8-8-99 What in the World does God Want? Micah 6
by Ronald E. George Jr. at the Sand Fork Baptist Church
What in the world does God want?
Scripture Text: Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 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?
God gave to us just what we needed and He gave to Jesus just what we deserved. What kind of justice do we have to give to others. The kind of Justice we have is that which we have received. Have you been treated equally with your fellow humans? Have you always received exactly what you paid for? Have you always received what you had coming to you? Have always been right on time? Have you always did exactly what you were supposed to do? Have you always given to others exactly what that were supposed to get? Have you always been impartial and equal to others? Have others always been impartial and equal to you?
God's Justice is quite a bit different than most of the justice that we see today. This is the justice that He requires from his people. The kind that treats people fairly and rightly. The people of Micah's day were constantly using bad weights and taking advantage of others for the love of money. The love of money is the root of all evil. ("Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." ) Barry M. Goldwater - _Instant Quotation Dictionary_, p. 125.)
God's JUSTICE MUST TAKE PLACE
It was the beginning of school and the rules for the classroom had be laid down, explained, and were thoroughly understood by everyone. When it was discovered that a lunch was missing everyone was aghast. The punishment for stealing was a swat from that huge fraternity paddle that hung on the teacher's desk. The teacher began to ferret out the culprit. Soon the scrawniest, weakest little boy was targeted and he confessed to taking the lunch and eating it. The teacher did not want to spank him but the rule was the rule and it must be obeyed. The consequence must be administered.
The little guy with tears running down his cheeks slowly came forward. Just as he got to the front and was about to receive his punishment a rustle of noise came from the back. The biggest lad in the whole class strode to the front, put the little guy aside and bent over the desk. The big brother took the swat for the little brother.
While on Golgotha's mountain Jesus of Nazareth took the swat that we richly deserved. God's justice was served and we were spared. What a wonderful, big Brother we have in Christ.
Roy Cohn, a successful lawyer, chief counsel of a U.S. Senate committee and law teacher, in an article entitled "Is Justice for Everyone?" concluded, "Although we may have the finest legal system in the world, justice is not equal for all - though it should be."
Cohn says the most serious problem is the lack of competent attorneys available to the poor in criminal cases. He quoted Chief Justice Warren Burger, who concluded that more than 50 percent of courtroom lawyers were lacking in competence and qualification.
Fortunately, that's not the case with God's justice. It's impartial and equal for everybody. What's more, we can rest assured, "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). He is qualified to plead our case.
Jack Gulledge, Ideas and Illustrations for Inspirational Talks, (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1986), 5
Is saying you're sorry good enough? What about those who don't say they're sorry? Can we give to them what they don't deserve? What else can you do? You can give to others the mercy that God has given you. Having received his mercy and grace then you have something to give away to others. I love mercy for myself, but too many times we demand Justice for everyone else.
Mercy is getting what you don’t deserve. We don’t deserve love and forgiveness, but God gives it to us anyway. Whether or not we accept it or reject it is our choice.
God is gracious, but he will not force the acceptance of His grace upon men. In 1829 George Wilson, in Pennsylvania, was sentenced to be hanged by a United States Court for robbing the mails and for murder. President Andrew Jackson pardoned him, but this was refused, and Wilson insisted that it was not a pardon unless he accepted it. That was a point of law never before raised, and the President called the Supreme Court to decide. Chief Justice John Marshall gave the following decision: "A pardon is a paper, the value of which depends upon its acceptance by the person implicated. It is hardly to be supposed that one under sentence of death would refuse to accept a pardon, but if it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged!" And he was hanged.
Provisionally the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation is for every one, irrespective of what he may be or what he may have done. Potentially, it is only to "every one that believeth." --Sunday School Times
Charles Evans Hughes, a former Supreme Court Chief Justice advised, "A man has to live with himself. He should see to it that he always has good company."
God wants people who will walk with him and talk with him. To be able to walk and talk with God we have to humble. That is we have to be on the same road that he is on and walking next to him. Jesus walked the lonely road that led to Calvary. Will you walk with him? He humbled himself to walk with us. He came as an average person, a carpenter's son. We all have the opportunity to walk with the Lord, if we will humble ourselves with him.
Since no one has seen him walking down the road, I believe that he is speaking about walking with those you see day to day. Humbling ourselves so that we can walk and talk with one another. Becoming a friend to all we see even those who don't deserve it or want it.
"Oliver Cromwell once visited Yorkminster Cathedral in England, and his attention was drawn to twelve silver statues of the apostles, which stood near the ceiling of one of the cathedral apartments. Looking upon them for a moment, he said, "Who are those fellows standing yonder?" After being informed, he exclaimed, "Take them down...and let them go about doing good." Accordingly, they were melted down and put into his treasury.
Before Oliver Cromwell could use those silver apostles, it was necessary that they be taken down. Likewise, it is sometimes necessary for Christ to take us down spiritually before He can use us. Thus, perhaps often, the essence of His prayer to the Father for His followers is: "Take them down." -- Duane V. Maxey
LOVE, JUSTICE and Mercy were to meet in the court room of life at 12 noon.
At 11:58 AM JUSTICE and LOVE were there. JUSTICE shouted, "WHERE'S MERCY????, He's always Late!" LOVE said, "Give him time, he'll be here!"
At 12:15 PM and no MERCY, JUSTICE said, "I DEMAND THAT HE BE HERE!" LOVE said, "Please wait".
2:15 came and Mercy still had not shown up. By this time JUSTICE was fit to be tied. "HE BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION WHY HE HAS KEPT US WAITING!" LOVE pleaded for Mercy's sake.
At 4:00 PM JUSTICE was livid and LOVE had all he could do to hold back JUSTICE. "I'LL DEMAND FULL PAYMENT!"
At 4:10, as LOVE looked over the hill, here came MERCY. His arm was all bloody, his hair and eyebrows were all singed, his legs were all covered with miry clay to his knees.
"Boys, I'm sorry I'm late but a call came at 11:55 AM from a prophet that was thrown in a lions den and I had my arm in his mouth. At 2:00 PM a call came from 3 Hebrew boys who were about to be thrown into a firey furnace and I stood as protection for them. At 3:30 a call came from a "weeping prophet" as they lowered him in a well of clay."
"And boys, I don't know how much time I have, as I came over the hill, I saw a man carrying a cross and I know I'm going to be needed."
At that time, a call came ringing out from Golgotha Hill, "MERCY!, MERCY! MERCY!"