Understandably Hurt (Micah 6:1-8)
"O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.” (Micah 6:3)
READ Micah 6:1-8
Hear now what the Lord says:
“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
Hear, O you mountains, the Lord’s complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will contend with Israel.
“O My people, what have I done to you?
And how have I wearied you?
Testify against Me.
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
O My people, remember now
What Balak king of Moab counseled,
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
From Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
That you may know the righteousness of the Lord.”
With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
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?"
IN WORD Imagine a husband with devastatingly good looks, a charming personality, and enormous confidence and skill in all he does. Imagine he selflessly dotes on his wife at every opportunity, lavishes expensive gifts on her, takes her on exotic vacations, dresses her in stylish fashions, and cooks for her every night. His affection is demonstrated at considerable sacrifice, but it doesn’t seem sacrificial to him because he adores her. He is the perfect husband, and she is the delight of his eyes.
Now imagine this privileged woman demanding more of her husband, complaining when his gourmet cuisine was steak instead of fish—or fish instead of steak, depending on her mood—and, out of boredom, sleeping with other men in the neighborhood. In other words, imagine her forgetting how blessed she is and trading her riches for refuse.
The absurdity of such apathy and ignorance is hard to comprehend, isn’t it? Most women wouldn’t choose to leave a palace to go live in a slum or to divorce a good-hearted, compassionate husband in favor of an abusive slob. But, according to an inspired prophet, that’s exactly what Israel did. And the pressing questions weighing on the heart of the betrayed are, “Why? What did I ever do to you? Haven’t I given you everything you could ever possibly want?”
IN DEED Only people under great deception can make such tragic choices, but there are a lot of people in the world who are deceived. (We came out from among them, but once shared their folly.) And the heart cry of the Lord of all creation is, “Do you realize what you’ve lost? Don’t you know what I would have done for you? I’d lay down my life for you!”
Only an amazing love could maintain that kind of sympathy in the face of such insulting betrayal. But God has an amazing kind of love. Count His blessings and treasure them. Never take them for granted. Let Him lavish you with His love. And return it with a passion.
We have a God who loves. That means that we have a God who suffers.