Micah 6:8 proclaims to us:
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
How does one “DO JUSTLY” except by making a distinction between good and evil in keeping with the standard that God himself has revealed to us by His Word, by the life and ministry of Jesus, by the Spirit of Christ at work in us and by the exhortation and admonishment of God’s people in loving community with one another? God defines what is “good” and makes it known to us. Good and upright is the Lord. Psalm 25:8 Oh, givve thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34
To distinguish good from evil IS to make a judgment based on God’s revealed standard. To desire that no one make any judgments is to deny this direct call to God’s people to do so….to live justice, doing rightly, making a judgment daily of what is right. It is only those unwilling to have their conduct assessed by the standard to which the Eternal Christ calls us, i.e., the Spirit of the Law, who point to the Letter of the Law to condemn another for even raising the issue of examining and distinguishing between good and evil. That is the spirit of pharisaism in the heart of one offended by the Spirit of the law, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Micah’s instruction from God is also to “LOVE MERCY” while doing rightly. “Blessed are those who show mercy, for they shall be shown mercy”, says Jesus in the Beatitudes, (Matthew 5:8) immediately after saying, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” (Matthew 5:7
Isn’t he repeating the first two parts of the prophet Micah’s message from God?? Greatly hunger for righteousness (justice) while embracing mercy…..
One living among other Christ believers would expect that all would desire to know when they are at risk of missing the mark of goodness and as believers we should be able to both give and receive correction, giving and receiving mercy with others and ourselves. Isn’t that the measure of “correcting in love”……(James 5:19, Galatians 6:1).. first using the right measure which is God’s standard, not ours, and doing it with loving compassion for one another?
If we do those two things, do justly and love mercy, then Micah’ prophetic utterance and Jesus’ beatitudes say we will next experience this blessing, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:9) Does not “and to walk humbly with thy God” give the picture of a pure heart seeing God face to face as they walk along together, just like God intended in his relationship with humankind and, in fact, did with Adam and Eve before their disobedience that violated God’s condition for intimate fellowship?
Micah, in his “prophetness” and bound by knowing only the Letter of the Law, positioned God’s instruction as a demand, a requirement and also as a rhetorical question that he knows God’s people have been told again and again and should be living out. Jesus, as the Living Spirit of God’s Word, spoke from his posture as rabbi, priest, king, advocate and author and finisher of our faith. Jesus cites God’s conditions for enjoying intimate fellowship with him (walking with him) instead of positioning it as a required demand of the Law. Jesus positions them as invitations into living a life of blessedness for people who have come some distance to sit and be taught. If one accepts Jesus’ invitation and lives into the condition of the invitation, then he receives the blessing associated with each invitation. While Micah’s approach is one of legalism under obedience to the Law, the proverbial “stick” threat for motivating obedience. Christ’s approach is one of offering the “carrot” if one accepts the invitation. Each may be valid, depending on the maturity, desire, and understanding of the hearer and one’s fuller understanding what a special gift is being offered and by whom. As evidence to that truth, Christ repeats these themes again as recorded in Luke 5, as well, in an exhortative prophetic posture for a broader, more diverse bustling crowd as he stands in the highway among and gives both blessing and woe depending on one’s response to God’s Law. One may choose the carrot or the stick….. one is life under the burden of the Letter of the Law. The other is living transcendently into Christ’s Law of Love. One response arises out of fear and duty. The other leads to gratitude and reciprocated love for God. 8/22/21 CBByrd