God's Courtroom

Intro

When I was 17 - I found myself in court… traffic court - I got a ticket - going 80 in a 70 in my mini cooper.

I was terrified, I had to wear my collard shirt, I waited my turn, I got called into a courtroom, walked up to the table w/ a microphone & the judge in his robe read my violation “Case # 3045 Jesse Bocanegra Infraction traffic ticket - speeding & questionable car taste - mini cooper”

How do you plea? w/ a voice crack I say “No Contest” thats what I was told to say by my legal advisor.. my mom & it worked that ticket did not find its way on my record. PTL.

Court is not a fun place, it’s a serious place, it’s a scary place, it is a determinative place.

Transition: Today as you step into God’s courtroom much will be determined - your standing before God, the way you will conduct your life, the destination of your eternity ARE ALL DECIDING in this courtroom.

Thesis: In Micah 6:1-8 we will encounter 4 Scenes in God’s courtroom

CONTEXT AS YOU TURN:

Micah is a prophet during the same time as Isaiah - 8th century BC

His prophetic ministry was predominantly to the southern Kingdom of Isreal called Judah

so far in the first 5 chapters of his book he has preached of the judgement to come because of Judah’s unfaithfulness to God expressed through sweeping societal injustice

And now we find these accusation become formalized in a courtroom setting

and Micah opens this courtroom with SCENE #!

SCENE #1 “Court is in Session” (v.1-2)

Micah 6:1-2Micah 6:1-2 “1 Hear now what the Lord is saying, “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice. 2 “Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the Lord, And you enduring foundations of the earth, Because the Lord has a case against His people; Even with Israel He will dispute.”

All legitimate court cases begin with a summons and so that is what we find in verse 1...

Summons v.1

Micah 6:1 “1 Hear now what the Lord is saying, “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice.”

The first word in this summons is, as expected, a COMMAND - to listen up, pay attention, don’t miss this information that God is saying

We find another command “ARISE & DEFEND” yourself. If you’re going to court - you prepare - you get a lawyer, you wear a suit, you get there early and you prepare your defense.

How much more when you enter a courtroom w/ God - who is perfectly JUST & knows everything - will you need to be ready to PLEAD YOUR CASE - what will you say when you walk through those doors and you SEE GOD who is the PLAINTIFF & THE JUDGE?

Micah, as the spokesperson here, proclaims to Judah - God’s got business to do with you! In chapter 2 we learn that the southern kingdom is:

Scheming iniquity on their beds & are eager to wake up & do it

They are coveting and stealing from others

They are oppressing the poor

They are evicting women from their house and ruining the children's lives

They are drunks

Chapter 3

The leaders hated good & loved evil

Mic 3:3 “3 Who eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones And chop them up as for the pot And as meat in a kettle.””

So God’s people are no longer acting like God’s people, they no longer seem to even want to be God’s people - and so God summons His people to court.

APP: Now evaluate yourself for a moment - does God have just cause to bring you to court? Might you to have these sins in your heart?

When you are wronged, do you sit and stew on ways to get that person back? Do you scheme up ways to

Are you discontent with what you have and which you had what others do? Do you find yourself angry that others are having more success than you?

Do you ever have judgemental thoughts towards those homeless people you drive by?

We must not be too quick to say “SHAME ON ISREAL” When we too act the same way.

Well, not that God needs them but He brings them look at VERSE 2 the witnesses in our FIRST SCENE

Witnesses v.2

Micah 6:2 “2 “Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the Lord, And you enduring foundations of the earth, Because the Lord has a case against His people; Even with Israel He will dispute.”

God calls to the bench “mountains” & “the foundations of the earth” - think of all these witnesses have scene!

OLD: Theses inanimate objects are called because of their enduring nature. Who was there when God made a covenant with Abraham? Who was there when God parted the Sea? Who was there when God was faithful in the wilderness? Who is still there during Judah’s (then current) idolatry & external religiosity? The mountains & the foundations of the earth

VIEW: Not only were they there but their view was one of the best. You’ve heard the saying “If only these trees could talk” well imagine if the mountains in Canaan could speak & the bottom of the red sea could talk.

And so the court is now in session - The Lord has a case against “His people” - do you see that wording? God has not disowned them, He STILL has not forsaken them - and so God bringing His people to court is more like a husband desiring His wife to honor her covenant commitment rather than some man angry at teenagers for property damage.

TRANSITION: So we find that in the FIRST SCENE court is in session & the obvious next SCENE in this courtroom is that SCENE #2 The case is made...

SCENE #2 “The Case is Made” (v.3-5)

Micah 6:3-5 “3 “My people, what have I done to you, And how have I wearied you? Answer Me. 4 “Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt And ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam. 5 “My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you might know the righteous acts of the Lord.””

The offense God accuses His people of is actually ASSUMED in this case & you’ll notice in the next scene that the people don’t even deny it. Why? because God will not bring innocent people into the courtroom! He IS JUST & if you find yourself in God’s courtroom you can count of the fact that YOU are guilty!

What are His people guilty of? Everything listed in the previous chapters BUT their offense is summarized as this, they are “wearied” of God. They are tired w/ God. It’s as if they are saying “Our relationship w/ God is a burden not a blessing”

Matt 11:30 “30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.””

1 John 5:3 “3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

App: I wonder if your obedience has become burdensome. If you’re tired w/ God.

You come to school at grace tuesday, wednesday, thurs

You work at GCC monday, friday, saturday

You attend GCC Sundays

You attend a bible study after seminary

And I wonder if you’ve become bored.

ILLUS: It’s like a milkshake at sonic - the first sips are magical & amazing but the more you drink it the more boring it becomes- you get used to it.

I wonder if you’ve become more energized by God’s truth then by God himself. If your studies have become pure academics and no devotion, all head no heart.

Have you grown tired of God? PAUSE

Im afraid many of us have, just like Isreal did - and God doesn’t give an exhaustive list of evidence probably because their sin was so self evident - He just says “ANSWER ME” - you can’t shy away from this confrontation! You’re up at the mic during this scene while this case is being made.

God goes on to explain why this sin is so horrendous because of 3 things… His Innocence, faithfulness & righteousness

Gods innocence (v.3)

Micah 6:3 “3 “My people, what have I done to you, And how have I wearied you? Answer Me.”

What have I done? rhetorical question… of course God has done nothing wrong and actually God answers His own question “Actually let me tell you what I’ve done to you” - I’ve Been Faithful!

God’s faithfulness (v.4-5a)

Micah 6:4-5 “4 “Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt And ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam. 5 “My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And from Shittim to Gilgal,

“Indeed” - This word is often used to express Irony! I have done nothing negative, I’ve only been positive!

He reminds them of 4 great things :

The Great Exodus v.4a

If it wasn’t for God’s miraculous rescue - they wouldn’t even be a nation - they would still be adding bricks to pyramids and carving sphinx’s

The Great Leaders v.4b

Moses brought the Word of God

Aaron acted as priest to God

Miriam was prophetess and poet for God

Yet with ALL that Godly influence - they still rejected God’s appointed leaders

The Great Reversal v.5a

When powerful foreign kings and prominent false prophets targeted Isreal for harm, God reversed their plans and it resulted in Israel's good

The Great Land v.5b

Shittim to Gilgal - summarizes Isreal’s entrance and seizing of the promised land

God’s righteousness (v.5c)

Micah 6:5 “ So that you might know the righteous acts of the Lord.””

All of those things He did so that they would KNOW the righteous acts of the Lord.

God’s brings up the past to show them that He kept His side of the covenant. He acted righteously and so the defendant has NO excuse, no valid reason for their weariness of God.

TRANSITION: So we see in this SECOND SCENE that the case is made. What will the defendant say? Thats SCENE 3....

SCENE #3 “The Defendant Responds” (v.6-7)

Micah 6:6-7 “6 With what shall I come to the Lord And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? 7 Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

What we find in this scene is either direct quotations from the people themselves or Micah representing and speaking for them.

What we find is the people asking 3 questions that will expose just how ignorant they are towards God’s covenant. They have broken the covenant so many times they have forgotten what God actually requires of them.

This section is so crucial to study BECAUSE I believe it is this ignorance and this heart that still prevaids the church today!

You’ll notice that in the suggestions made by the people - they are willing to WORK & EARN the favor of God but unwilling to give Him what He truly desires … their hearts.

1 Sam 15:22 “22 Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”

So seemingly recognizing their guilt - they offer up 3 feeble solutions to please God. Almost like this is their attempt to enter a PLEA DEAL - they start by saying what if we sacrifice that which is of HIGH VALUE...

Value (v.6)

Micah 6:6 “6 With what shall I come to the Lord And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves?”

a yearling calf was the BEST sacrificial animal you could bring. It would have cost the most out of the herd.

So they think that God’s favor might be bought or earned through an expensive offering

Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (1) A Divine Covenant Lawsuit (6:1–8)

Offerings … are no substitute for obedience to God’s will

What’s the parallel today?

We think our giving to the church, charity, missions IS what makes God happy & so anytime we question our standing before the Lord we don’t look to the Cross we look to our giving statements to provide assurance.

God cannot be bought! He already owns EVERYTHING and The KING and CREATOR of the UNIVERSE DOES NOT NEED you to throw a few bucks in the basket.

God

Transition: But if offering something of high value isn’t enough maybe something with high VOLUME

Volume (v.7a)

Micah 6:7a “7 Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil?

They speak in hyperbole here - because obviously such a large quantity was unattainable. But what if we give you EVERYTHING LORD? Will you then be happy?

Parallel:

If I give ALL my time to God, lots of study, prayer, ministry - then He will be pleased

So we look at our relationship w/ God like a timecard - if we just punch in enough hours were good

We say God I’ll give you EVERYTHING? All of my money, time & energy! His response...

Isa 1:11 “11 “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.”

So they move to their third attempt at a plea deal - Value, Volume & finally severity...

Severity (v.7b)

Micah 6:7b Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

In these days men would sacrifice their first born son to false gods as means of showing their INTENSE DEVOTION

Human sacrifice obviously is condemned throughout the entire New Testament

But it was the most extreme sacrifice imaginable - they were willing to DO whatever they could - to appease God w/o returning to a relationship with God

Parallel - now we don’t have to many people offering up their first son to God BUT we have so many who MAKE extreme & severe decisions in hopes that God will be pleased with their seriousness

“God I will quit my job and become a pastor”

“God I will move across the world”

“God I will never commit that sin again”

“God I will read my Bible 3 hours everyday”

All of these things done, NOT OUT OF A HEART OF GRATITUDE AND LOVE - but done as a way to earn God’s favor

PREACH:

If you give your entire savings to the church you know what God will say? MORE

If you spend the rest of your life doing good works do you know what God will say? MORE

If you fast for 40 days and look to God for approval, do you know what He will say? MORE

When you say I’ve given all that I have what more could He want? ANSWER: Your Heart

Psalm 51:16-17 “16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

He wants YOUR HEART

Turn from external ritualistic religion -

Quit looking to yourself for security in salvation

Heb 10:10 “10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

No sacrifice, offering or work you do will ever sway God’s thoughts towards you

It is only by repenting of sin & placing our faith in Him that we can be made right before God.

Unbeliever: So it might be that you need to go to God now and ask for forgiveness for your self righteousness and trust in Christ alone

Believer: Others maybe you know the Lord but have backslid into that way of thinking - remember that you have been freed from the slavery of sin - you donot have to earn God’s favor - Christ has done the work on your behalf - cling to Him EVERY MOMENT!

The THIRD SCENE shows us the defendants response and our 4th & last scene can be titled: The Judgment is Made

SCENE 4 “The Judgment is Made” (v.8)

Micah 6:8 “8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

The judgement, the outcome & the requirement has been made in fact it was already made and told to them! This is not new! -“He has told you”

It should not come as a surprise that God isn’t satisfied with offerings and sacrifices, what He desires is found in the most well know verse in all of Isreal the SHEMA - Deut 6:5 “5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Obedience to God is meant to flow from a heart that loves God (REPEAT)

So then God summarizes His covenant with them by stating what He expects, he first of which is...

do justice - not just root for justice or ask for justice but DO IT! It is not enough for God’s people to call for justice - they need to be the ones acting justly & fairly

It’s interesting how today some can be so quick to criticize our government for the ways in which they ACT unfairly - yet meanwhile they lie on their taxes, break laws they deem inconvenient, turn the blind eye on injustices that benefit us

God’s people are called to DO justice

love kindness - notice this time its not just DO KINDNESS but love it

God moves from action to motive - enhancing this requirement to be revolving around the heart

ANYBODY - can “play nice” - in fact some of the “kindest people” you’ll meet are unbelievers listen to this list of the TOP 10 nicest people to ever live according to the toptens.com

#1 Muhammad

#2 Gandhi

#3 Mother Teresa

#4 John Lennon

#5 Michael Jackson

What sets God’s people apart from the world is not superficial smiles and warm greetings - its a genuine motivation from the heart to LOVE KINDNESS

walk humbly w/ your God

This could be the one sentence sermon - you do this and you’ll get the rest right

walk meaning live in constant dependence upon and with God

No more pride, no more arrogance, no more self rightoueness - see God for who He is HIGH & EXALTED - see yourself for who you are a sinner saved by grace and walk with God

This is an incredible conclusion to the final scene of God’s courtroom

Conclusion

This conclusion begs us to consider our life before God.

Because no one will have an enlarged ego in heaven

No one will purchase their ticket through those gates

No one will earn their way through those gates

No one will be covered in cow blood going through those gates

Only those whose sins have been washed away by the lamb of God & whose filthy garments have been exchanged with his righteous robes

So we end where we begun - Today as you step into God’s courtroom much will be determined - your standing before God, the way you will conduct your life, the destination of your eternity ARE ALL DECIDED in this courtroom.

and God calls you in verse 1 to ARISE & PLEADE YOUR CASE - what will you say - I pray that all you can do is point to Christ & His completed work on your behalf.