At the beginning of Micah 6, God is bringing a lawsuit against his people. He asks the mountains to hear His case as He contends with Israel. God asks His people, “What have I done to you?” God wants to know how He has ever wearied them. The answers here, of course, are that God has done everything good for His people. He has cared for them and nourished them in every way. He has never wearied them. Rather He has supported them. When they have become weary, it has been firmly their own fault because they have not obeyed God and followed His plan for their prosperity.
God then goes on to remind His people exactly what He has done for them. He brought them out of slavery in Egypt and settled them in their own land. He protected them the whole way. He let them see His “saving acts” so that they could know Him. Yet they have failed to know Him.
The prophet then places words in the mouths of the people of Israel as they wonder how they can please God. They ask if they should bring thousands of burnt offerings and tens of thousands of libations of oil. They wonder if they should even sacrifice their firstborn sons to try to atone for their sins. These ideas show how little the people know about God. They have become completely blind. God has told them so many times what He wants, yet they still say crazy things like this.
The prophet is quick to correct the people. He reminds them that God has indeed revealed what He wants. He wants them to do justice, to act rightly toward Him and toward each other according to His moral law. What's more, He wants them to love kindness. In other words, they are to go beyond strict justice and show mercy, just as God does. Finally, God wants them to walk humbly beside Him. He wants them to remain in His presence always and to make their lives a journey of intimate companionship with Him.
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