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What does God require of us?
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the
LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
God has let us know what is good.
Man has a general knowledge of good and evil. According to
Romans 1:18-32, man has sufficient knowledge about God and
righteousness to be held responsible for his actions. This applies to all
men, including those who do not have God’s written word.
In Scripture it is assumed that we can recognize good and evil:
“Depart from evil and do good” (Psalm 34:14). “Beloved, do not imitate
what is evil, but what is good” (3 John 11). “He who would love life and
see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from
speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek
peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and
His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against
those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:10-12).
Since God has shown us what is good, He holds us responsible:
“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil
and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).
In judgment we must give account for what we have done. “Let us
hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His
commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into
judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil”
(Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14).
What does God require of us? “He has shown you, O man, what is
good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
God requires that we do justly.
To do justly means to behave justly. Behaving justly includes
treating people fairly in an evenhanded manner, without favoritism,
prejudice or self-interest. We all want to be treated justly. So we ought
to treat others justly as well. God requires that we do so.
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, show mercy
and compassion everyone to his brother’” (Zechariah 7:9). “For I, the
LORD, love justice” (Isaiah 61:8). “To do righteousness and justice is
more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice” (Proverbs 21:3).
“It is a joy for the just to do justice” (Proverbs 21:15). “Blessed
are those who keep justice, and he who does righteousness at all
times!” (Psalm 106:3). “So you, by the help of your God, return;
observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually” (Hosea
12:6). “Let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty
stream” (Amos 5:24).
What does God require of us? “He has shown you, O man, what is
good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
God requires that we love mercy.
Being merciful means to be kind and compassionate, which results
in a forgiving attitude toward others. To love mercy means to be
wholeheartedly committed to mercy. Even a selfish person, wants to
receive mercy! But someone who loves mercy, is thankful for the mercy
God extends to him and wants to pass that mercy on to others. God
wants us to be merciful.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew
5:7). “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no
mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).
Our hope is based on the mercy of God. “The LORD takes pleasure
in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy” (Psalm
147:11). “Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on
those who hope in His mercy” (Psalm 33:18). “Let Your mercy, O LORD,
be upon us, just as we hope in You” (Psalm 33:22). “I will be glad and
rejoice in Your mercy” (Psalm 31:7).
“The wisdom that is from above is ... full of mercy” (James 3:17).
“He who shows mercy” is to do so “with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:8).
What does God require of us? “He has shown you, O man, what is
good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
God requires that we walk humbly with Him.
Our walk is our way of life. To walk with God means to walk in all
His ways and to be in daily fellowship with Him.
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you,
but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him,
to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I
command you today for your good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12, 13).
To walk in all His ways requires knowledge of His word and a
willingness to do what God tells us to do and to go where God wants us
to go. Many people want God to walk with them where they want to go!
But to walk with God we must follow His lead and go where He goes!
“Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him”
(Genesis 5:24). “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see
death” (Hebrews 11:5). “Noah was a just man, perfect in his
generations. Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).
A mortal man who walks with God must humbly follow Him. A
humble person does not exalt himself. He is meek and unpretentious
because he adopts a lowly position. As a psychologist supposedly told
one man: “You don’t have an inferiority complex. You really are
inferior!” A humble person accepts that in certain ways he is inferior to
others. And we certainly are inferior to God! “‘For My thoughts are not
your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your
ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8, 9). In our
relationship with God, humility is essential!
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct
your paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6). As we walk humbly with God, we trust
His guidance because He knows the way better than we do.
“Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He teaches sinners in
the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches
His way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep
His covenant and His testimonies” (Psalm 25:8-10). God’s covenant for
us is the New Testament, containing the testimony of Christ and the
conditions for salvation.
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, and He will lift you
up” (James 4:10). “For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will
beautify the humble with salvation” (Psalm 149:4). “God resists the
proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves
under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1
Peter 5:5b, 6).
Jesus did what His Father required of Him.
“As the Father gave Me commandment, so I do” (John 14:31).
Jesus is our example. He showed us how to be just, merciful and
humble. It was prophesied that the Christ would “bring justice to
victory” (Matthew 12:20, quoted from Isaiah 42:1-4). Often “He was
moved with compassion” (see Matthew 9:36 for example). And He
gives us this invitation: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from
Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls” (Matthew 11:28, 29).
What does God require of us?
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the
LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with your God?” (Micah 6:8). Amen.
Roy Davison
The Scripture quotations in this article are from The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise. Permission for reference use has been granted.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
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