“Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the 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?” (Micah 6:6-7)
People mistakenly believe that by “doing good” they can obtain God’s favor and satisfy his wrath for their sins. In fact, this error in thinking goes all the way back to Cain who thought he could simply pick some of his best fruits and vegetables and present them before the Lord for a pleasing response, regardless of the condition of his heart. Instead, God rejected his offering.
The prophet Jeremiah elaborates on such errors in thinking, “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?” (Jer. 7:8-10).
God’s response to Cain’s offering clearly demonstrates that since the beginning of time people have erroneously thought they could appease God by simply presenting him with some form of gift or service … irrespective of their relationship with him or the posture of their heart toward him. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth! Matthew 15:8-9 affirms what God thinks of such superficial attempts at worship, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain.”
In our current passage in Micah 6 we read about the controversy God has with his people involving the fact that they have been ungrateful for the many favors received from him. In response to God’s charge of ingratitude, the prophet introduces a representative for God’s people, who then asks how he can make amends for their disobedience.
This is a good enough beginning, of course. But this individual’s gross misunderstanding of God and his requirements are made patently clear when he proceeds to offer to reimburse God through excessive ritual service and to appease Him by means of a pagan form of expiation, the sacrifice of first-born children!
John Knox said, “The pestilent priests of Moses’ law, as witness the prophets, caused the people to believe that by presentation of the sacrifice they were just and innocent; and desired, for such offerings, the plague and the wrath of God to be removed, (Hos. 7; Jer. 2). But it is answered to them by the prophet Micah, “Shall I come in his presence with burnt offerings, and yearling lambs? Or doth a thousand rams please him, or ten thousand boats of oil? Shall I give my first-born son for expiation of mine iniquity; or the fruit of my womb a sin offering for my soul?” (Micah 6:6-7). Here the prophet plainly witnesses that no external work, how excellent ever it is, purges or makes satisfaction for sin.”
In the end, God’s people come to an understanding of what he requires for true worship with their admission that their sins could not be expiated “by the blood of calves or rams, even when multiplied to thousands, by any libations of oil, though ten thousand rivers be poured out, nor by the death of their firstborn,” (Micah 6:6-7).
And then following their admission, the prophet shares this beautiful verse of Scripture describing what God does want – and even what he expects – from those of us who are his children: “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God,” (Micah 6:8). We need always remember that it is only by the work and merit of Jesus Christ can we be saved and then empowered to worship as God requires (John 4:24).
Contemplations:
- Lord, I know that the satisfaction of divine justice by the sufferings of Christ affords the strongest assurance to me. I am a guilty creature whom God desires to pardon, but only through the merit of Christ.
- Lord, my natural conscience, having been opened by a piercing conviction of sin, has such a quick sense of guilt and your justice against it. It can never have an entire confidence in your mercy until justice is atoned through Jesus.
- Lord, Scripture tells us about some who sacrificed their children to idols to gain their favor. What a horrible practice! But their most costly sacrifices were only food for the fire. And instead of expiating their old sins, with this atrocious act they committed new sins that only served to inflame your wrath.
- Lord, the gospel clearly reveals that Christ performed what is necessary for my justification completely to the letter, and through a lively and practical faith I shall have an interest in it.
Further References for Micah 6:6-7:
Psalm 40:6; Psalm 51:16; Hebrews 10:4; 1 Sam. 15:22
