contrast between the Zion of old and the new Jerusalem—the church (Acts 2)—into which all nations would flow and out of which God’s law would go forth (4:1–3). Micah also tells of the great Deliverer who would arise from Bethlehem (5:2). Although his message to the present generations was not a pleasant one (that they would pay for their sins), there is a ray of hope in Micah’s prophecies.
In the context of the sixth chapter, God reminds Israel of His generosity and love toward them (6:1–5) and shows them that all He asks in return is that they show reverence (6:6) and humility before Him (6:8) and similar mercy and benevolence to one another (6:8). Notice that God requires these things of those who are already in a covenant relationship with Him. God has been good to all of us, sending rain on the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45) and giving His Son to die for us while we were “yet sinners” (Romans 5:8).
If you have never obeyed the gospel, God requires some things of you. He requires that you believe on His Son Jesus (John 8:24; Hebrews 11:6), but this faith is not produced spontaneously; it is produced only by reading God’s word (Romans 10:17). He requires that you confess your faith before men (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:10), even if it costs you your life. He requires that you repent of your sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30). He also requires that you be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of your old sins (Romans 6:1–7). He requires then that you dedicate the rest of your life to His exclusive service (Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20). God has done so much for us, and He asks so little in return.
There are also certain things He requires of His children. They were His own children that He required to “do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.” God washed our sins away with Jesus’ blood, adopted us into His family, and then promised us eternal life. He requires that we faithfully assemble with the saints (Hebrews 10:25), worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24), obey those in authority (Hebrews 13:17), and bring nothing short of our best before Him (Micah 6:6). In our homes He requires that we fill the roles that He has given us. In the world He requires that we serve as lights leading men and women to Him (Matthew 5:13–16).
It should also be noted that God requires true dedication, not mere lip service. The scribes and Pharisees honored Him in word, but not in deed (Matthew 23:4; 15:1–9; 5:20). We must also understand that God desires obedience more than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:21–23; Isaiah 1:10–20). God doesn’t want what we have (it was His to begin with); He wants us! In the end, God requires the same things of us that He required of His children in Micah’s day: that we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him all the days of our lives. He has done so much for us, and He demands so little in return. Are you willing to do what He requires of you?