Excerpt from “Living Sacrifice: Devotions for Lent” by Diane Hunter
Micah 6:6-8
What God Requires
6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before [the Lord] with burnt
offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will 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?”
8 [The Lord] has told you, O mortal, 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?
Meditation
I wonder if this text inspired the lyrics of my favorite Christmas song, “The Little Drummer Boy?” “I have no gift to bring/that’s fit to give our king.” Perhaps it is a common occurrence that people think that they do not have a proper “gift” to offer “the king” (newborn or otherwise). Micah speaks this lament because he wants to offer something; although, nothing seems appropriate to dispel God’s disappointment in Israel. He goes through a list of traditional offerings from year old calves to thousands of rams to rivers of oil all of which seem inadequate. Next, he goes completely off rail with a pagan offering of his firstborn which is totally inappropriate (remember, this is Micah speaking not God).
The Lord responds in one of the most affirming texts in scripture. You, (fill in your name), already know “what is good” and what “the Lord requires of you.” “Do justice,” “love kindness” and “walk humbly with your God.” In other words, offer yourself to God as a living sacrifice, follow his commandments (which Micah sums up as justice and love), and your gift will be acceptable for “the king.” “Pa rum pum pum pum”