Sermon Passages and Notes:
Act, Love, Walk
Micah 6:1-8
Micah in Outline:
1:2- Addressed to all the people of the earth
3:1- Addressed to the leaders of Israel
6:1- Addressed to God's people
Psalm 15:1-2
Psalm 24:1-6
Structure of Micah 6:1-8
vss 1-2- Acolyte
vss 3-5- YHWH
vss 6-7- Worshipper
vs 8- Acolyte
Micah 6:1-7
1 Now listen to what the Lord is saying:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your complaint.
2 Listen to the Lord’s lawsuit,
you mountains and enduring foundations of the earth,
because the Lord has a case against his people,
and he will argue it against Israel.
3 My people, what have I done to you,
or how have I wearied you?
Testify against me!
4 Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt
and redeemed you from that place of slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam ahead of you.
5 My people,
remember what King Balak of Moab proposed,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from the Acacia Grove to Gilgal
so that you may acknowledge
the Lord’s righteous acts.
6 What should I bring before the Lord
when I come to bow before God on high?
Should I come before him with burnt offerings,
with year-old calves?
7 Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams
or with ten thousand streams of oil?
Should I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the offspring of my body for my own sin?
What would please the Lord?
• Burnt offerings with year-old calves
• Thousands of rams
• Ten thousand streams of oil
• My first-born
What would please the Lord?
What God wants is evidenced by three things:
• to act
• to love
• to walk
To act justly (mispat)
• Justice is what love looks like in public.
• Justice is setting up life following God's will for the world.
To love faithfulness (hesed)
mispat vs. hesed
mispat- concrete requirements of decency to other people
hesed- hesed is what is not required- being generous with acts of kindness, assuming the best, going out of your way to find ways to help the people you interact with, a movement towards other people, love of the fidelity of the relationship
To walk humbly
Matthew 4:19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”
Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
Psalm 23:3-4
3 He renews my life;
he leads me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.