WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE? MICAH 6:8

 WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE?               MICAH 6:8          9.25.03

     There are places in the Word of God where the Lord states clearly 
in plain terms  just what he expects of  a people who would be called 
Children of God.  Two such places, one in the Old Testament and the 
other in  the  New,  are so similar they  bear  close scrutiny.  First, in 
Micah 6: 8 after listing the sins of His people, not the sins of the hea-
then, the Word simply states three principles:  
      “...to do justly, To love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”  
As we give serious consideration to these three dicta, we find them to 
be comprehensive beyond our first impression.  As we compare them 
to  the  principles in  the book of  James  in  the  New Testament they 
become even more compelling.  In James 1: 27 instruction is  concise.   
“Pure religion and  undefiled before  God  and the Father  is this:  to 
visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself 
unspotted from the world."

     While it is unwise to reduce principles from  the Word  of  God to a 
mere creed or set of values and instructions,  we  find clues  and com-
mandments standing out as water-marks or criteria by which one may 
live.  These  criteria,  while none is  definitive  enough to stand  alone, 
when  taken as a whole give us  dynamic  instruction on how  we  may 
represent God on this earth .  It is foolish for a mortal  to  attempt the 
cataloging of these instructions or create a written creed and call any 
work he may compile from  the Word a comprehensive  guide for the 
Child of God,  nor  definitive by any  measure.  The Word of  God,  it-
self, is our guide and each one must  become a student of  that Word; 
thereby  gleaning from  the whole,  the manner of  life into  which the 
Holy Spirit has called us.  Since the Word of God is living,  (Hebrews 
4:12) it speaks to each of us as individuals,  yet never conflicts with a 
message given to  another seeker.  For  this  reason,  a believer  must, 
individually, privately, develop his/her relationship with Jesus Christ,
not relying on another for  interpretation.  One exception  that comes 
to mind is when one initially receives Christ as Savior,  and as  a babe 
in Christ looks to mentors, Pastor-Teachers and  the like for  disciple-
ship in the elementary principles of Salvation.  From there, as a matu-
ring believer, he may  begin to  present  the gospel  to others,  making 
disciples, as a part of the process of his Sanctification and the goal of 
having Christ formed perfectly within... (Spiritual maturity) 
                                                                                        Galatians 4: 19

      Since our Lord has a way of summarizing the law in terse phrases,
we  look to those brief  statements to determine how  to relate to Him 
and our fellows.  The first phrase in Micah  is  “...to do justly...”  This 
may be understood to mean we are to be God-like in our dealings with 
others.  We are always to do the right thing, be to others as we would 
they  would  be to us,  honest and open in  all  our  dealings;  as in the 
“Golden  Rule.” (One suggestion is  to never  deprecate anyone.)   We
are to "love mercy."  This sounds like  the  instruction in  the letter of
James concerning orphans and widows as we show mercy to the help-
 less or without  resources.  Finally the injunction,  “...to walk humbly
with thy God,”   is so far reaching as  to be all inclusive instruction on 
being a dynamic Child of God.  Without an humble walk with God, we 
cannot call ourselves  His children.  This is also  related to “...keeping 
oneself unspotted  from the world.”  To walk  “humbly” with God will  
require us to  live above  reproach in this sinful world.  Can this work
without our walking in fellowship with Him?

     We  could continue to comment on the Golden rule as being a light 
shed on  the Law, the commandments.  Christ also called the greatest,   
“Love God ..., Love your neighbor...” as further enlightenment on how 
to  fulfill the law and prophets, showing us how to live.


     There is one further thought that comes with this kind of approach 
to Bible study.  Some, who call themselves Christian, believe and say;
we do not  need to be students of  the Old Testament;  New Testament 
supersedes it  in their eyes.  Clearly,  we neglect study of  the Old Tes-
tament to our peril.  In the law,  the prophets, the  history of the Jews, 
and wisdom literature of  the Old Testament  there  are details of  how
our salvation  has been  accomplished through centuries, and  instruc-
tions for righteous living.  The New Testament is rather broad at times 
where  the Old Testament is specific and  although both agree in every 
area, there are things in each,  giving understanding of the other. Just
one of many reasons we must be students of  both Old and New Testa-
ments.   It is one book, not two separate books.  (II Timothy  3:16-17)
3:16-17, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for  doctrine,  for reproof,  for correction,  for instruction  in righteous-
ness,  that the man of  God may be perfect,  throughly furnished  unto 
all good works."  (Perfect, meaning mature or complete)
      When we disregard the Old Testament we have no “...school 
       master to bring us to grace...”  as in Galaltians 3:24.

Scripture taken from the kjv.  donporter,sr          9.24.12   ed. 11.18.14