What Does the Lord Require?

With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, 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?” 8He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8)

Micah is asking a question from Psalm 15: How can I stand before God? David's was a question regarding worthiness to even be in his presence. Micah's is similar, to the point he asks what kind of offering will make him acceptable in God's sight? He goes from acceptable (calf) to absurd (child) (Study Bible notes).

We ask similar questions today? How am I even acceptable to enter church to worship with those people? Christ tells us a quick parable to answer these kinds of questions in Luke 18:

"[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

God makes us acceptable in his own sight by giving us the sacrificial gift of his own Son, Jesus Christ. What is absurd in Micah becomes God's solution for us. We should never assume we get there on our own accord, like the pharisee and his modern day equivalents.

Gracious God, Help me to bow down before you as I come to you in reverence, not for show. Help me to share your Word with others humbly, not in a judgmental way, but a loving and caring way. Forgive me when I become filled with myself. Send your Spirit to give me a right spirit within me. Amen.