Micah 6:7 KJV
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 (Hebrew: belly)
for the sin of my soul?
He might be happy with thousands of male sheep, or ten thousand rivers of olive oil. I have not obeyed God. I might even kill and burn my oldest son, because of that. I have done wrong things and I must pay God for that. Perhaps, if I give my own child to him, that will be enough to pay.’
× 0 ×
Rivers of oil
Used in sacrifices (Leviticus 2:1,15). Will God be appeased by my offering so much oil that it shall flow in myriads of torrents?
My first-born
As the king of Moab did (2 Kings 3:27).
Fruit of my body
My children, as an atonement (Psalms 132:11).
The Jews offered human sacrifices in the valley of Hinnom (Jeremiah 19:5, 32:35, Ezekiel 23:27).
× 0 ×
Micah 6 is a chapter in which very different voices speak to us, for example:
▪︎ The voice of a sinner,
▪︎ And the voice of the prophet.
How can a sinner meet God?
▪︎ By sacrificing, slaughtering thousands of animals?
▪︎ By even sacrificing your own child?
That was not a theoretical possibility for Micah’s contemporaries.
Child sacrifices were made in those days to appease the gods.
The Lord does not ask us to sacrifice our children.
This, once and for all, becomes clear, in the history of Abraham, who ultimately did not have to sacrifice Isaac.
But what God does not ask of you and me, He does Himself!
He gives His Son, His Firstborn, not for His transgression, but for ours.
We keep thinking about that. At Advent, at Christmas, on Good Friday, at Easter, on Ascension Day, and at Pentecost.
And we constantly thank Him for this immeasurable great act of grace.
What remains to do?
Micaiah expresses it very simply: Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God!
A clear testimony will be seen in a life so lived.
× 0 ×
Internet: http://harryschoemaker.nl
Website: https://devotionals.harryschoemaker.nl
~
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldwide.ekklesia/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/302675914424623/
Twitter: @SchoemakerHarry
About Author
