Micah 6:3-5
3 ‘My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened you? Answer me.
4 I brought you up out of Egypt
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you,
also Aaron and Miriam.
5 My people, remember
what Balak king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.’
As we saw yesterday, the people are in the dock accused of unfaithfulness to their God. Yet it seems as if they feel that God is the one who should be on trial. They consider knowing and serving him to be a burden. Perhaps they feel that being followers of Yahweh is more trouble than it’s worth. He’s such a demanding master that he’s only got himself to blame if they turn their backs on him.
So God shows them just how ridiculous that is. He gives them a quick history lesson, pointing to examples of his faithful care of his people in the past. And it quickly becomes obvious that God is not the one at fault. Far from being demanding, he is the most merciful and generous of Lords. He rescued them from slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt. He gave them Moses and Aaron to lead them throughout that unsettled time, journeying through the wilderness. He rescued them from many hostile kings, including Balak king of Moab, and he provided Joshua to lead them to victory over their enemies, when they were camped in Gilgal. Through these events, and many, many more, God has shown his commitment to his people. Yet his people have been quick to forget his goodness towards them.
We can be the same. We have so much more than the people of Micah’s day that we can look at to see God’s commitment to us. Not only the whole Old Testament, but also the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Not to mention the way in which God has established, grown and preserved his church since then. So let’s pray today that God would keep reminding us of his faithfulness, whenever we might be tempted to think that he isn’t worth following.
