Act Love Walk
Notes
Transcript
God’s instructions to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God” need to be heard in context. Micah wasn’t thinking of grade school girls in Tillsonburg when he wrote.
Micah is an OT prophet. He preached +700 years before Jesus was born. That’s 3000 y ago! It was a troubled time.
The Assyrians built an empire. Marching their army out of Nineveh, they conquered nation after nation. Each year, the Assyrian army got closer & closer to Jerusalem. When Hezekiah had reigned 4 years in Jerusalem, the Assyrians defeated Samaria, the Kingdom just north of Jerusalem.
10 y later, the Assyrians lay siege to Jerusalem. King Hezekiah barred the city gates. Sennacherib sent a rude letter insulting Hezekiah and his people for trusting the Lord.
So Hezekiah prayed for help. This is how the Lord answered:
This is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:
‘He will not enter this city
or shoot an arrow here.
He will not come before it with shield
or build a siege ramp against it.
By the way that he came he will return;
he will not enter this city,
declares the Lord.
I will defend this city and save it,
for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.’ II Kings 19:32–34 (NIV)
Then God sent the Assyrians back to Nineveh.
Micah lists many times that God saved his people.
I brought you up out of Egypt; redeemed from slavery!
When Balak plotted to curse Israel, God made Balaam bless the Israelites 3X!
On the journey from Shittim to Gilgal, the Lord stopped the Jordan River and they entered the Promised Land on dry ground.
After all the ways God rescued and provided for his people, God sent Micah to hold his people accountable. God looks for justice & righteousness among his people but isn’t finding it.
This is important to get the order of these things straight. After God has shown his love, his mercy, and his compassion by rescuing his people, that should affect the love, mercy, and compassion God’s people have towards other people.
Big Q: Has God rescued you?
God’s big rescue plan is what the Bible is all are about!
God has rescued the world from sin and death. It’s the whole reason Jesus came into the world and became human. As both God and human, he can take the punishment we deserve.
Punishment for what?
Nobody is as kind as we’d like to be with our words and actions. We don’t always have God as #1 in our hearts and minds. We don’t live up to God’s standard of obedience, goodness, and love. There’s a theological word for that: sin.
Sin leads to death. It puts barriers b/t us and others; barriers b/t us and God.
B/c God is just and righteous, he won’t leave sin unpunished. Somebody must pay the price. The only person who can do it for you is Jesus.
Maybe you remember Good Friday – that’s the day we remember how Jesus died on a cross. That’s when he took our punishment on himself. But 3 days later he rose to life. Jesus defeated sin and death!
By faith in Jesus, we are rescued from death. We’re given new life to live as God’s family.
Once we’re saved from sin and death, God paints a picture of how we can be like him; what our life could look like now that we’ve been rescued.
We’re in the same place as Micah’s first audience 3000 years ago: God has rescued you and shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Act Justly
When you talked about Justice last fall, you read the OT story of Hannah. She and Peninnah were both married to Elkanah. Elkanah played favorites. He loved Hannah more. But Peninnah had children and Hannah didn’t. So Peninnah was mean. She said such cruel things to Hannah that Hannah cried – and poured out her sadness and pain to God. God heard her.
Not just comfort, God also gave Hannah a son – Samuel. He was a leader, a prophet, a judge who led with justice, teaching God’s instructions for holiness and resolving disputes.
Love Mercy
Jonah – learned mercy and compassion from the Lord outside Nineveh.
Can I tell you the story of how I got this blanket?
Abigail & I were handing out chocolate bars on Hallowe’en.
dark and stormy night.
8 yr old boy driving by w/ his mom thought we looked cold.
While they got groceries, they picked up 2 blankets and gave them to us on their way home.
Walk Humbly w/ your God.
Mary – humbly accepted God’s plan.
You have been rescued from sin so God’s image – his justice, mercy and humility – can be see in you. So your actions show God’s goodness.