Micah

2 Pages 468 Words

This text comes from Micah, in the Bible, chapters 6 through 8. These verses use parallelism to make their point about the rightness of sacrifice. Chapter 6 and 7 can be read together. What is the meaning of, “With what shall I approach the Lord,” and “Do homage to God on high?” This tells us that people wonder what they can bring to God. In the text, the matter of child sacrifice is discussed, “Shall I give my first-born for my transgression.” People address God and query the Lord as to what the Lord wants from them. These are the Lord’s accusations and explanations as to why he is punishing Israel. Here Micah presents the Lord’s case against Israel and illustrates the effect the punishment will have on them. The text goes on to list the many sacrifices that they have engaged in before God. The offerings are considered from the smallest possible offering to the most expensive, from burnt offerings to child sacrifice.
The passage, to me, seems to reflect the people’s growing frustration with God. God has outlined a case against them and they seem taken aback that they have done anything to upset God. The point of the passage by laying out the sacrifices from least to most is that sacrifice can not be an empty gesture. Even the most lavish of sacrifices means nothing to God even if the person’s heart and mind are not fixed on God at all times.
What is the meaning of, “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk modestly with your God.” The Prophet tells the people what is required of them, justice, love of goodness and a modest walk with God. People have heard these words before, this is nothing new. God is not concerned with overt displays of piety, but instead demands inward growth with God. To do justice, one must first be just with himself. To love goodness, one, must cultivate goodness within. To live modestly, one must...