Micah 6

Introduction

Have you ever felt like you’re in a spiritual rut? You keep spinning your wheels and never seem to make any progress? If you were to look at your life on a graph and holiness is up while sinfulness is down it looks pretty level? Or, maybe you feel like you keep going downward.

We may feel trapped in our lifestyles and feel there is no way out. Maybe we’ve grown tired of trying. Judah might have fallen into this struggle some. They started sinning, embraced it, and gave up following God’s Law in favor of their new lifestyles. Micah speaks to them in this rut.

I. (v. 1-8)

A. Micah is called to plead his case before the mountains and God also presents His case to “the enduring foundations of the earth.” (v. 1-2)

1. The hills and mountains were placed by God and stood firm where He put them

a. The people of Judah also perverted the use of the mountains by worshiping idols instead of the One, True, Living God

b. The only case that stands is the Lord’s indictment of the people, the mountains and all that were done on them is evidence of Judah’s sins.

2. How has the Lord wearied His people? (v. 3-5)

a. Apparently, they found the commandments of God toilsome and grew weary in offering sacrifices, in enduring the purification rituals, in making sure their land remained within their tribe’s inheritance, in doing right by caring for their brothers, etc.

b. It seems that they desired to go a different way, worshiping idols that didn’t demand such perfection.

c. God retorts demonstrating the help He has given His people

1. Their perspective showed a negative view of all God demanded instead of how God has helped them live righteously

2. He bought them out of Egypt, freeing them from slavery

aa. He gave them leaders who acted as Mediators and guides in righteousness

bb. He protected them when Balaak sought to destroy Israel and Balaam declared he could only speak what God told him and it was blessings, not curses

cc. From Shittim to Gilgal speaks to the entrance into the Promised Land. Shittim was the last encampment in the wilderness where God punished the people for their idolatry and then led them into the Promised Land where they first made camp at Gilgal.

3. Why did God do all these things? So that the people would know the righteous acts of God and do likewise

B. We often try to find quick, easy ways to be pleasing to God

1. “Surely there’s a secret tip to make God happy.” Maybe I sing the right song, bowing down at His feet? Maybe I offer the right kind of sacrifice or the right amount of money in the offering plate? Maybe everything will be fixed if I dedicate my kids to Him?

2. You can’t cover up a willful, sinning lifestyle with many offerings or lots of money. Ultimately, what pleases the Lord is a lifestyle dedicated to Him (v. 6-8)

a. God has already told us what is good: to do justly (honesty, integrity), love kindness/mercy (forgive others and care for them), and walk humbly with God (intentionally remove sin and draw near to the Lord in a personal relationship)

b. Psalm 51:16–17 “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

C. God does not demand perfection, He sent Jesus to be perfect on our behalf because we couldn’t be

1. God knows we cannot meet the perfect standard of the Law. Rather, what He desires is a consistent lifestyle of righteousness, patterned after who He is

2. We do what is right between us and others, we show mercy and forgive others the way Jesus forgave us, and we make an intentional, daily effort to walk closely with God.

II. (v. 9-16)

A. The Lord calls for people to live rightly. But who will listen? It is the duty of man both to listen to God and obey Him. Truly, it is sound wisdom to fear the Lord (v. 9-16)

1. Why? There is judgment for the wicked. Many refuse to do good and only evil

a. People may think they have cheated the system and gotten away with perverting justice by cheating with dishonest scales to feed greed, violence, and lies but God will strike (v. 10-13)

b. God can remove the temporary feelings of pleasure from sin (v. 14-15)

1. No preservation, no satisfaction, no fruitful harvest

2. A lifestyle of sin reaps punishment. Whereas, a lifestyle of righteousness reaps wisdom and blessings

2. (v. 16) They followed the ways of Omri (wicked king of Israel who oppressed many without mercy) and all the works of Ahab, his son (allowing fraud and intense idol worship). Thus, God was giving Judah up for destruction and they would bear shame/disgrace

B. It is true what Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit”

1. What kind of fruit do you produce? Greed, fraud, lies, violence, self-centeredness? Or, justice, mercy, honesty, integrity, love, and humility?

a. God has told us what is good. It starts with walking humbly with God. When we walk with God we are transformed from the inside out, fearing His Name teaches us wisdom

b. So, we dedicate ourselves to doing justice (what is right) and loving mercy (putting our brothers first).

2. God is teaching us about His righteous deeds through His Word, through good leaders, through redemption, and through kept promises

a. We want to be more like Him. So, we make a daily choice to intentionally walk in His ways

b. You won’t do it perfectly, strive to do it consistently and you will do what is good

3. The Institute for Bible Research conducted a study some years back on the effect that Bible reading has on a person’s life.

a. They found that reading the Bible one day per week produced no change in people’s lives

b. If someone read their Bibles 2 or 3 days a week they still found no significant difference in lifestyle

c. But they found a drastic transformation when people read their Bibles 4 days a week:

1. 228% more likely to share faith with others.

2. 407% more likely to memorize scripture.

3. 59% less likely to view pornography.

4. 30% less likely to struggle with loneliness.

4. Recognize the power and transformation that comes into your life when you walk with God consistently

Conclusion

The Jews chose to walk in the ways of Ahab instead of the ways of the Lord (v. 16). They followed the wrong leader: Ahab and Omri instead of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. They enslaved themselves to greed instead of trusting in God to bless: the difference between Balaak and Balaam. They reveled in wickedness instead of the freedom of righteousness: Egypt vs. the Promised Land. Therefore, no blessings, no satisfaction, no escape. So, God gave them up to destruction.

We have a choice: walk in our ways or walk in God’s ways. Fearing His Name brings wisdom and blessings. 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?”