Micah

Build Connection

Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do?

When I was in collage, a police officer showed up at my doorstep and questioned me about a fraudulent check that was cashed using my ID?

I was asked if I had ever been to a specific bank where the check was cashed, I was asked if I ever lost my license, I was questioned on several things.

Create Tension

There are many things we may be guilty of, but through the prophet Micah God says there are some important things we must remember.

Provide Solution

We are continuing our series “Majoring in the Minors” looking at major ideas in the minor prophets.

Today we will be looking at something important God says through the prophet Micah.

Micah 6:1–8 NLT

1 Listen to what the Lord is saying: “Stand up and state your case against me. Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints. 2 And now, O mountains, listen to the Lord’s complaint! He has a case against his people. He will bring charges against Israel. 3 “O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!

The first thing we see here is the LORD making a courtroom case against his people.

We have Yahweh as the judge and prosecutor.

We have the Mountains as the witnesses.

We have God’s people as the defendants.

God asks the question what he has done to his people “to make you tired of me?”

Then he demands an answer…”Answer me!”

After demanding an answer he brings is proof of faithfulness,

Micah 6:1–8 NLT

4 For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you. 5 Don’t you remember, my people, how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead? And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, when I, the Lord, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness.”

We see him presenting his proof through the delivery of his people from slavery.

We see him giving them Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help live holy lives.

We see him blessing his people when others try to curse them.

We see him reconfirming his covenant to his people even after their unfaithfulness. - from Acacia Grove to Gilgal

What is God trying to say by stating these to locations? There are several things that happen at these locations.

Most prominent is that the the Acacia Grove AKA Shittim is where the Israelites were before they crossed the Jordan and Gilgal is the first place they stopped after crossing the Jordan. Signifying God’s faithfulness to his promise.

But there is more to this story than we see here.

Numbers 25:1–3 “1 While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. 2 These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. 3 In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people.”

This was a place of great sin, where some of the men of Israel not only sinned sexually but also sinned through Idolatry.

Gilgal is the place where God reminded and reconfirmed his covenant with his people.

Joshua 5:2–3 “2 At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male population of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.”

Gibeath-haaraloth is the Hebrew name for a location near Gilgal.

God uses all these examples to show how he has been faithful to his people.

Micah 6:1–8 NLT

6 What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? 7 Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?

After showing his faithfulness, the LORD shows their unfaithfulness.

Their unfaithfulness was not about ritual unfaithfulness but about unfaithful hearts!

We see what God is talking about earlier in Micah.

Micah 2:1–2 “1 What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out, simply because you have the power to do so. 2 When you want a piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone’s house, you take it by fraud and violence. You cheat a man of his property, stealing his family’s inheritance.”

While their actions were putting on a show, they were thinking up evil plans.

God does not pull any punches but tells his people what he wants from them…

Micah 6:1–8 NLT

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Do Justice

This is not just doing what is right but acting in a way that is JUST before God.

Specifically standing up for those being taken advantage of.

Jesus lived this out…

Matthew 21:11–13 “And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”*”

Those selling and exchanging money in the temple were taking advantage of those traveling from distant cities.

This needs to be lived out socially

This needs to be lived out personally

Love Mercy

This isn’t living out mercy with love…but loving to live out mercy!

Loving to show mercy to others.

John 8:1–11 NLT

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

This woman deserved the penalty the Pharisees and teachers wanted to pursue, but Jesus showed Mercy.

Walk Humbly with your God.

Walking humbly with your God is not just a way you view yourself.

You have heard bing humble is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less

Walking humbly is more than how you think, it’s also how you act.

Jesus walked humbly…

Philippians 2:3–8 “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God,* he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges*; he took the humble position of a slave* and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,* he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

We see Jesus not only didn’t think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead he:

Gave up Devine privileges

Took the position of a slave

Born as a human

Appeared in human form in obedience

Died a criminal’s death

As God, which of these things was he required to do?

Encourage Change

Do you want to please God?

Are you acting with justice?

Are you loving to extend mercy?

Are you walking humbly with God?