"What does the LORD require of you, but to do justice, love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6. 8 NRSV). Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, during the period of the kings of Israel and Judah, there appeared in those lands men of God, the prophets, whose main task was to call God's people back to Him from the worship of idols. They spoke strongly against the pagan religions that resulted in immorality. There was a downward trend in the quality of their social life that would leave the two kingdoms at the mercy of the great empires of Assyria and Babylon that eventually absorbed them. The prophets introduced reforms and brought light out of the darkness. Out of that apostasy and corruption there emerged the golden age of prophecy. Their written and spoken words were unmatched in beauty and penetration except by the Lord Himself. These were men sent by God and His messages given by them became part of His Word.

Micah's messages were mostly confined to the commonwealth of Israel. The good gifts of this lovely land were to be shared by all God's people but the wealth of Judah and Israel had fallen into the hands of a relatively few landowners. They selfishly squandered it upon themselves and their wives while they lived in the big cities. The land continued to yield its increase but the peasants received little reward for their labour and many virtually starved. The rich maintained outward piety and went through forms of ritual and offered many sacrifices but they had little concern for their spiritual significance.

From the fertile fields of Moresheth in Judah, Micah came as Yahweh's spokesman, to the towns and cities, particularly Jerusalem, to warn the people of impending disaster. He told them that because of their corruption and greed God would permit the overthrow of their nation. He showed that God was not interested in religious ceremonies that did not reflect obedience to His laws and He condemned them for unfair dealings and unjust transactions.. Violence and injustice contained the seeds of evil that when grown bore fruit that would ruin the nation.

Among the condemnations and judgments of the prophets, there came great flashes of prophetic fervour, positive and plain statements of what God wants of His people. In such revelations we see the great yearnings of the Almighty for his erring children ‑ yearnings to redeem His people and to restore His former glory reflected in them.

So it came about that Micah uttered those words that have echoed through the centuries. They clearly summarize real piety, the true faith of the Living God. In spite of all the darkness and weakness in which mankind is enshrouded God has not left Himself without witness. The great and Eternal God, the Almighty, wise and merciful Father has made Himself known to those who are willing to discover Him.

So in the six century before Christ we hear Micah of Moresheth saying "He hath showed thee O man what is good ‑ but what does God require of you?" To some God fearing folk it may seem strange that anyone should ever consider doing anything other than what God requires, but as we look through the history of mankind, even the history of the Christian Church, it is clear that this has not been a primary objective. How seriously do ordinary people take these words about justice and mercy and walking with God.? How seriously do 'religious' people take them? When we buy a house or a car do we consider what God wants us to do? When we turn our attention to finding a husband or wife do we really care what He thinks about it? When we plan a career or a holiday are God's concerns of first importance? Is He taken into our reckoning in these important issues? Does it really matter what He thinks about our decision? Will it even matter to us if His work and worship take second place in what we do? Do we even think about the principles that should govern the most important things in our lives?

The prophet answers his own question - "To do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Don't 'decent' people do those sort of things? Each individual is ultimately responsible not to the law courts or the fashion houses of the world or even the government of the country in which we live; but to God. There seem to be times in our modern age, when it isn't what the 'Law' says that we do but 'what can be got away with' ‑ that strange idea, first heard from a school teacher, the 11^th commandment, 'Thou shalt not be found out". One would think that everyone who recognizes in any way that God is God and that He knows everything about us, must accept that His view of every matter in our lives is more important than anything else. As God's people we should accept that the law is right and should be obeyed and that the judiciary should be upheld. But human, legal systems are inadequate to control all our wrong doing and sometime they are themselves quite wrong. God sees our going out and our coming in. He knows all about everything we think as well as what we say and do and He demands justice. How just are we? How upright, sincere, totally supportive of what is 'right' at all times? Our hearts and minds are open to God. He knows our motives and inner desires as well as what everyone else sees and hears. Are we "without hypocrisy"? What does the Lord require of you but to do justly. Is it not a strange belief that the few short years of a life time, 70 or 80 perhaps, should be the ultimate testing ground for eternity? Surely punishment forever and ever cannot rest on our little span life on Earth now. Yet that is the orthodox theology. And in a similar way, is it not strange that the majority of people believe in God, yet don't try to live in such a way as to please that all-seeing One? Many who profess to know about God and call themselves Christian don't give the will of God priority. It is almost as if they would say 'let tomorrow take care of itself'.

God's throne is founded upon justice. It is the first demand made upon a Christian as well as a child of Israel. Mankind has found that it is easier to perform all sorts of kindly actions and works of 'chairty' than to be just. It was the upper classes in Israel to whom Micah mainly directed his warning. They were quite ready to do their acts of religious devotion providing they could swindle their neighbour. False weights and measures were in common use and the poor got the worst of the bargain. In the western world much of the poverty has vanished and a large part of the population lives in comfort if not luxury. But poor nations are still being 'swindled' from within and from without. The large banking houses of the world have much to answer for at the bar of the Courts of Heaven as well as at the bar of their own consciences. But justice like charity begins at home ‑ few of us need to look beyond the garden fence to discover the injustices of life.

"Quick as the apple of an eye,

O God, my conscience make;

Awake my soul when sin in near

And keep it still awake." ‑ BSH 178

How sensitive is our conscience to detect that something is wrong? How sensitive are we to the snares of the evil and the traps of wrongdoing? Our western culture has absorbed some Christian virtues but what would the Christian reformers of a century and more ago make of our society today. Have we used a lot of white wash? There is an old saying "What the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve over"; but is that right? Is cheating the bus company out of small fare or defrauding the tax-collector permissible providing there is no risk of prosecution?

We must all appear before the judgement seat of God to answer for what we have said and done. We shall hide nothing then. We shall not have to turn out our pockets or wallets then but we shall stand judged by what our behaviour has done to our character. Before Him we shall be transparent. Shall be! ‑ we are transparent now ‑ He can see through us now and knows the thoughts and intents of every heart. It is better to take our problems to Him 'now' rather than be taken to Him 'then' to answer for what we have done and not done. Let all our dealings be such as we dare to do in His presence, whether those dealings are with the lowliest tramp or the majesty of officialdom. Let our affairs in this world be an uncompromising witness for the principle of the Kingdom of God.

God expressed His love first in wonders of creation around us. We live in a wonderful environment and everywhere is evidence of God's merciful love. We enjoy the song of a garden bird and give thanks for being able to hear it. We gently flex the muscles of an arm and give thanks for the wonderful way in which we can use our hands. We can listen to the pulsing of our heart and give thanks for the wonder of life.

The tenderness of Divine love is shown in God's words to Moses when He met his Maker in the Holy Mount (Exodus 34.6). Moses reflected that mercy when Aaron and Miriam rebelled against him in the desert and he interceded for his sister and cried to God to heal her (Numbers 12.13). It would be easy to emphasise the times of judgment and discipline that came upon Israel in the desert and throughout their history. In spite of all that they did, and all that Yahweh did, He was very patient and gentle with them and always kept in view the time when they would return to Him and He would heal them. Perhaps no prophet glimpsed that mercy more than Hosea in his forgiveness of Gomer picturing God's forgiveness of Israel. That was a most extraordinary revelation of God's mercy.

In the culture of Greece and Rome mercy was regarded as a weakness of character. In that kind of world, Jesus taught His disciples to emulate God's mercy. They showed the world the way to the heart of God who alone offers true forgiveness and mercy. Matt.5.7 "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy" is paraphrased by William Barclay in this way "O the bliss of the man who gets right inside other people, until he can see with their eyes, think with their thoughts, feel with their feelings, for he who does that will find others do the same for him and will know that is what God in Jesus Christ has done!" It was in the ministry of Jesus that mercy was most fully demonstrated. Forgiveness is a major element in the prayer that He taught His disciples. Mercy is the underlying principle of the parable of the unforgiving servant, the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son (Luke 15). Jesus says of the 'Good Samaritan' " when he saw him, he had compassion on him." The word for 'compassion' there is often used to describe Jesus deep feeling for the ordinary people whether as a crowd or individual sufferers (Vine). As Jesus was being crucified He asked His Father to forgive those who were doing the awful deed.

Paul wrote in Romans 1 of God giving the whole sinful world over to its own sinfulness. He was 'locking them up'. When the Apostle refers in Romans 11.32 to God having consigned them all to disobedience he then writes 'that he might have mercy upon all' .

The way in which these two great qualities are best developed is to live consciously in the presence of God Himself. Is it possible to walk with God unless we are humble? "For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57.17 RSV) For those that are truly pious ‑ who really love their Creator who gave them life, walking with Him is the most natural and desirable thing in the world. This is what God wants ‑ He desires to have His people walk with Him ‑ every day.

DN