Do Justice, Love Mercy?!

Introduction

Good morning brothers and sisteres, do justice, love mercy. We are coming to the heart of Micah, one of the most popular verse in the Old Testament. But what does it mean?

This verse has been on a lot of merchs, but also in a lot of culture war, and as a slogan for political stance. It is spread around social media, used a lot by people to accuse others not acting in justice, who is not loving mercy. For Hong Kong migrant, this verse could be used for a political stance, in the spectrum whatever you are yellow or blue, it could be your slogan. In Australia, whether politically you are left or you are right, in the recent referendum you vote yes or no, you could also use this verse to attack the other. This verse as some say, is the most abused verse in the Bible.

But what does this verse really mean, But probably more important, what does God really requires of us? May today this sermon is not for us to put on our lens, to confirm our bias, but really to humble ourselves listening to God’s word, to transform our own hearts, and shaped by him. Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, althought the Bible is written a long time, we know that you word is important to us today, as it speaks to our human condition, our sin, our heart. Lord, may Holy Spirit help us, to understand your Word, and to respond in faith. Lord also help this imperfect servant, as he tried to faithfully bring you word. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Micah is a difficult book as mentioned, and this is the third cycle of condementation. More condemtnation for Israel, and maybe us. Verse 1 and 2, it sets up the courtroom. Micah 6:1–2 “Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel.” Imagaine you are in a modern courtroom today, God is the accusor, Micah is the prosecutor. Israel is the accused person. And who is the witness? The witness is the mountains. Why, because this court case involves the history between God and Israel. Throughout the history God has been good, throughout the history Israel has a sin cycle as we mentionted. This brings us to the first point, to do justice, first we understand God’s covenant justice. Let’s first undersxtand GOd’s covenant justice.

Remember God’s covenant justice (v3-5)

Micah 6:3–5 ““O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

Here Yahweh gives the accusation of Israel, it is that “How have I wearied you?” This word weary means overburdning, burdensome, weariness. It is used in Job as well when Job compalins that God’s unreasonable demands worn him out. So he God is accusing the Israel, how have I wearied you? Why you have been doing the opposite of this command, if you look at 9-16, you know some of those things, it includes commmercial and social sins, merchants and traders tricking others, wealthy gain through greed and fraud. But also this has affect that Jeursalem’s people are characterized as liars. They all guilty of speaking decietfully.

And then God said, like a hurt father, these stubborn people, he shows his love and justice towards them. It’s like accusing your own family. O my people, remember you are so forgetful, you forget how much I loved you, how much I’ve been fair to you. Let me recall. IT’s the The pennicale of that is God’s salvation of them through land of Egypt. When they were just slaves, when they have no hope, when they were oppressed, God saved them out of Egypt, through the ten plagues, through the passover, through the red sea, into a promise land. God not only brought them out, God gave them human leaders, God gave them Moses, Aaron and Miriam to bring them out of this injustice world. Moses the prophet the leader, Aaron the priest, Miriam the worship leader giving them all they need for the journey towards the promised land, even they were constantly grumbling . But not only that, they were outside threats, others want to curse them, stop them, like the Balak King of Moab, but everytime, God made the curse into blessing. If you remember the story, Balak wants Ballem to curse Israel, but then he met a donkey, and also everytime he is to give a curse, it becomes a blessings. Shittim to Gilgal, many scholars say it’s about the crossing of Jordan river, but if looking closely, it more likely that this love, this faithfulness goes through bad times and good times. In Shittim Israel broken the convent, but in Gilgal they restablish the convenant through circumcision. All of these is saying, see I’ve been faithful, it is a continuous convenat faithfulness. And all these are what, righteous acts? What is righteous acts, it is actually doing what is right under covenent, what is generous saving act under covenant. To treat his convenat right. And so today, we could do justice not out of anger, not out of our own agenda or political agenda, but a respond to God’s covenant justice.

Apply: Are we weary? Forgot God’s covenant faithfulness.

As we look at these three verse, maybe it is a good time to apply to ourselves, a good look at our own past and reminds us of God’s loyalty, his righteosus acts, and if we are responding to be loyal in return. I was talking to my supervisor the other day, and he said to me you seem always in trouble, or in a way discontent about the situations in life. And as I reflect upon this verse. I’ve reminded how good God is faithful to me. God has saved me when I was a young age through my parents, and leaders in the church. They teach me the ways of the Lord and also help us understand by the grace of God, I’m now free from fear of sin, death, fear. I have a purpose to love God and to love others, and use my live to respond to it, including full-time ministry. They are challenges and set backs outwardly, as in church these few years with Covid, with conflicts, but God still provides, he still loves, he provide us with two English pastors, new location to our church. And even me sometimes has not acted best, or even sinned, God encourage me, God protect me throughout, like from Shittim to Gilgal. So today why weary? today why weary of God’s commandments. Brother and sister, how about you, are you weary, did you forget God’s covenant faithfulness? Let’s not do this as a church, let’s today, and the coming week remember all of God’s righteous acts, generous acts, saving acts. Let’s not forget how God saved us. And that’s why also to remember, I strongly invite you to the Baptisim classes, the testimony might help you remember God’s grace to you as well.

So God has accused, with a loving voice, what is Israel’s response? Israel seems to be frightened and scared. What should we do then. Let’s look at verse 6 and 7

Reject superficial worship (v6-7)

Micah 6:6–7 ““With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?””

So the Israel said, shall I come before him with burn offerings, with calves a year old? What they are saying that ritual alone is a solution to the sins and weariness they have against God. Burnt offerings is one of the oldest offering in history. It is started right from Genesis in chapter 4 Noah after the flood. It actually mean go up in smoke that the complete destruction of animal in an effort to renew relationship between Holy God and sinful man, and also a calves a year old. Here the Bible never mention this, but it is probably the best beef you could think about. Level 9 Wagu Beef. But the prophet didn’t answer, so Israel esclates. He said thousands of rams, ten thousands of rivers of oil. Thousands of rams, in the history of Israel only Solomon has done it, but only in one event. It is near impossible to provide ten thousands streams of oil. Still no answer, Israel then said, then offering his firstborn as sin offering. Child scarifice ? It was performed amonst the pegan. Ezekiel and Jeremiah polemicized against it vehemently enough.

What here is saying is Yahweh is not against rituals, but together with all that happen in Micah. He simply reminds one that respect for the covenant has priority over cultic rituals. Micah’s people in trying to appease God, think that if I could have the right process, the wealth, the extragegant action, then I could be right with God. I could do superficial things to please God. I could bride God, I could make God good with me with my great scraficie. But no, that is not what God want, God wants his people in verse 8 to reflect him, to be faithful to his covenant, he wants our heart, he wants our repetnance, he wants our moral and ethical behaviour to match his.

Illustrate:

Although we today in church doesn’t have offerings like the Jews, we don’t have Indulgence like the Catholic, there are still ways of superficial worship that are amongst us. Probably the most often describing is “Sunday Christian”. One pastor describe those like that, like Phrasies. They participate in worship most Sunday, they tithe, they maybe even serve like in the welcome teamI’m sure our welcome team is not like that ok? They have done their role. They even know spiritual jargon. I will pray for you. Thank God for his grace etc. So they have brought their burnt offering, they have done that part. They requrie the Lord and the church to bless them. But like the days of Micah they never repent, they never require themselves to act ethical and morally. And on Monday to Friday, they go back to their lives. They buy in the vices of this world, and act like a totally different person. They have their addictions and sins. In a way, if you saw them on those days, you can’t recognize they are followers of Christ. They lie, they slander others, they commite social and commercial sins, they ignore God and worship money or other Gods on those days, just like the days of Micah.

Apply:

Brothers and sisters, are we like that? Or do we have symptoms of a Sunday Christian. God loves you to come to church, to tithe, to serve him, but if he doesn’t have your heart, that is not true religion is about. You know Micah, this whole book is like a spiritual healthcheck. It is a time for you to reflect on your walk with God. Brothers and sisters, use this time to think about your relationship with God. Has the days made you coming to church on Sunday an obligation, is your heart still His and only His. Are you still constantly humbly coming to Lord as we sin, are we constantly asking grace to be us everyday? It’s ok if we have swayed, it’s ok this moment you are a Sunday Christian, but let us come to God right now, let’s come to God with a repetnance heart.

And so what God requires us instead.

Exercise covenant faithfulness

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

God has already told Israel what to do, after his righteous acts of delivering them from slavery, before instructing all the rituals, he gave his redeemed people the Ten commandments and all the laws after that. The propehts does not repudiate sacrifice but subordinate it to ethics. What God requires is for them to have covenenat faithfulness, to love God and love others. And in Micah we could say the prophet is using another way to say that. Let’s look at it then.

Do Justice - Mispat. If we look at the context, it is what is doing right under the convenat with God. God is the source and standard of justice. And for God it means doing right by conveant, delivering Israel. For Israel then, it means not only obeying God’s commandment, but establish relationships with others that conformed the ideal of the covenant established by God. Doing what is right to others with high moral standards. This all sounds a bit vague, a pastor gave us four legs for concrete examples. 1. Generiosity. Like how God is generous to Israel, our justice should be generous, in a way, out of love for neighbours, the righteouss are willing to disavange themsevles to advantage the commuity. Just like our core value. 2. Equality. Biblical justice requires every person to be treated in same standards no matter class, race, ethnicity, gender. I don’t think I need to explain this. 3. Advocacy. Our God is a god who takes up care cna cause of widows, orphans, immigrants and poor. It can be in the form of direct relief, empowerment and social structures. But lastly, 4. Responsibility, “giving people what they are due”, and that one’s individual responsibility is interwined with corporate responsibility. The rendeing of justice requirest wisdom and prudance. It is creating a situation and society wh ere everything is right, including the most vunerable can flourish and thrive. Ok. Let’s move on.

Love Mercy (Faithfulness) - I’m also keen to move to a new translation, because the better translation here is love faithfulness. It is not that the person have a preference to be good. But actually have a emotional and spiritual commitment under the covenant of God. It is not a preference but commitment to love, and at the end is not far from mercy because it is also talking about delivernacne or protection as a resposible keeping of faith with another, and usually from a stronger partner to a weaker one. Not only we do, but the motiviation here is because we are faithful to the convenant, faithful to people around us.

Lastly walk humbly with God - This is also not the best translation. In the new translation it says prudently as the Hebrew word could mean both, I’m not going to explain why it’s very technical, but if you want to go further Thomas, Hyatt and Stoebe all agree such translation. This actually fits better to the whole paragraph, to walk with God like Enoch, Elisjiah, it means to walk prudently, remembering God’s faithfulness, rejecting superficial relationship with God. So the whole verse could be, Do justice, love faithfulness and walking prudently with God. This is what God requires.

But still, the question remains? Why is this verse still misunderstood. Number one, because this verse is attempted without the gospel. How it is attempted without the gospel. And then it becomes just a display of nature virture. Then it becomes the sort of normal, nice religion of virtul life. It just a a good God, if he exists, will reward nice people if they do their best, and it involves justice, mercy, prudent. But how easy it is, if I’m not careful, to preach it in placfe of the gospel. Men and women by nature are keen to contribute to their standing before God - to contribute to it on account of their endeavors. IF I preach today, so all you just do justly, love mercy this week, I’m good. The problem with the social justice today is that they thought they could create new heave and new earth right now. When we look at Micah, we also need to read in context of the whole Bible. The right way to do is to understood it is possible by the gospel. By the gospel, And if you are a believer, you ought to be as well. If I’m judged by Micah 6:8, I would have no basis for appeal. I’m getting an fail on justice and kindness and prundent. Well, the answer is not in our righteous acts but in verse 5 God’s righteousness act. And what is good. Jesus is good. Micah 5:2 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Micah 5:5 “And he shall be their peace. So what God really requirees, would you come before God? Then come in the name of Jesus. You’ll find acceptance. And if you are worry of what you will receive, let’s go to Micah 7 today as well. Micah 7:18 “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.” What essentially have in verse 8 is the credentials of our justicication - not the thigns that contribute to our justification but the evidence of our justification. Maybe our crednetial could do with a bit of a polish. He said here

O my people, O Joshua, O CABC, we can’t fix the world. But with God’s help, we coudl make a pledge to one ahtoer to declare our willingness to live the gospel in the expression of justice, kindness and prudenace. And as strange as it will sound to an onlooking world, God had provided the local church the genetic blueprint of a broken world remade.

Gravious God, we have not served you as we ought. So much of ourselves and our selfishness have taken hold of the way which we adjudicate on things and seek to chart our course. So we pray that you will help us not to get to misunderstood this text. God grant that we may not attempt it without the gospel, that we may not proclaim it instead of the gospel, that we may live it by the gospel. For in christ name we pray. Amen.