All right, here are a few verses,
and they're very weighty and very instructive, very spiritual
for the children of God. Wherewith shall I come before
the Lord and bow myself before the Most High God? Shall I come
before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with
thousands of rams or 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? He hath showed thee, O man, what
is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly,
and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. The Lord's voice crieth unto
the city, the man of wisdom shall see thy name, hear ye the rod,
and who hath appointed it. Now the first part of verse six
again, wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself
before the Most High. This text is found in one of
the twelve minor prophets, as we call them, in the Old Testament. And since it's very seldom preached
on, you hardly ever hear a text on any of that. Now about all
we know about the prophet Micah is that the name seems to be
the same name of that one in 1st Kings chapter 22, Micaiah. And all we know about him is
what we're told here in this little book of the scripture.
As to his ministry, he was a prophet over 700 years before the incarnation
of our Lord in the flesh, and that his ministry covered a period
of approximately 30 to 40 years in time. And he was a prophet
of God unto them in that time. We read in chapter 1 and verse
1 that his ministry spawned the time of three kings that reigned,
Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, and historians say that he was probably
and likely a contemporary of the great statesman prophet Isaiah. And his ministry and his mission
was to root out and to expose the corruption that was in Israel
at that time. And then we also learn in chapter
one and verse one that his ministry was exercised towards Samaria
and Jerusalem. Much of his preaching was of
a critical nature against their sin, against their idolatry,
against their wickedness, and against their immorality, for
which the judgments of God were in danger of coming upon them. Matthew Henry specified the sins
of the people of that generation as being after this sort. idolatry,
covetousness, oppression, contempt of the word of God, abuse of
power by both the civil and the ecclesiastical leaders or magistrate. And for the book of Micah, there
is a seal of God put upon its canonicity. and its authenticity
in the New Testament, because we read that he had prophesied
where Christ would be born, Matthew chapter 2 and verse 4 through
verse 6. Now, some expositors see the
prophetical message of the prophet Micah as being after this order. First of all, in chapter 1 and
verse 1, the word of the Lord that came unto Micah which he
saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. They see three prophetical appearances
and messages of the prophet. The second one you find in chapter
3 and verse 1. Here I pray you, O heads of Jacob
and ye princes of the house of Israel. Another message or revelation. And then the final one, chapter
six and verse one, hear ye now what the Lord has to say. Before we settle in, let's take
a close note at these three addresses or prophecy of the great prophet. Number one, it is a general message
concerning their sin and the potential or coming judgment
of God. Then the second message is a
more direct one towards the heads and the leaders of the nation
and of the people. And the third one is a discussion
of the things that God requires for true repentance and is looking
graciously upon them and the way of salvation. You see that
at chapter 6 and verse 1. So let's divide our passage we
read into two parts or into two halves. In verses 1 through 5
and then in verses six through nine. Now the first five verses
of the chapter concern a controversy which the Lord had raised and
made known with his people, what Matthew Henry called again, articles
of impeachment against them, unquote, as it was so often the
case The prophet of God is sent among the people not to comfort
them but to expose to them their transgression and to make known
unto them their sin and to speak of the Lord's controversy with
them and the danger in which they stood if they continued
upon that way. In the third verse, for example,
The Lord hurls a challenge before them, saying unto them, Testify,
come on, testify. Let me hear your witness. Answer
me, tell me, what wrong have I committed against you as a
people? Have I wearied you? Have I burdened
you in some way? What would you accuse the Lord
of that he has resorted to deal with you in such a way? Or as
in Jeremiah chapter 2 and verse 5, he asked the people, what
iniquity is found in me? What have you found in me? that
is wrong, that has caused you to do and to live and to rebel
and to stop your ears at my word and my way as you've done. In
the fourth verse, rather than wrong them, the Lord had delivered
them out of their Egyptian bondage. Let it be remembered. that this
is so often set forth in the scripture as the greatest, the
highest favor that God had ever bestowed upon that nation, to
bring them forth out of their bondage in the land of Egypt,
freeing them so that they might be free of that bondage and oversight. In fact, God would say unto them
that he had done them much good, and therefore, for what evil
have they found in him? Then in the fifth verse of the
same chapter, not only were they delivered from Egyptian bondage
and all that it entailed, but they were the recipients of so
many of the providential mercies of God their journey through
the wilderness and into the land of Canaan such as God had blessed
them by frustrating the scheme of Balak to hire Balaam that
he might curse the people of Israel and God instead turned
it into a blessing rather than into a curse. Then in the last
part of verse 5 of chapter 6 We notice God did it and many like
thing that you might know the righteousness of the Lord. Now
some render the words the righteous acts of Jehovah, Jehovah God. He had done them much good in
their behalf. He had led them, supplied their
need, he had overthrown their enemy, and he had provided them
all that they needed. But now settling in on our text
here in verse 6 through verse 8, and we notice that the passage
here takes a slight turn if we discern it. And let us remember
that the previous five verses are meant to have a twofold effect
upon the people as they hear what the prophet has to say.
Number one, to refresh their mind about the many past mercies
of God toward them. It is good to remember the goodness
of God and his providence in time past. But then, secondly,
to bring upon them deep conviction for their sin, for they had sinned
in the face of, and they had sinned against the many mercies
of their God, and that it might move them to repentance and that
they might be turned again unto their God. And the question then
becomes as seen in verse 6 and in verse 7, how to repair the
breach between the holy God and the sinful and rebellious people. What will please God? What must they do? What must
they bring? What must they say that will
reconcile them to God, whom they have sinned against? What is
it that could repair the broken bond of fellowship by their sin
against their holy benefactor, even Jehovah God? What would
cause God to make his countenance to shine brightly upon them,
and bestow upon them many great new mercy and favors toward them,
and stay the threats of judgment and the hand of God that seem
to be at hand against them. Now the question is framed in
the first half of the sixth verse as we read. Wherewith shall I
come and bow myself before the Most High God? There's the question. Then we notice two things. Come,
approach, appear before God. And the second thing is to bow. That is to bow or to yield or
to do obeisance unto him. to give him reverence to, as
it were, genuflect before the great God of heaven. Bow the
knee, an act of worship on their part and of adoration unto God. Now in these two things, coming
and bowing, wherefore shall I come and bow before the great God
of heaven? And the question, wherewith?
In what way? How? With what? In what way? And so Matthew Henry framed the
question this way. What shall I give for my transgression
and for the sin of my soul? Unquote. And then there are the
various questions that frame it and draw it out in a different
way in consideration. Shall I come before him with
burnt offering? How shall I come before God and
bow before the Most High? And then, as if the people begin
to surmise in their own mind, shall I come before him with
burnt offering? Shall I go to my flock and shall
I fetch there the finest that I might find and bring that?
The second question, shall I come with calves of a year old? Not
old worn out calves, not old ones on their deathbed and all
scarred up, but calves of one year old, in the prime of their
life and in their existence. Will the Lord be pleased with
thousands of rams if I go and fetch out of the herds thousands
and thousands like Solomon did at the dedication of the temple? Will the Lord be pleased if thousands
of rams are offered about 10,000 rivers of oil. Suppose I give
oil before the Lord. Shall I give my firstborn for
my transgression, the very fruit of my body, my most beloved possession
that is the child of our own begetting? And we notice some
things about these things here. First of all, It rises from the
sublime, if we may say that, rising even unto the ridiculous. Rivers of oil, not just bowls
and basin, but literally rivers of oil dedicated and brought
before the Lord. The offering of choice caves,
in the prime of their life, and even a heathen practice of sacrificing
their children in the name of their God. A thing, by the way,
strictly forbidden of Israel throughout their Old Testament
history. And then secondly, we notice
that this is framed against the backdrop of Jewish worship. It has a Jewish flavor in all
the question and in all of that that is brought forth. burnt
offerings, caves, rams, oil, all of those things part of their
worship. Israel was taught, yea, they
were required to offer certain sacrifices before God at set
time, most of them with regard or in regard unto sin. Owen put it this way, sacrifices
were a part of the worship of God that were appointed, unquote,
And they were offered some of them at set time and on specific
occasion, some of them at regular and set intervals in their history. But it was not long after the
institution of these things by God among them, They began to
offer them formally and indifferently and without a heart in the matter,
at a predicted time, but only out of habit and only going through
the formality, and they lost all heart. toward that and the
worship of God. And then this led them to offer
inferior specimens unto God. Malachi 1.8 strongly rebukes
them, the blind, the lame, the sick, as a thing that had been
forbidden for them to offer. back in the book of Leviticus
22, 20 through verse 24. The sacrifices brought to God
were to be perfect physical specimen, without spot, without blemish,
not blind, not scurvy, not a broken bone, for they were to be typical
of the impeccability of the Lord Jesus Christ, who himself offered
without spot or blemish to God 1st Peter chapter 1 and verse
19 Malachi you remember challenged those in his day against their
defective sacrifices and he said offer it now to your governor
will he accept it or will he be pleased with that which you
bring still we need to not conclude that that Micah is speaking of
the defective sacrifices or of polluted and of unwanted children
and that kind of thing here in this passage of the scripture.
As for quantity, were they to bring thousands and thousands
unto them? So let me illustrate, if I might,
by an example. And if I've used it before, I'll
leave you then to judge whether it serves the present subject
and is relevant unto it. The example that I'd like to
bring is that of a man, a husband, unto a wife. who has wronged
her and has offended her and has grievously been unfaithful,
egregiously, brother, been unfaithful unto her, broken the vows of
marriage, maybe even departed for a time with some illicit
lover or whatever. So the question is, how shall
that breach be healed, if ever it is to be healed? How shall
he again win her favor? How shall he again be in her
favor? Upon what terms might they be
reconciled again after this grievous breach in their relationship? And what is it on his part that
she might receive him again into her life and Consider two options,
if we might, with regard to that situation as we would with the
religious in our tech. Number one, should that man come
and should he say and he bring unto her and say to her, for
what I've done, I brought you this large, beautiful diamond
ring. I bought you this large ring
and I got you a Rolex watch and a solid brooch and matching pearl
necklace and earrings, and, oh yes, by the way, there is a new
car sitting out in the driveway, and it is yours. Now, would that
wife who had been grievously wronged say to herself or to
others, see how much he loves me, See how much I mean unto
him? He's given me these expensive
things. He's showered me with gifts. What more could I ask? Would
that be her intention? Or number two, should he say
to that wife whom he had egregiously transgressed, I've wronged you. I have played the fool. I am
unworthy of your love. You are the best thing that has
ever happened unto me. You're the best wife that I could
ever have. The fault is all mine. God help
me to be never like that again and to be true in faith, which
is the proper response of the erring husband. Well, so much
for the example. Remember the penitential confession,
however, of David as he came before the Lord making that confession. Back in Micah chapter 6, and
it is time to bring us now to the 8th verse and see how it
relates to verse 6 and to verse 7. We see a natural connection
here. We see a natural flow of thought
when we look closely at the passage of scripture starting with a
premise in verses one through verse five. The people have sinned. The people have gone their own
way. They have transgressed God and
they have corrupted his worship. Hence the question in the sixth
verse now, wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself
before the most high God? Well, look at the eighth verse.
He showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord
require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God. Now, this is the idea of the
truth which Samuel expressed to old wicked King Saul an earlier
time in their history. He came home from a war. He had
not done all that God had commanded. In 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse
3, I believe it is, the prophet says to him, what meaneth all
this blading of sheep? Oh, that's to offer sacrifice
unto God. But God had told him to destroy
it and to be rid of it. And so the prophet Samuel says
unto Saul to sacrifice Unto the Lord in Gilgal, Saul said, that's
what it's for. And Samuel said unto him, has
the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying
the voice of the Lord? Can that be substituted for obedience? Can these sacrifices be substituted
for obedience unto him? And the prophet continues, behold,
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of
lambs. Be better. That's of the heart. That's what God would require. You see that again in David's
confession. You don't require burnt offerings,
else would I give it. But a broken heart and a contrite
spirit. This is the sacrifice that is
pleasing unto God. Saul argues to Samuel as Joseph
Hall did express it. If any gain by this act, it is
the Lord God. His altar shall smoke with sacrifices,
unquote. And yet Samuel tells him Obedience
is better than sacrifice. To heed God's word is better
than bringing countless fatted lambs before him. David knew
that in Psalm 51, as we hear him, you delight not in sacrifice,
else would I give it. You have no pleasure in burnt
offering. The sacrifices of God are broken
spirit, a broken spirit and a contrite heart. Oh God you will not despise. How this agrees with a passage
here in Micah chapter 6. rather than rest in multiple
sacrifices, rather than slaughter out of their herds for their
transgression. David knew, and all true children
of God know, that God values the sacrifice of a broken spirit
and a contrite heart. above rivers of blood of sacrificial
that might be brought before him. Better a broken heart than
a smoking altar any day. Better contrition than a dead
beast to be brought before God. Better a fire of contrition than
a fiery altar smoking with the meat of a beast their own. Now
here's a riddle or a puzzle which we must solve, and I think a
solve it especially as it pertains to Old Testament worship and
some things that are said about it. How is it that God, who appointed
the Old Testament sacrifices to be observed and be kept by
the people, and yet at times seems to and does speak disparagingly
of the sacrifices that they brought before Him. There's some places
I'll not turn there. You'll find it again in Amos
chapter 5 verse 21 through verse 24. You'll see it in Isaiah chapter
1 verse 10 through verse 15 where I'm sick of your sacrifices and
of your burnt offering. You'll see it in Hebrews chapter
10 verse 5 through 8. that with these things God is
not well pleased. And in Hebrews chapter 10, 1
through 4, is declared the fact that the legal sacrifices were
only temporary and they were only typical. And they were unable
to remove or to take away or to stop the accusing tongue of
conscience in those worshipers. Therefore, as Owen points out
in verse 5 through 10 of Hebrews chapter 10, the provision made
by God in the Lord Jesus Christ to supply the defect and inefficiency
of legal sacrifices, and that the offering of the Lord indeed
has done. So, In Hebrews 10 and verse 10,
we're sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once and for all. By the way, those words in Hebrew
10, 5 through 8 are a reference to those in Psalm chapter 40
and verse 6 through verse 8. Thus, when charged with their
sin, what was the response? They look for relief in a multitude
of sacrifices and burnt offerings, having mulled it over somehow
in their mind. What terms will procure for us
the favor of Almighty God? They propose beyond measure what
God had ever required of them. Why would God not accept it? because, as one said, they rested
in them as their ground of acceptance with God, which was taking them,
quote, beyond their typical virtue, unquote. At the same time, they
neglected the weightier matters of religion, even as did the
Pharisee. The greater part of religion
is not burning altars and sacrifices and all dedicated, but to be
just in behavior. To love mercy and to walk humbly
with God That's in Micah chapter 6 and verse 8 to fear God. This is the chief duty of man
Ecclesiastes chapter 12 in verse 13 to return with our whole heart
Jeremiah chapter 24 and verse 7 they like Naaman they like
old Naaman thought that they must do some great thing and
2 Kings 5.13, remember Naaman. Deuteronomy 10 verse 12, to what
the Lord required, to fear God, to walk in his ways, to love
him, to serve him with heart and with soul. That's what God
is pleased with and what God requires. But you know, things
are really not much different today. Let a sinner find out
in our day. that God has a contention with
him? That his sins are weighty and
they are an offense to God? Let him find himself under a
conviction and under a sense of his guilt. And what do they
do? Far too often their thought is like that erring husband that
we talked about earlier. How can I bribe my way back into
the favor of God? What will merit me acceptance
with him and he will bless me instead of judging me." Being
ignorant, being ignorant of gospel grace. They hope to find some
relief in their way or in their endeavors or in something that
they might be able to do or to perform while ignoring the cleansing
blood of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They will contrive
some way carved out in their vain imagination that they might
attain acceptance with God, such as, oh, I'll be baptized. I want
to be baptized. One of the fellows in the neighborhood
came to me two or three years ago Said, you know, if I get
baptized, do I have to join the church? Yeah, we want you to
become a member. You shouldn't get baptized unless
you're saved. That's why you get baptized.
Well, he had a couple of deaths in his family recently then,
and it got him kind of shook up. He thought maybe, well, I'll
be baptized, but I don't want to join the church. I don't want
to go to church. I just want to be baptized. But
that's what people think. Oh, I'll do good work. Sure.
I'll get back in church. That's one of the favorite things
that I hear. I need to get back in church.
Yesterday, a man drove in and said, what time is the service?
I said, well, 11 o'clock. He said, I'll be there. He's
not. But the great question is, what must I do? What am I to
do? What am I to say that might cause
God to look with favor upon me? Must I sacrifice? In some cases,
extremely. Sacrifice children? Give my own
body the children of my own body? Now, the solution is not in externals. God asks nothing at our hands. that will atone for our sin and
put them away. Justification and reconciliation
with God lies only in the blood and in the death of our Lord
and of our Savior, Jesus Christ. how God must hate the rituals
of religion that are carried on in our day, rather than the
heartfelt worship out of the heart, offering sacrifices of
praise unto God, as it says in Hebrews and in 1 Peter. What
shall I do? What shall I bring? What shall
I give? With what will God be pleased?
Thousands of rams? Oh, suppose I give a big offering.
Well, the heart, give me thine heart. A heartfelt, contrite
heart and spirit is greatly delightful unto the Lord, and that he will
look upon with blessing.