“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?” (Micah 6:8)
In these days many seem to be making up their own moral and ethical rules. But based on what? If God does not exist, or if He does but holds no one accountable for misdeeds, wrong actions, or violence, who decides what is moral or ethical? Why should we even show kindness and mercy to anyone? We who believe in Jesus know from God’s word that we do what is right and good, that we show love and mercy to all, because this is what the Lord desires.
The people of ancient Israel did not obey the Lord. They lacked mercy and compassion towards their fellow Israelites as well as their pagan neighbors. Micah pointed this out, letting them know that they were using the religious system as an excuse to live as they pleased without seeing any need to obey the Lord, repent, refrain from immorality, selfishness, and idolatry, or show mercy and kindness to the poor. They believed that they could do whatever they wanted as long as they periodically made the right offerings to appease Yahweh. Micah tore into this assumption by proclaiming that Yahweh was not pleased. He desired true repentance, changed hearts, as well as compassion for the poor and oppressed.
Many these days seek to appease God or balance their karma with acts of charity or generosity. They think this will give them the ability to do as they please, to routinely commit acts of sexual immorality, violence, and theft without shame or remorse. And they then also proclaim the need for social justice for the poor and oppressed, but exclude the Law of God as the basis for it. They refrain from preaching about sexual purity, kindness to all, forgiveness, or repentance. You can do as you please as long as you are not racist, or do not denigrate or marginalize minorities.
Micah reminds us that the Christian believer must maintain orthodox Biblical theology that does not compromise the word of God. The faithful member of God’s Kingdom will consistently deplore sin on corporate, national and personal levels, and express a loving concern for the unsaved with acts of mercy and loving kindness to all without expecting anything in return.