MICAH'S NUTSHELL

We know it's fall when the neighborhood squirrels turn our back fence into a narrow highway to rush a neighbor's fallen walnuts to their winter hideouts. Packed into each knobby nut is the nutrition they'll need to survive the winter. I think there's a parallel here with the Old Testament books of prophecy. They have a lot of “woe” and “shame on you” going on in passages that call for a grasp of turbulent ancient history in what we call “The Holy Land.” The problem was, the people weren't preparing (like our industrious squirrels) for a time of deprivation or a better, back-to-God future.

Enter Micah, who lived near Gath, famous for its fallen non-hero, the giant Goliath. Like other prophets, he tried to warn people that God's judgment would come if they didn't turn from sin. In the midst of a negative communication there's a jewel that cries out, “Notice me! Obey me!”

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. --Micah 6:8

To put it in modern lingo:

*Following God is a good thing and it isn't rocket science.

*Be honest and just.

*Be merciful. Life isn't just about you.

*Humble yourself before God.

As for that last command, I think of Peter's similar teaching:

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Context always matters, and especially so here. Micah 6:6-7 shows how twisted the people's understanding of how to approach God had become. You catch hints that they were observing the practices of pagan nations around them—folks whose “religion” required elaborate sacrifices of livestock and even human babies:

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (v. 7)

Instead the message was simple: uphold justice, be kind, obey God. They represent faith in a “nutshell.” The nutrients that can sustain God-followers when times get tough.