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micah 6
Haystack bible commentary"Stacks and stacks of commentary...."
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==micah 6:1-7:
Hear now what the Lord says:
“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, O you mountains, the Lord’s complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will contend with Israel.
3 “O My people, what have I done to you?
And how have I wearied you?
Testify against Me.
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O My people, remember now
What Balak king of Moab counseled,
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
From Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
That you may know the righteousness of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, O you mountains, the Lord’s complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will contend with Israel.
3 “O My people, what have I done to you?
And how have I wearied you?
Testify against Me.
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O My people, remember now
What Balak king of Moab counseled,
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
From Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
That you may know the righteousness of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
==micah 6:8:
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“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?”
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In this verse Micah points out what God requires of us. We are to do Justice. How are we “to do Justice”? What does that mean for us? Justice comes in different forms. We can do Justice by lending help to the parent who is struggling to put food on the table and is earning just enough to put a roof over their children’s heads. We can lend our help by offering to buy them groceries, maybe filling up their car with gas or connecting them to resources that can give them financial assistance and build their credit. We can do justice by assisting the homeless in our community to find shelter and get them connected to resources that will supply them with food and daily necessities. We can do justice by giving our time, talent and treasure to community organizations that give back to youth, those who are less fortunate and those who are struggling to make it each day. --Edward Ford Jr.; Urban Faith |
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Proverbs 21:15: It is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
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Deuteronomy 10:18: He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the
stranger, giving him food and clothing. |
Deuteronomy 27:19: ‘Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
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Deuteronomy 16:19: You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe
blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. |
Deuteronomy 24:17: You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the fatherless,
nor take a widow’s garment as a pledge. |
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Genesis 18:19: For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his
household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” |
1 Samuel 8:3: But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain,
took bribes, and perverted justice. Psalm 33:5: He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
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Deuteronomy 32:4: He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of
truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. |
Psalm 25:9: The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.
Job 32:9: Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand justice.
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Exodus 23:2: You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn
aside after many to pervert justice. |
Godly justice refers to the concept in many faiths of God's inherent righteousness and commitment to fairness, morality, and the enforcement of moral order, which is rooted in His holy character. It involves God acting as a righteous judge, rewarding the righteous, punishing the wicked, and maintaining a moral standard for His creation. This concept is often associated with concern for the oppressed and vulnerable, calling people to act justly, and in Christianity, it is ultimately expressed and resolved through the atoning sacrifice on the cross of Jesus Christ.
God's justice stems from His holy and righteous nature. God sets the ultimate standard for right and wrong, and His justice is the outworking of this standard. God's justice involves championing the poor, the oppressed, and those who are treated unfairly. God is presented as a perfect and impartial judge who judges the world in righteousness. God's justice involves both punishing wrongdoers and, in some traditions, restoring harmony and wholeness. God's justice is a core concept involving fairness and the restoration of moral harmony. It is seen as balancing the attributes of mercy and grace. Jesus' death on the cross is central to God's justice, where He takes on the punishment for sin to offer forgiveness and the chance for eternal life.
God calls people to practice justice by acting righteously, showing mercy, and standing up for those who are vulnerable. Those who are oppressed or treated unjustly often look to God for help and deliverance. Some theological perspectives emphasize that God's justice requires a satisfaction for sin, which humans cannot provide, leading to a need for divine intervention
God's justice stems from His holy and righteous nature. God sets the ultimate standard for right and wrong, and His justice is the outworking of this standard. God's justice involves championing the poor, the oppressed, and those who are treated unfairly. God is presented as a perfect and impartial judge who judges the world in righteousness. God's justice involves both punishing wrongdoers and, in some traditions, restoring harmony and wholeness. God's justice is a core concept involving fairness and the restoration of moral harmony. It is seen as balancing the attributes of mercy and grace. Jesus' death on the cross is central to God's justice, where He takes on the punishment for sin to offer forgiveness and the chance for eternal life.
God calls people to practice justice by acting righteously, showing mercy, and standing up for those who are vulnerable. Those who are oppressed or treated unjustly often look to God for help and deliverance. Some theological perspectives emphasize that God's justice requires a satisfaction for sin, which humans cannot provide, leading to a need for divine intervention
Drew Hensley
We need to be the most outspoken people and churches on the earth when it comes to justice and also the most outspoken when it comes to mercy. We need to be a people that spend just as much time praying for the heart and salvation of the oppressor as we do standing up for and with the oppressed. Easy, no. Necessary, yes. Because this is the heart of Jesus; a God of justice and mercy (Micah 6:8) who promises that every evil deed will be accounted for (Romans 14:12) and reminds us that vengeance is His (Romans 12:19), not ours. This is where the gospel leads us and as a somewhat unpopular reminder; seeking justice is not the gospel, it’s the fruit that comes from the root of the gospel grounded on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
--Drew Hensley; Key Life; What if Everyone Ended Up in Heaven 7.25.24
--Drew Hensley; Key Life; What if Everyone Ended Up in Heaven 7.25.24
Micah spoke out against false holiness and stated clearly what true holiness is. God requires, of all men: justice, love of mercy, and humility.
A businessman's religion starts with justice. He determines to be right with God, right with men, right with self. This is the standard.
A businessman's religion starts with justice. He determines to be right with God, right with men, right with self. This is the standard.
Breakdown of Micah 6:8
Do justice. This doesn’t mean lock people up – it has nothing to do with criminal justice. It means treat others fairly. Make sure that people have what they need.
Love kindness. This doesn’t refer to our feelings, it means to actually help other people be treated fairly. Be kind to them.
Walk humbly with your God. This doesn’t mean deciding Jesus was wrong or being self-serving with what we do. It means being less than God and looking up to him as a guide.
Our actions as followers of Christ demonstrate what following Christ means. It demonstrates not just to us, but to others. Words are just words, confusion in the spiritual realm, until the Spirit of God and experience in life convinces us of their validity.
This is all a bit different than swearing some kind of allegiance to a “Christian nation,” with all sorts of self-serving and misled beliefs. This is what it means to be a Christian. -Dorian Scott Cole; New Generations Explore Faith
Do justice. This doesn’t mean lock people up – it has nothing to do with criminal justice. It means treat others fairly. Make sure that people have what they need.
Love kindness. This doesn’t refer to our feelings, it means to actually help other people be treated fairly. Be kind to them.
Walk humbly with your God. This doesn’t mean deciding Jesus was wrong or being self-serving with what we do. It means being less than God and looking up to him as a guide.
Our actions as followers of Christ demonstrate what following Christ means. It demonstrates not just to us, but to others. Words are just words, confusion in the spiritual realm, until the Spirit of God and experience in life convinces us of their validity.
This is all a bit different than swearing some kind of allegiance to a “Christian nation,” with all sorts of self-serving and misled beliefs. This is what it means to be a Christian. -Dorian Scott Cole; New Generations Explore Faith
Notice what Micah didn’t say. He didn’t say God had told us what is good. Yes, God does tell us that again and again; but Micah used the word “shown.” By His own actions, God has set the standard for our lives, behavior, words, and attitudes.
As the Lord has shown us, so we should do—and this is the essence of biblical love. Let’s zero in on the three qualifiers of Micah 6:8. They represent God’s great expectations of us. They are His values in a nearly valueless world. -Dr David Jeremiah
As the Lord has shown us, so we should do—and this is the essence of biblical love. Let’s zero in on the three qualifiers of Micah 6:8. They represent God’s great expectations of us. They are His values in a nearly valueless world. -Dr David Jeremiah
==micah 6:9:
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The Lord’s voice cries to the city--Wisdom shall see Your name:
“Hear the rod! Who has appointed it? |
The "Lord's voice cries to the city," signaling that God is speaking through events and impending punishment. True wisdom is the fruit of fearing God's name and acknowledging His authority. The "rod" represents God's discipline and judgment, and the people are commanded to "hear" it, meaning to understand its meaning and purpose. The verse precedes a detailed description of the punishment to come, emphasizing the seriousness of the people's sins. The context highlights widespread injustices, deceitful weights and measures, violence, and lies within the city. Micah 6:9 serves as a powerful admonition for the people to stop their wicked ways and turn back to God, or face severe consequences for their actions. |
==micah 6:10-16:
Are there yet the treasures of wickedness
In the house of the wicked,
And the short measure that is an abomination?
11 Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales,
And with the bag of deceitful weights?
12 For her rich men are full of violence,
Her inhabitants have spoken lies,
And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 “Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you,
By making you desolate because of your sins.
14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied;
Hunger shall be in your midst.
You may carry some away, but shall not save them;
And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.
15 “You shall sow, but not reap;
You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept;
All the works of Ahab’s house are done;
And you walk in their counsels,
That I may make you a desolation,
And your inhabitants a hissing.
Therefore you shall bear the reproach of My people.”
In the house of the wicked,
And the short measure that is an abomination?
11 Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales,
And with the bag of deceitful weights?
12 For her rich men are full of violence,
Her inhabitants have spoken lies,
And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 “Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you,
By making you desolate because of your sins.
14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied;
Hunger shall be in your midst.
You may carry some away, but shall not save them;
And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.
15 “You shall sow, but not reap;
You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept;
All the works of Ahab’s house are done;
And you walk in their counsels,
That I may make you a desolation,
And your inhabitants a hissing.
Therefore you shall bear the reproach of My people.”