What God Requires of Man

If they do not, there is danger awaiting the people. They should not assume that the covenant relationship they have with God will continue if there is no commitment to worship and serve Him.

The conditions being described may coincide to the early days of Manasseh as he takes over for his father Hezekiah as king.

1. A Covenant Lawsuit Invoked, Micah 6:1-8.

A. God initiates His lawsuit against Judah, 6:1-2.

God brings charges against His people, challenging them to bring their side of the case before the witness of the mountains and hills, which have seen all.

The charges to be brought will be accusations of covenant unfaithfulness.

This takes the form of a dialogical dispute. This where the two parties argue with each other. It is here where we learn what has gone wrong with the covenant relationship between God and His people.

B. God’s defense of His actions, 6:3-5.

In verse 3, God asks two rhetorical questions that reveal God’s tender love and deep care for “My people,” not hostility.

Question #1 - What have I done to you? — Was God unfaithful? NO!

Question #2 - How have I wearied you? — Was God unreasonable? NO!

When they do not respond, the LORD then reminds the people of His great acts of grace toward them.

Verse 4 — #1 - Provided a great rescue (from the land of Egypt, ransomed from the house of slavery).

Verse 4 — #2 - Provided great leaders (Moses, Aaron and Miriam) who led them through difficult times.

Verse 5 — #3 - Provided a great deliverance from the requested curse. Balak hired Balaam to pronounce a curse on the Israelites. Balaam answered with multiple blessings, promising the multiplication of the people, their strengthening, a coming future ruler, and the defeat of all her enemies.

Verse 5 — #4 - Provided a great entrance into the land, by safely crossing the Jordan on dry ground ‘from Shittim to Gilgal.’ Micah is reminding the people of “the righteous acts of the LORD,” of which these four are representative.

So in light of this, are the current covenantal problems God’s fault? NO! God has not failed to keep His side of the covenantal relationship.

C. Judah’s defense of her actions, 6:6-7.

Verses 6 and 7 may be a faithful record of the responses Micah has heard from some of the people to his preaching.

These are rhetorical questions, in which the people are trying to defend themselves by explaining how ‘faithful’ they have been to God.

First question, from verse 6: “What have we done that God should find fault?”

Second question, from verse 7: “What more can we do to please Him?”

The evidence they provide focuses on the external only. They have bowed themselves before the God on high and come to Him with burnt offerings … SO does He need more ? They focused on excessive giving, failing to understand - or ignore - what God requires of His people. Even the offerings were to be an outward display of the inner attitude of a broken and contrite heart of the one offering.

D. God’s requirements restated, 6:8.

In verse 8, Micah declares that God has already communicated what He requires in maintaining and building the covenant relationship on man’s side. Micah gives three basic things the LORD requires which focus on the one questioning in verses 6-7, that indicate the quality of his life in this relationship with God:

#1 - “to do justice”, or to act justly. This is demonstrating mutual respect within the community, speaking of right and proper social relationships between people based on the LORD’s viewpoint of what is appropriate. This is described in the Covenant in Exodus 20-23, covering both legal and social relationships in the court and life outside of it. Included in this are protections for foreigners, the poor, slaves, widows and orphans - which are being presently violated in Micah’s time.

#2 - “to love kindness.” This is lovingkindness (a steadfast covenant loyalty) which is to be characterized by loyalty to the covenant obligations before God as well as to relate to other people in a merciful manner and with loving affection for them, rather than with injustice and abusiveness.

#3 - “to walk humbly with your God.” This is to lead a life which is attentive, careful, and prudent to follow God’s will, thereby putting God’s will first and foremost before our own will. If one were to do this faithfully and consistently, a person would certainly treat others justly as well as faithfully maintaining the covenant relationship.

Micah’s response in verse 8:

— has no negative statements re: what is forbidden.

— it presents positively what God believes is best for humanity.

— is, within the covenant, the key to a full life.

— draws attention to what really matters, heart attitudes and not casual deeds done out of duty.

To be a part of God’s holy nation requires both discipline and a full commitment by each individual in the nation.

2. God’s Accusation of Judah’s Covenant Disloyalty, 6:9-12.

God, having defended Himself by reminding His people of His covenantal care for them as well as His providing them the standards for proper behavior within the covenant, now will give examples that demonstrate the people in Jerusalem have failed to live up to their covenant agreement with Him.

To follow the standard given in verse 8, there was a failure on the part of the people. They has been no justice for others, there was no deep desire nor commitment to keep or maintain their loyalty to covenant principles, and no attempt to walk humbly with God.

In verse 9, the address to “the city” (probably Jerusalem) and the parallel “O tribe” focuses attention on the government, business and religious leaders. As a major center of trade, Jerusalem is called out for its dishonest commerce in verses 10-12.

Interjected in verse 9 is a bit of advice given by Micah. Essentially, the city/tribe would be wise to take the following words from God seriously.

Verse 10, plagued with textual problems, clearly shows God accusing the merchants in the market of cheating people through the use of dishonest weights and measures.

Amos 8:4–5 NASB95

Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land, saying, “When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with dishonest scales,

“A short measure” would be a bushel basket used to measure grain that in reality would only hold nine-tenths of a bushel.

“wicked scales” and ”deceptive weights” would be used to increase the profit of the seller. God cannot just look the other way and declare people of any wrongdoing. No onw would ever expect God to approve this evil.

Covenant principle are ignored by the rich in Jerusalem. They are described as being “full of violence, impact almost every action they take part in. They express their aggressiveness through their lies and deceit, all used to get their way.

3. God’s Punishment for Judah, 6:13-16.

This is unbearable to God and the only verdict against the people is guilty as charged. Giving this conclusion of the matter, Micah hopes to convince his listeners that their sins are a very serious matter.

God takes their sin seriously. It is God Himself who says, “I will make you sick, striking you down, desolating you because of your sin.”

The consequences God will allow will be that of futility. The expectation would be different than the actual results. This futility curse has been previously seen in Lev. 26 26

Leviticus 26:26 NASB95

‘When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will eat and not be satisfied.

Deuteronomy 28:30–31 NASB95

“You shall betroth a wife, but another man will violate her; you shall build a house, but you will not live in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but you will not use its fruit. “Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat of it; your donkey shall be torn away from you, and will not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you will have none to save you.

Deuteronomy 28:38–40 NASB95

“You shall bring out much seed to the field but you will gather in little, for the locust will consume it. “You shall plant and cultivate vineyards, but you will neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm will devour them. “You shall have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off.

God declares that their eating will not satisfy, what they try to save will not be preserved, planting will not result in harvesting, treading on grapes will not result in fine wine, nor will treading on olives result in oil fit for anointing. God’s curse will frustrate every effort of a person.

Verse 16 has a final accusation and punishment statement.

Micah compares the problems present in Judah to the northern kingdom under the reigns of two wicked kings of Israel, Omri and Ahab. 1 Kings 16 25-28

1 Kings 16:25–28 NASB95

Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, and acted more wickedly than all who were before him. For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sins which he made Israel sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel with their idols. Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did and his might which he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? So Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son became king in his place.

Ahab did even worse …

1 Kings 16:29–33 NASB95

Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

Ahab and Jezebel were killing the prophets of God (1 Kings 18:4) and lied to have Naboth stoned so they could take his land (1 Kings 21).

Manasseh followed (observed) the worship patterns of Ahab, 2 Kings 21:3, contrary to the covenant with the LORD.

2 Kings 21:3 NASB95

For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.

It is because the people of Jerusalem were following the same practices as these two evil kings from the northern kingdom that God will give them the same consequences that He gave the people of Israel and Samaria.

Jerusalem will be given up for destruction, allowing her people to be ruined, and many killed by their enemies, and scorned by other nations. How would this be stopped? Only if they immediately turned from their evil ways.

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Today, there are some similarities to the court case against Judah in our text. The condemnation of the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 are because of unfaithfulness to their new covenant responsibilities, and each church and individuals will have to answer for their behavior. Rom. 14:10

Romans 14:10 NASB95

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB95

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

How can we believers in Christ ensure a proper relationship to God and to avoid His condemnation? Never forget what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. Do we love Him? Then we must do what God has said, James 1:25

James 1:25 NASB95

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

2 Peter 1:5–9 NASB95

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

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