The Heart God Requires

Bible Passage: Micah 6:1-8

This passage contains one of the best known verses in Micah, the requirement that God has for his people to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with him. The content is actually part of God making a covenant argument against his people who have strayed from him. Despite God’s continuing faithfulness to the people, they have not shown faithfulness in return. Simply participating in religious deeds is not the response that God is looking for here, but changed hearts and lives that reflect him.

God’s Unfailing Faithfulness (v1-5): The chapter begins with God recounting how he has always been faithful to his people. He recounts what he has done for them in the past, highlighting how he redeemed them in Exodus, sent them leaders such as Moses, Aaron and Miriam, and how God has defended them against those who would plot against them. The purpose of bringing this up is twofold. Firstly, in the context of calling people back to the Lord it is a good reminder that God has always shown faithfulness to them, and he always will. But alongside this, God’s unfailing faithfulness adds to the charge against his people. God has never done them any wrong and so they have no excuse for how they have wandered away from him.

Worship That Isn’t Enough (v6-7): In light of God’s faithfulness, the prophet raises the question of how God’s people should respond to him. He suggests a hypothetical answer of bringing burnt offerings, and giving costly sacrifices to the Lord. But it is clear from this rhetorical question that this isn’t what God requires. In a similar way to how Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 13 that gifting or sacrifice without love is futile, so Micah makes the point that sacrifices are insufficient if not coupled with a heart that delights to walk in God’s ways. Bringing this into today’s world, it would tell us that church attendance, Bible reading or time spent in ‘religious’ activities is not in and of itself what pleases God, but only to the extent that it shapes our hearts for justice, mercy and humility.

What God Wants From Us (v8): Rather than the religious deeds and sacrifices mentioned in the previous verses, this verse makes it clear that God wants three things of his people, and all of them are issues of what is in our heart and how it translates to how we live. The first is that we are to act justly. When the Bible speaks of justice it means ensuring fair treatment for all, and it is often the powerless and vulnerable who end up on the wrong end of injustice. As God’s people we are to both treat them fairly ourselves and to do what we can to stand against systems of injustice and exploitation. The second part of our call is to love mercy. This speaks of the compassion we are to show for those in a place of need. Instead of acting harshly or indifferently towards others we should show love and kindness. Thirdly we are called to walk humbly. This is about how we see ourselves. Rather than being built up with pride of self-importance, being ready to take a low place out of the limelight and quietly live in obedience is what God is looking for from his people. As we live out these ways, we will reflect God’s heart and truly represent him as his people in the world.

Potential Applications

• Preaching this in a church will be speaking to people who participate in religious activities. In and of itself this isn’t wrong, but the passage is a powerful challenge for us to recognise that these things alone are not what God is asking for, and to not see them as the primary requirement that God has for us.
• The application of verse 8 is straightforward, even if putting it into practice is challenging. Invite people to reflect on their own lives in light of the call to justice, mercy and humility and let the Spirit highlight how they may see these characteristics in their lives in greater measure.
• All of this is in light of God’s faithfulness. Spend time recollecting what God has done in the past, both in Scripture and in your own lives.