From Martin

What do you want from me Lord?

Micah 6:6-8 “'Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old?  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?' It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what the LORD doth require of thee: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Here is an encounter between a lost Israelite and a wise spiritual man. The prophet has just spoken to Israel of the Lord’s anger at their behaviour. He uses the incident of Balak and Balam and the ungodly behaviour of the people from Shittim to Gilgal. Their behaviour was an abomination to God. Then one comes to the prophet to ask what God wants from him.

In his question there is a sarcasm in asking, ‘Shall I give my first-born for my transgression’. The only true God was being treated as their false gods. Suggesting That He would want a child sacrifice. This is an abomination to the Lord. (Leviticus 20:3)

Had the Psalmist not also written:

Psalm 51:16-17  “For you do not delight in sacrifice; otherwise I would give it.: You have no pleasure in burnt-offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

          The prophet spells out the Word of God, ‘only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God’. The point being made is that God is more interested in the heart than any attempt to buy forgiveness or salvation with works. We have been shown mercy and had grace poured on us in abundance. Therefore, we are to act justly, be merciful and not be proud in our walk.

          In the light of Jesus the Messiah, what does the Lord want from us?

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

          As I preached recently, we have a loving Saviour, full of grace, mercy and compassion. He was the living embodiment of all Micah wrote. Indeed Micah prophesied His birth. (Micah 5:2) Let us be encouraged then to take every opportunity to love our neighbours, in this season of celebrating His birth. Do this by spreading the seeds of Good News to all we meet. Have a holy and joyous Christ-mas!