December 28 Daily Discovery
December 28 Daily Discovery
Read Micah Chapter 6
What Does God Require of Us?
He hath shewed 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?
~ Micah 6:8
We tend to make things far too complicated. There are many things that we do thinking that they will result in God's approval.
Central to the system of worship in the first covenant (old covenant or old testament) was the sacrificial system.
God instructed His people to offer sacrifices (gifts) to Him as a part of their worship and regular practice. These were given to them as physical symbols of spiritual things.
Without this understanding, we will overemphasize things that are lesser and as a result, minimize things that are greater.
The gifts that the children of Israel were to bring to the Lord were emblematic of them giving themselves to the Lord. Without a heart that was right before the Lord, the gifts were meaningless and even repulsive to God.
Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for th
~ Isa. 64:5-7
Or, as stated in this book:
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?
7 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
Or, as repeated so clearly in Isaiah:
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
~ Isa. 1:11-20
God wants us to have a LOVE RELATIONSHIP with Him. Without this, our gifts are virtually meaningless. That does not mean we don't continue to do what we know is right. We give to the Lord in the new covenant what is called the "collection of the saints" in the first epistle to the Corinthians.
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
~ 1 Cor. 16:1-2
Just as the priests and Levites during the first covenant lived from the gifts of God's people, that is the way our ministers are supposed to live today.
However, to truly please God in our giving, we should be giving cheerfully.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
~ 2 Cor. 9:6-7
The simplicity of what God requires of us is that we do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.
Do Justly
Whenever we are about to do something or whatever we are going to do, it should be RIGHT as defined by God. Not what is easy, not what is convenient, not what is comfortable, but what is RIGHT or JUST.
For example, if you make a promise - KEEP it.
Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
~ Psalm 15
Love Mercy
When it comes to our interactions with other people, we need to rejoice in being able to show them mercy rather than justice.
We need to do justly when it comes to our own lives.
We need to love mercy when it comes to others.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
~ Matthew 5:7
It is wise to "bank" some mercy for yourself. You may need it someday!
So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
~ James 2:12-13
Walk Humbly
God not only is our Sovereign Creator and King, He wants to be our companion. This is what is meant by the word "walk."
I love walking. I walk most often alone. I try to use this time to pray, but I must admit that it is difficult to not become distracted.
Read Psalm 15 again and see God's invitation for you to "walk with Him." Learn what kind of person God wants to walk with!
Jesus also invites us to walk with Him and to work with Him.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
~ Matthew 11: 28-30
A yoke was a device that was used to join animals together so they could walk together and work together.
God will resist pride.
Walk humbly.
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Do you see any: Commands to Obey, Warnings to Heed, Promises to Claim, Examples to Follow, Vices to Avoid, Praises to Emulate, Prayers to Use, Principles by which to Live, Questions to Ask or Actions to Take?
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