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Faith Formation: Micah - Justice, Kindness, humility

  • trinitymilaca
  • May 7
  • 3 min read

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of his possession? He does not retain his anger forever because he delights in showing steadfast love. He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you swore to our ancestors from days of old. Micah 7:18-20

Many Psalms of Lament that express the pain and sorrows of life end with a note of hope and praise. "How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? ... But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD because he has dealt bountifully with me." Psalm 13 The prophet Habakkuk began with a complaint, "O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you, 'Violence!' and you will not save." Yet Habakkuk's last words were full of hope and enduring faith. "Though the fig tree does not blossom and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will exult in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer and makes me read upon the heights." Habakkuk 1:2, 3:17-19 The life of a prophet speaking for God against God's people calling leaders to justice, kindness and humility was difficult. Their words were rejected and dismissed. They faced opposition from false prophets who only said positive encouraging things the leaders even as society crumbled. Micah was a prophet like that. True to form the prophets last words were of grace and gratitude, hope and faith.

"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression..." After all the prophet said the transgressions of Jacob and the sins of Israel, woe to those who devise wickedness and evil deeds on their beds, who tear the skin off my people and the flesh off their bones ... who chop them up like meat in a kettle, who cry "Peace" when they have something to eat but declare war against those who put nothing in their mouths, indeed, "Who is a God like you, ... He does does not retain his anger forever because he delights in showing steadfast love." Micah's final words repeatedly express deepest confidence and wonder at the graciousness of God. "pardoning iniquity ... passing over transgression ... not retain his anger ... delights in showing clemency ... will again have compassion ... will tread our iniquities under foot ... cast all our sins into the depths of the sea ... will show faithfulness to Jacob ... unswerving loyalty to Abraham ..." as had been promised from the beginning, "from days of old." Such a gracious God at times offends our sense of righteousness and justice. Jonah felt the bite of his own anger at Nineveh which he desperately wanted to see destroyed. He did not finally understand or want to submit to "a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from punishment." Jonah 4 This is the God we have, the God faith from the scriptures proclaims.

Martin Luther concluded his explanation of The Ten Commandments with the question, "What then does God say about all these commandments?" He quotes Exodus 20: "I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments." The commandments are to be obeyed, heeded and lived. They lead us to justice, kindness, and a humble walk with God, each other and the earth. Violating the way of God does harm for generations. But God's anger is measured in terms of three to four, while God's steadfast love and mercy are measured to a thousand. Though we will all be caught in lives of lived between rejection/iniquity and love and listening obedience, we will loved beyond our failings as far as 3 and 4 are from a 1000. God's promise to us is faithfulness and steadfast love. Our way is to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.

Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk humbly with God

Pastor Tim Bauer

 
 
 

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