Perhaps you’ve heard that Christians should do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Even people outside the church have seen and heard these phrases.
Some people take this verse (Micah 6:8) as the theme of the book of Micah. Others claim this is even more important—that it’s the central message of the entire Old Testament, or the whole Bible.
This verse has made its way into mission statements for organizations of all types. You can see it everywhere from Christmas cards to protest banners.
But does the current use of this verse honor its context? God has given us paragraphs, chapters, and books—not just sayings and slogans. When we learn to read the Bible as God intends, we may find that our most quoted verses play a different role than we assumed.
The Immediate Context
The immediate context of Micah 6:8 is an indictment of the Lord against his people (Micah 6:2).
God reminds his people what he has done for them. He brought them out of Egypt and redeemed them (Micah 6:4). He turned the intended curses of Balak and Balaam into blessing, and he brought the people across the Jordan into the promised land (Micah 6:5). The people of God should not act as though God has wearied them (Micah 6:3).
Micah asks what sacrifice would be acceptable to the Lord—burnt offerings? Thousands of rams? Rivers of oil? A firstborn child? (See Micah 6:6–7.)
We read Micah 6:8 after these questions. No specific transgression or sin (Micah 6:7) has been mentioned, so Micah 6:8 is the charge against the people to which verses 6 and 7 are a response.
Yes, Micah 6:8 sets out God’s desires for his people in heart and action. But God is not merely giving a mission statement, he is leveling a legal charge. As the rest of the book of Micah makes clear, Israel has utterly failed to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with their God. This failure is detailed (and the deserved punishments are outlined) in Micah 6:9–16.
Needed: A New Leader
We must not only locate Micah 6:8 in its chapter but also its book.
Micah spends much of the first three chapters of the book warning Israel and Judah about the coming judgment for their sin. And many of these warnings are pointed at those in leadership.
- The rulers of the nations should know justice (Micah 3:1).
- The prophets lead the people astray, motivated by self-interest (Micah 3:5).
- The rulers of Israel detest justice and fill Jerusalem with sin. Their officials, priests, and prophets are motivated by money, and they do not see that disaster awaits their city (Micah 3:9–12).
The famous passage about the coming Messiah (Micah 5:2–5) is a direct consequence of these terrible failings. Israel needs a new ruler and a new shepherd; Israel needs peace. God will provide.
Because God is going to bring a new king for Israel, and because God’s king will be completely faithful in his ways, we can read Micah 6:8 through this lens. The Messiah will do justice, the Messiah will love kindness, and the Messiah will walk humbly with God. The Gospels show how beautifully and perfectly Jesus fulfilled these predictions.
Look to the Lord
After the indictment of Micah 6, readers naturally wonder where to find hope. Micah knows his own sin and admits that he cannot find any righteous on the earth (Micah 7:2). There is so much evil and corruption around that he cannot trust anyone (Micah 7:3–6). He must look to the Lord and wait for the God of his salvation (Micah 7:7).
Micah knows he has sinned against the Lord, but he knows just as surely that the Lord will vindicate him (Micah 7:8–9). In the end, Micah can hope and trust in God because of his steadfast love and compassion.
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
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 have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old. (Micah 7:18–20)
Conclusion
The way many people use Micah 6:8 is not exactly wrong, but it is incomplete. In this prophetic book, this verse serves as the law leveled by God against the people of Israel. And the judge brings a guilty verdict.
The guilt of the people reflects the guilt of their leaders, and God has promised a Messiah. We cannot depend on ourselves or anyone else except this one who will “be great to the ends of the earth” (Micah 5:4).
This Messiah—Jesus—will do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with his God. And he will do it for us.
Context matters.
For more examples of why context matters, click here.
Do you however believe this CAN be a neutral mission statement, if we remove “with God” and see everything holds steady, except now it scales?