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
It seems the answers offered to this question are as numerous as the people asking. Micah posed this question to the children of Israel after declaring the Lord had a case against them (6:1-5). Sadly, Israel had so fully forgotten the law of God that they assumed offering numerous and costly sacrifices would buy His favor (6:6-7). Like their pagan neighbors, they were attempting to appease God with their sacrifices though their lives were far from His will for them. In response to their rhetorical questions, Micah offered a simple three-pronged answer to remind them how to approach the Lord.
Though the will of the Lord contains a wide array of specific principles for human conduct, these three core principles are necessary facilitators of the rest. Micah left them with no excuse for failing to serve God faithfully. As God’s chosen people, they should have easily understood this, but they were too blinded by sin to see. To guard ourselves against a similar rebellious tendency, we turn our attention to these three basic principles of service to God.
First, God demands His people do justly. This means to act according to God’s divine standard toward God and man. A casual glance at the previous chapters reveals that Israel had abandoned the pursuit and practice of justice in society (Micah 3:10-11). The term for justly here occurs 421 times in the Bible. Such a recurring theme from the inspired penmen must not be downplayed or ignored. Perhaps the simplest definition given for this Hebrew word is “to do no unrighteousness” (Genesius).
Second, God’s people are to love mercy (chesed). This Hebrew term has a wide range of meaning. It is translated variously as mercy, loving-kindness, loyalty, and faithfulness. Hosea 6:6, a similar passage to Micah 6:8 parallels the meaning of chesed with knowledge of God. In essence, it is an intimate knowledge of and likeness to God. This term occurs 247 times in the Bible. It describes God’s “steadfast love” which never ceases in Lamentations 3:22. As God is merciful to His people, so He demands they be merciful to others. Those who show no mercy will meet judgment without mercy (James 2:13).
Finally, He demands His people walk humbly before Him. If Israel recalled their history as pointed out in 6:4-5, they would see their dependence on God’s mercy. He reminded them of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, His provisions of leadership in the wilderness, His protection from the wicked scheme of Balak, and finally His promise to give them the land of Canaan. All of this called for Israel to walk humbly before their God.
While our covenant is different, God is the same. While the specific details of how we must live before Him differ, the essential character that God demands of us remains the same. Paul reminds us in Romans 15:4 that these things were written for our learning. Like the children of Israel, we too may think we can buy God’s favor with our sacrifices. We must remember that as God did not want their sacrifices apart from their hearts, so He has no interest in lifeless worship and service from us today. We must worship God in spirit and truth to please Him (John 4:24). God still requires His people to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before our God. May we be ever mindful of these three core principles as we seek to do His bidding in every area of our Christian walk.