TEXT TO REFLECT ON
“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?
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 He 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
REFLECT
God’s indictment against Israel through the prophet Micah was that the rich, the rulers, and the priests had exploited, bullied, and oppressed their own people, particularly the poor. The rich and powerful were so oppressive that they had robbed the people of their land, and taken whatever possessions the poor had.
The question in this passage was, what would appease God in His fierce anger? The bids grew higher and higher and more severe (and I might add, more ridiculous). Would yearlings do? What about thousands of rams? The very rich might even afford ten thousands of rivers of oil. What about something more personal – like my firstborn child? Of course these suggestions were rhetorical. But the point was, how severe is God? How demanding is He? How much must we give before God is satisfied? What can atone for my sin?
God’s answer was deceptively simple and lenient. Nothing so extravagant as rivers of oil or a firstborn son. Just a change of attitude, a change of lifestyle. I say it was deceptively simple and lenient, because in reality, a change of heart is far more difficult to achieve than sacrifices.
RELATE
God’s demands say something about Him and about us.
First, that God is more concerned about people than about Himself. Sacrifices would enrich God. They would magnify His prestige. A sacrifice of one’s firstborn would strike fear into many hearts. All in all, God’s stature would be magnified. But God isn’t interested in magnifying Himself for His own sake. He wants the rich and the powerful to be just and kind to the weakest and the lowest, and to stop thinking so highly of themselves.
We often think that the best gift we can give to God is financial. Churches raise funds and tell their followers that God wants us to empty our wallets for His glory. We often atone for our sins by giving more to God or to the church.
What this passage tells us is that God isn’t that interested in our money. What He really cares for is how we deal with people, especially the poor, in our everyday lives. He wants us to be fair and honest in our dealings, to refrain from cheating to enrich ourselves. More than that, He wants us to be kind to others. And for our sakes, He wants us to know that He is far more powerful than we, or our enemies, or our circumstances are.
But secondly, we discover that perhaps it is easier to sacrifice to God than to change our character and our lifestyle. Giving to God calls for a one-off sacrifice. Learning to live justly and kindly and humbly is a lifelong quest. So often, we find it easier to piously give large gifts to God, and then continue to live our lives the way we have always lived. No change required. We continue to be selfish, dishonest, wicked, and to exploit others to our advantage. And still bluff ourselves that we have been giving to the Lord. I have encountered Christians who tithe their ill-gotten gains and justify their dishonesty by claiming that the church and God benefit. Giving to God becomes akin to paying God for the license to do evil.
The truth is that the size of our gift does not impress God. What God desires is a change of heart, a yielding to God to deal honestly with others and to look compassionately on those in need.
REST
Change my heart oh God
Make it ever true
Change my heart oh God
May I be like You
You are the potter
I am the clay
Mold me and make me
This is what I pray
From Change My Heart O God by Eddie Espinosa 1982
Chiu Ming Li
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