Is the above sentence of any value at all in today’s world? And, if so, why?
First of all, Micah’s short book is in the Bible. During the years BC 740-710 he wrote down what the “Spirit of the LORD” told him. Who is this “LORD”? It is the Bible’s Almighty God, the creator of the universe.
The LORD’s chosen Old Testament people – loosely, the Jews –considered, well after Micah’s day, that the name of God – YHWH, used by Micah and throughout the Old Testament - was too holy to be written or spoken by mortals. They replaced it by the Hebrew word meaning “Lord” – usually capitalized in English Bibles, LORD.
In turn the New Testament records that many, many of his contemporaries gave to Jesus Christ the title “Lord”. Hence, the message above – to all mortals – is also a message from the Lord Jesus Christ, the man from heaven who became flesh in Bethlehem in AD 0.
Second, does this message from the Spirit of the LORD through Micah make sense today? In particular had the LORD, in Micah’s day, really shown human beings “what is good”? Yes, he had. In the Old Testament the justice and kindness (mercy) of the LORD are repeatedly demonstrated.
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Today, above all, it’s very clear. The life, death of a cross as a substitute for his enemies, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus demonstrates all that is good. For Jesus “good” was not owning things or achieving great things for himself. It was being the greatest possible servant. The greatest possible servant to his most unlovely and most unrighteous murderers. |
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There is therefore a stark contrast of such “good” with the claimed goodness of President Putin and that of Fred Ecobichon, that Poirot-like most famous of Jerseymen. Vladimir tells us that he is doing great good (intentionally to do himself good) by rescuing people in the Ukraine from Nazism. Fred tells us he is doing great good (intentionally to do himself good) by safeguarding assets.
Third, what, in that case, does the LORD really ask of mortals? “What does the LORD ask from you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Three things - “to do”; “to love”; to walk”.
“To do justice”. The Hebrew word for “justice” (used by Micah) is mispat. It’s meaning is “rightness”. What is good is for a mortal “to do rightness”. Interestingly, that was precisely what Jesus did while here on earth. Everything he did was just and right.
“To love kindness”. The Hebrew word for “kindness” (used by Micah) is hesed. This is a wonderful word which at its minimum means kindness and at its maximum means “unfailing covenant mercy and continuing steadfast love”. Actually, Jesus showed that maximum hesed when he became a servant, a mortal, and allowed himself to be immolated, taking on himself the evil of his enemies, his own immolators. And undergoing all that in order to be able to forgive and acquit those enemies, freely and without conditions.
“To walk humbly with your God”. There’s nothing special in the underlying Hebrew here. But yet again, we can see it worked out by Jesus. He always made it clear that his only desire was to do the will of his Father above and that he did only (nothing else) what his Father wanted Him to do. Then, at the very end, he prayed to his Father above that he would not have to go through the cross – but added “Yet not what I will but what you will.”.. That’s what Micah meant. It includes the “humbly”. “Walk humbly with your God.” Prioritise the LORD in your daily walk.
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| Interesting that the whole being of Jesus, throughout AD 0 to AD 30 and throughout every part of his life on earth, fulfilled Micah’s clear statement of what was required by the LORD from all mortals.
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“To do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” seems, on refection, to be far too high a requirement for any mortal – except for the Son of God, of course. It seems to be the case that only a son of God could ever do it. Only a mortal human being with the life of a son of God enlivening him or her could ever even make a start. Funny that. Because Jesus said that his disciples would be able to pray like sons of God. He taught his followers to pray, “Our Father in heaven …, give us …and forgive us …”
Maybe, one day, everyone on earth will be like the Son of God, will be sons of God. Micah longed for that. So do I.
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