What Does the Lord Require?

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” –Micah 6:8 (NKJV).

Could we ever hope to be so succinct in word choice and powerful statement that we could summarize the requirements of the Lord God for his people in one sentence?

Read Micah 6:8. Micah, a prophet who lived, prophesied and wrote in the eighth century B. C., did an admirable job of concisely stating man’s responsibilities and manner of life. His work and ministry spanned parts of the reigns of three kings of Judah—Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. This cryptic message from Micah is set amidst the context of his preaching against idolatry, speaking against sacrifices offered without a change of heart, and the short measures, cheating and violence that characterized their daily lives. Is it any wonder that Micah would appeal strongly to people to follow justice, mercy and humility?

I often wonder what the prophets like Micah of old would say if they could enter our day and ways of life and preach against the conditions that exist now? I’m sure their listing of sins would
encompass even stronger reprimands than we find in his prophetic message delivered then. No doubt, like his message in the eighth century, Micah would still pinpoint the fallacies of God’s people as they live out selfish and sinful lives incognizant of the impending judgment of God upon them. Micah’s message would not be changed because it was then and remains what God would have His people hear. Listen to the warning Micah sounded: “Yet the land shall be desolate because of those who dwell in it, and for the fruit of their deeds” (Micah 7:13). Dr. Robert G. Lee (1886-1996), a powerful preacher of the last century, had a sermon he entitled “Pay Day Some Day.” Like Micah in his prophecy, Dr. Lee sounded forth with mighty conviction the penalties for man’s rebellion and disobedience to God, using the story of King Ahab coveting Naboth’s vineyard, the king’s wife Jezebel arranging for Naboth’s death, Elijah’s warning, and the eventual terrible punishment for the sin fed by covetousness. I heard Dr. Lee deliver the sermon at a Baptist Convention my husband and I attended and also at Ridgecrest (NC) Baptist Retreat Center when we were young to the ministry. You can be assured we listened to Dr. Lee’s sermon with fear and trembling and prayed for mercy. Persons can still listen to Dr. Lee on U-Tube at www.tlogical.net/biorglee.

The three major requirements God makes to set things right between His erring children and His righteous judgment are clearly delineated by Micah:

(1) To do justly;

(2) To love mercy; and

(3) To walk humbly with your God.

These seem on the surface to be rather simple to remember and to do. But behind putting these tenets into action in living out our daily life must be a genuine commitment and determination. Involved is a prayerful life, a steadfast weighing of the situation and choosing righteousness, and a recognition that the individual is not strong enough on his/her own spiritual strength to do it alone. It takes daily succor from the Lord. But, if we are repentant and seek his love and mercy, as shown in Micah, we can end up on a victorious note: “He does not retain His anger forever, because He deloights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, land will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which you have sworn to our fathers from days of old.” (Micah 7:18b-20, NKJV). Thanks be to God!