Scripture/Sermon of the Day. January 29, 2023

Scripture Reading:Micah 6:1-8. The Message

What God Is Looking For

1-2 Listen now, listen to God:

“Take your stand in court. If you have a complaint, tell the mountains; make your case to the hills. And now, Mountains, hear God’s case; listen, Jury Earth— For I am bringing charges against my people. I am building a case against Israel.
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“Dear people, how have I done you wrong? Have I burdened you, worn you out? Answer! I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt; I paid a good price to get you out of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you— and Aaron and Miriam to boot! Remember what Balak king of Moab tried to pull, and how Balaam son of Beor turned the tables on him. Remember all those stories about Shittim and Gilgal. Keep all God’s salvation stories fresh and present.”
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How can I stand up before God and show proper respect to the high God? Should I bring an armload of offerings topped off with yearling calves? Would God be impressed with thousands of rams, with buckets and barrels of olive oil? Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child, my precious baby, to cancel my sin?
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But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.

Reflection/Sermon:

I. In the passage today from Micah, Micah is acting as God’s attorney and God is suing all the people of Israel. God is taking the people to court and suing them for breaking the contract — or covenant — which they made with God with Moses in the wilderness. God says: “I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt; I paid a good price to get you out of slavery. Remember? I sent Moses.”

II. The people promised God that they would listen, follow the 10 Commandments, and remain faithful to God. But the people broke their promise within weeks now God is taking them to court.

III. But here’s the thing. There were too many laws. The first five books of the Bible are mostly laws or ways to control people’s behavior. And we need laws, especially when we’re young. Think about this a second. Are we so out-of-control that if we are not regulated by laws for every aspect of our lives we will all become Lord Of The Flies?

But the problem with laws — and this is what Paul the apostle kept saying — is that they are coercive. They change our behavior on the outside but not from the inside. They say to us — “You must do this, or go to jail, or pay a fine, or be punished some way.” So we follow laws to avoid a penalty, but often not because we want to. When there’s a red light and I don’t see any cars around — I want to run it.

VI. Paul says in Romans chapter seven: “I know what the law is — I know what I should do. But I don’t do it. There’s a war going on inside me. I do what I don’t want to do — I do what I know is wrong.” In other words, Paul says that even he breaks the law. But then he says: “Thanks be to Jesus Christ, who has saved me — that is — changed me from the inside so that I am able to do the loving thing.
In Jeremiah (31:31), God said:
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
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It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.
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“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God.”

V. We need to be changed from the inside. Not eating meat on Friday — or even following all 633 laws in the Bible are not going to change us. What will? “Love kindness, do mercy, walk humbly with your God.” When we fail, keep trying — but most importantly — keep walking humbly with God. Our walk with God minute by minute, day by day, changes us — from the inside.