DO RIGHT. LOVE MERCY. WALK HUMBLY.
We hope today’s message was encouraging and helpful. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or to be used for a Bible/sermon group study. Enjoy!
Scriptures: Micah 6:1-8; Exodus 15:11; Revelation 4:8; 1 Peter 1:15; Psalm 37:27-28; John 1:9; Lamentations 3:22-23; Psalm 103:8-13; Romans 2:4-7; Isaiah 1:17; Zechariah 7:8-10; Luke 10:30-37; Matthew 5:3-7; Matthew 25:34-40
Notes:
Much like the book of Malachi, in the book of Micah, the people of Israel continued to sin against God without fear.
They didn’t acknowledge God or His ways. They chose not to pay attention. They ignored God when He spoke through the prophets, warning them of judgment.
We must have a holy reverence for God, a fear of God.
Who He is – the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the Great I AM. He is a Mighty Warrior. With one breath, He could take us out. He is the Master of the Universe. A healthy fear of God is a good thing. This is NOT being afraid of Him. Instead, it is a deep respect, reverence, and holding Him in high esteem because he is holy.
Micah 6:1-8, NLT
The Lord’s Case Against Israel, Micah 6:1-2
When we look back at the entirety of Micah, you’ll see why this comes to a head in these verses – “Now listen to the Lord’s complaint. He has a case against Israel.” In the book of Micah, the people of God acted in ways that were not righteous, just, or merciful. Throughout chapters 1-5, we see greed, pride, false prophets, rebellion, idolatry, fraud, violence, and stealing, amongst other things.
Micah 2:7-9 “Yet to this very hour, my people rise against me like an enemy! You steal the shirts right off the backs of those who trusted you, making them as ragged as men returning from battle. You have evicted women from their pleasant homes and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them.”
In Micah 3, the Leaders of Israel are rebuked for not knowing right from wrong, for hating good and loving evil. They misused and oppressed the common people. In verse 4, it states that they would then beg the Lord for help in times of trouble, expecting Him to answer after all the evil they had committed.
Micah 3:9-11 “Listen to me, you leaders of Israel! You hate justice and twist all that is right. 10 You are building Jerusalem on a foundation of murder and corruption. 11 You rulers make decisions based on bribes; you priests teach God’s laws only for a price; you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord. “No harm can come to us,” you say, “for the Lord is here among us.”
They became too familiar with God and took Him for granted. They lost appreciation for His presence and value in their lives. They became so used to the everyday routine and rituals that they no longer acknowledged God as the Supreme Being, the Holy One. They chose to treat people poorly. The Lord is holding His people to account. Not other nations, HIS PEOPLE.
The Heart of God for His People, Micah 6:3-5
“O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me! For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you. 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.”
Do you see the compassion of God in His heart-wrenching questions to His people?
WHAT HAVE I DONE TO YOU?
WHAT HAVE I DONE TO MAKE YOU TIRED OF ME?
What have I done to deserve such treatment, to be disregarded?
God has feelings and emotions – we see this throughout scripture. When you hear the questions God is asking, what do you believe God is feeling?
Have you ever been in a place in your life where you felt rejected, silenced, abandoned, betrayed, or ignored? It hurts to be in that place. You desperately long for the person to recognize you, to want to spend time with you, to restore the relationship, to be in harmony again, to be connected. You want to be counted as significant, special, cherished, deeply and unconditionally loved, but instead, your voice is not heard, you’re not seen, and your attempts for reconciliation are not recognized. You search for significance and value, only to be dismissed. YOU ASK THE QUESTIONS…. What’s wrong with me? What have I done wrong? Why don’t you want to spend time with me? What have I done to cause such inconsideration, disdain, and contempt?
In preparing for this message, God reminded me of the times in my own life when I felt rejected, abandoned, betrayed, and ignored. In remembering, I felt a fraction of what He feels when He is neglected. I remembered the times I wanted to restore relationship, to be connected, but it was only a one-sided attempt with no response. In those moments, the feelings were unbearable, there was despair, and even depression.
This has been my life. I grew up in an alcoholic home. My dad was unable to give me his love because he couldn’t even love himself.
My stepdad was emotionally absent and unrelational. Telling my sister and I that we were just part of the package deal when he married my mom. He said that he didn’t want to have a relationship with us.
My first husband had an affair. There was no hope for reconciliation, despite my desire to do everything I could to hold onto our family.
Even when I married Jody, there was an emotional distance and disconnect. Because of his past, Jody didn’t know how to love. I longed to be wanted, admired, cherished, desired, valued. It wasn’t until Jody had a come-to-Jesus moment that he realized he needed a deeper intimacy with God, which, then, in turn, allowed him to love me the way that Christ loves the church. As he has allowed God to do a deep work in his heart, I don’t long for those things anymore from him, because he gives it freely. ALL GLORY TO GOD!!
Unlike earthly relationships, God meets each one of our emotional needs through His love, kindness, peace, acceptance, and value. And we are made to be in relationship with Him.
Only He can truly fill and mend the holes in our hearts where rejection has sliced through us like a hot knife. OH AND HE DOES!!!!
What the enemy meant for evil, God turned into good!!
NO HUMAN BEING CAN MEET THE DEPTH OF OUR EMOTIONAL NEEDS THE WAY GOD CAN!!!
That’s not an excuse to ignore someone else’s needs, however!!
As humans, it hurts, and our scars remind us of our battles. BUT GOD IS OUR RESTORER!! He replaces what the locusts have eaten and offers us a double portion as we yield to Him (Isaiah 61)!!!!
Imagine God’s heart and plea to His people – What have I done wrong?
Look at these questions through God’s great desire for a relationship with us. What have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? With this same deep longing, He reaches out to us, asking us to come to Him, to talk to Him, to acknowledge Him in all our ways, to love Him with all of our heart, our minds, our souls, and our strength. He asks us these same questions today. He is a relational God. He wants to hang out with you. If your relationship with God is non-existent or strained, has become too familiar where you just go through the motions, DOING over BEING, He is reaching out His hand to you today and offering Himself fully to you. He is OUR GOD.
Here in Micah, God is asking these questions of His people, the ones He freed from slavery, and provided for them abundantly. God’s deep desire is evident in these questions. This is their response -
Misguided Efforts of Reconciliation, Micah 6:6-7
”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?”
Micah asked if they should approach the Lord with burnt offerings. Should he bring calves ready to be sacrificed? Should we bring thousands of rams, or 10,000 rivers of oil, or even a firstborn child to atone for their transgression and sin. (By NO MEANS was Micah condoning the evil practice of child sacrifice, forbidden in the Law). Micah asked these questions hypothetically, as he knew sacrifice alone was not enough to appease the wrath of God on the nation. Micah exaggerates the familiarity people had with God and asks what to bring before the Lord in worship to regain God’s favor. Their attitude was one of “I’ll just bring more offerings.” “I’ll just go to church more.” “I’ll just work harder (perform more) to please God.”
God did not want them to “pay” Him. He wanted a change of heart. He longed to have a relationship with them in which they would choose obedience over sacrifice.
What Does the Lord Require, Micah 6:8
“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.”
This is pretty straightforward and precise. God looks for obedience over sacrifice. Do right. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with Your God. “I HAVE TOLD YOU WHAT IS GOOD” God has already laid out in His word what is good (Deuteronomy 10: 12-13). “THIS IS WHAT HE REQUIRES OF YOU,” and it is here indicated that it is a “requirement.” We may hear that word “REQUIREMENT” and run the other way because we feel it is a demand of God, an order from the Most High to get it done, and we respond, “No one is going to tell me what I have to do!!” It is a directive from the Most High. The connotation here is that God wants us to be “intent on”, “to seek after” what is right and merciful. A command honored out of love and relationship versus obligation. As we humbly walk with Him, it is a natural response to do justly (right) and to love mercy.
God prefers our obedience out of love and a deep desire to please Him over “doing”. Just “BE”. Be with Him, engaging in relationship with God Almighty.
God requires of us to DO RIGHT and LOVE MERCY. And God doesn’t ask us to figure it out on our own. GOD REVEALS HIMSELF THROUGH HIS CHARACTER to show us the way.
GOD IS A HOLY GOD.
God hates sin. There is NO evil in Him. He is a holy God – not untouchable or aloof, but he holds standards and draws a line in the sand against good and evil. There is no evil in him.
Exodus 15:11, “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?
Revelation 4:8, “The angels before the throne of God cry out, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty – the one who was, who is, and who is still to come.’”
1 Peter 1:15, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’” His desire is for us to walk in righteousness. To be holy because He is holy.
God is asking us to imitate Him – He is a holy God.
GOD IS A JUST AND FAIR GOD.
Justice characterizes God: “he has established his throne for justice” (Ps 9:7); He practices and delights in justice and righteousness (Jer 9:24); “every morning He shows forth His justice” (Zeph 3:5); “righteousness and justice are the foundation of [God’s] throne” (Ps 89:14); He “is exalted in justice” (Isa 5:16).
The Hebrew word for “right”, in “Do Right”, means to “act with justice.” Doing what is right and just in the Lord. Justice is an attribute of God’s character. It is who He is. He is a God of justice. Throughout scripture, we see God’s justice and fairness – He repeatedly offers us EVERY opportunity to follow Him wholeheartedly. The ball is in our court.
Psalm 37:27-28
”Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever. For the Lord loves justice, and He will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die.”
GOD IS A MERCIFUL GOD.
God is merciful – when we deserve punishment, He doesn’t punish us, and in fact blesses us instead. Mercy is the withholding of a just condemnation. Throughout the Bible, God provides numerous examples of His mercy. The best example of all is that God fully demonstrates His mercy in Jesus Christ.
Genesis 19:1-29 Tells the Story of Sodom and Gomorrah – God was ready to bring the heat until Abraham asked for God’s mercy to save the city if anyone in the city was found to be righteous. After angels visited the city, there were no righteous found. God showed His mercy to Abraham by sparing Lot and his family.
God desires to show mercy and did that when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sin. Christ was the once for all sacrifice so we could have freedom. Because of sin, we deserved to be put to death (Romans 6:23) . But God…In His mercy, redeemed us through Christ. God’s mercy comes through repentance, a turning away from and acknowledging God’s way as the right way.
1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness.”
And God continues to show us His mercy
Lamentations 3:22-23, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Psalm 103:8-13, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.”
Justice is getting what we deserve — God's perfect holiness requires that sin be judged rightly.
Mercy is not getting what we deserve — God withholds the punishment we rightly earned.
Grace is getting what we don’t deserve — God gives us forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life as a gift.
How does the character of God as holy, just, and merciful translate to us doing what is right and loving mercy?
In walking humbly with our God, taking on His nature, His character, walking in relationship with Him, we do what is right and love mercy.
TAKE AWAYS
Do right.
When the opportunity presents itself, show justice. Justice is not a bureaucratic principle to God; it’s a relational standard. The justice of God is not based on law enforcement, technicalities, rules, and regulations. It is about restoration, not punishment.
Romans 2:4-7, “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.”
The justice of God is not vindictive or punitive.
God’s justice is vindicative and restorative.
God gives us every opportunity to turn away from our sin. The hope is that when we feel the squeeze, we get it together and get back on the right path. In the same way God shows justice as a relational standard, so do we.
Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”
Zechariah 7:9-10, “Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord: “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.
We take care of people. Consider what is right according to God’s word (not social norms) and act on it. We treat others fairly – James specifically warns us not to favor one person over another (James 2:1-13). We handle our business affairs with integrity. Being fair and honest in our dealings with others (Matthew 7:12). We give instead of taking. We care for the orphans and widows. We stand up against unethical practices in the workplace. We are fair in our discipline with our children. Of course, they will never feel that discipline is fair, but we know that there are consequences for poor behavior. We make the most of every opportunity.
Justice without mercy would be crushing.
Mercy without justice would be enabling.
Love Mercy.
LOVE spoken here is a “loyal love” a commitment to carry through on meeting the needs of others. A covenant to love what God loves; to embrace the responsibility of mercy. The call to love God is the call to love others and show mercy. Mercy and compassion denote care, concern, and empathetic feeling for another person. They are to display kindness and faithfulness toward each other, especially toward the poor, weak, and needy.
Luke 10:30-37, The PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN illustrates a lesson in mercy.
The Priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan
Jewish man got hurt in his travels. The priest ignores him. The Levite looked at him, but then crossed to the other side. The Samaritan, a known adversary of the Jews, stopped.
The differences didn’t matter. Beliefs and traditions didn’t matter. Social status didn’t matter. The Samaritan man saw distress and responded internally with a heart of compassion and pity. And then he acted on that compassion by practically tending to the need in an effort to relieve the distress. THAT’S MERCY. You see a need, you have compassion, and you act on that compassion.
We are imitators of God. Where mercy is needed, we show mercy. In the same way mercy has been given to us, we show mercy.
Matthew 5:3-7, “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
Luke 6:36, "Be merciful, as your Father is merciful."
God’s mercy is not passive – it’s an active commitment to love. It is the side of justice that restores rather than punishes.
A parent showing grace instead of harsh punishment when a child confesses.
Showing mercy instead of condemnation or heaping shame on someone when they fail.
Showing mercy means being willing to forgive someone when they don’t deserve it.
Walk humbly with your God.
We are WALKING – forward motion, not standing still. movement, forward motion, not standing in one place, to journey
We are walking HUMBLY - It is used to describe those who are and act meekly. They are not arrogant, boastful (Prov. 11:2), especially before the Lord. Walking humbly means having a humble and contrite heart. We know our place. NOTT PRIDEFUL. Or filled with our own self-righteousness.
Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”
“The practical result of all this inward humbling will be an acting towards others and a moving in all matters as under the influence of a humble spirit. Like his Lord, he will be meek and lowly in heart. He will not domineer over his fellow men, he will not be hard, cruel, unkind; he cannot be. He who feels that he must walk with great softness and tenderness before his God, cannot trample on others as if they were only fit to be the dust of his feet. You will not see him supremely disdainful, carrying his head among the stars as though he were some great one; no, he has learned to walk humbly with God, and he thinks of himself soberly, as he ought to think.”
C. H. Spurgeon, “Walking Humbly with God,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 26 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1880), 509.
We are walking Humbly with OUR GOD – He is a personal God. Through the death of Christ, we have access to the Father. We know God as a result of knowing Christ.
Psalm 144:1-2, “Praise the Lord, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. 2 He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him. He makes the nations submit to me.”
Micah 6:8,
”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 RIGHT. LOVE MERCY. WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD.
Matthew 25:34-40, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who my Father blessed, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’” “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”
The choice is ours today, my friends. Can we commit to doing what’s right? To love mercy? And to walk humbly with our God?
OUR CALL-TO-ACTION is to DO RIGHT. LOVE MERCY. AND WALK HUMBLY WITH OUR GOD. Align yourself in relationship with God. Receiving His call to you today to be loved by Him and, in turn, love Him. Out of that relationship comes all righteousness – living in alignment with God’s word, walking the walk. Out of our relationship with God, we do right and love mercy.
What is one thing from the message that resonated with you?
What stood out to you from this message?
What understanding do you now have of who God is as both just and merciful?
In what ways can you align yourself with God’s word to remain connected to Him and receive mercy?
Practically, how can you show justice and mercy in your everyday life?
What additional notes did you make during the sermon?
What can we pray for regarding the sermon? Do you have any prayer needs?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!