What God Wants - Micah

I Just Don't Want To Hear It

How many times have you said, or been tempted to say that? (How many times have you not said it, but that is what you were thinking?) How do you feel when you sense that is the position someone else has taken when you are trying to get them to listen to you?

Sometimes we are very aware of taking this stance. Other times we may not even be fully aware that we are tuning others out. Either way, it can powerfully impact what is actually heard, not mater how will it is said.

One of the unfortunate characteristics of God's people as we read through their history in scripture, and perhaps as we sometimes experience it in our own journeys, is that they too often don't seem to really hear what God most wants them to hear. We see this over and over again in the messages of the prophets, and we find it surfacing once again in this weeks study of Micah's message.

Fortunately, Micah not only identifies the problem well, he also gives us some great insight into how to break out of this stance and position ourselves in such as way that we can hear well, and live in response to what we hear. That is what Pastor Ken explores with us a bit as we reflect a bit on Micah's message, and what it is that God really wants of us. If you would like to listen to the sermon again, or perhaps for the first time, you can access our sermon library by clicking here.

For Further Study

Micah 6

(TNIV)

“Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;

listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.

For the Lord has a case against his people;

he is lodging a charge against Israel.

“My people, what have I done to you?

How have I burdened you? Answer me.

I brought you up out of Egypt

and redeemed you from the land of slavery.

I sent Moses to lead you,

also Aaron and Miriam.

My people, remember

what Balak king of Moab plotted

and what Balaam son of Beor answered.

Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,

that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

With what shall I come before the Lord

and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has shown all you people what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly[a] with your God.

Micah 6

(The Message)

And now, Mountains, hear God's case;

listen, Jury Earth—

For I am bringing charges against my people.

I am building a case against Israel.

3-5"Dear people, how have I done you wrong?

Have I burdened you, worn you out? Answer!

I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt;

I paid a good price to get you out of slavery.

I sent Moses to lead you—

and Aaron and Miriam to boot!

Remember what Balak king of Moab tried to pull,

and how Balaam son of Beor turned the tables on him.

Remember all those stories about Shittim and Gilgal.

Keep all God's salvation stories fresh and present."

6-7How can I stand up before God

and show proper respect to the high God?

Should I bring an armload of offerings

topped off with yearling calves?

Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,

with buckets and barrels of olive oil?

Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,

my precious baby, to cancel my sin?

8But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,

what God is looking for in men and women.

It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,

be compassionate and loyal in your love,

And don't take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.

For an excellent resource for further study in the book of Micah, you might want to check out James Howell's new book entitled, "What Does The Lord Require?"

Very much worth exploring in this book and in other resource material you may have on Micah in particular or scripture in general are the following themes:

- What genuine humility looks like in our journey with God and our relationships with each other

Also worth reflecting on is:

What does actually living the way the God invites us to live look like in terms of:

My personal relationships?
My business interactions?
My community and civic responsibilities / participation?

- The Biblical Understanding of Justice

- The rich themes of God's mercy and grace

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