Micah 6:1-8—The
people God Blesses – Blessed are those who fulfill God’s requirements
In response to
the LORD’s blessing; the faithful fulfill the LORD’s requirements.
Blessed are they who walk with God. Micah pictures God as suing his people. He
takes Israel to court. The people are the defendants. The prophet is God’s
defense attorney. The cosmos consists of the witness. God has something against
His people: they have been unfaithful to the covenant, played the harlot with
pagan gods, and broke His commandments. They have been a disobedient,
faithless, and rebellious people. God has a right to a controversy with His
people.
Micah pictures
God suing His people. He takes Israel to court. The people are the defendants.
The prophet is God’s defense attorney. The cosmos consists of the witnesses.
God has something against His people. They have been unfaithful to the
covenant, played the harlot with pagan gods, and broke His commandments. They
have been a disobedient, faithless and rebellious people. God has a right to
controversy with His people.
The reading is easily divided into three sections:
1.
Vv. 1-2 the calling of
the Heavenly court to order.
2.
Vv. 3-5 The Plaintiff’s
(The LORD_ Suit (heightened by a review of salvation history.)
3.
Vv.5-8 A Proper and
Improper Response.
God’s
complaint is that His people have forgotten what He has done for them in the
past. Pathetically God asks His people;
“What evil have I done to you? How have I wearied you?” It sounds as though God is to blame. He asks
His people to remember His past dealings with His people; acts of mercy,
loyalty, and deliverance – brought out of the slavery of Egypt, and conquest of
the Promised Land. These are the wonderful acts of God’s faithfulness and love
for His people.
Collects for Epiphany 4: Almighty God, You know we live in the
midst of so many dangers that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Grant
strength and protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all
temptations through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with
You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever.
O God, you know that we cannot withstand the dangers, which
surround us. Strengthen us in body and spirit so that with your help, we may be
able to overcome the weakness that our sin has brought upon us.[2]
Collect for Wednesday
of the week of Epiphany 3: Hear us, O God, in all our deep desires; some we can put
into words, most of them we can’t because we are strangers even to ourselves.
Of Thy mercy answer us, after Thy will and wisdom, not after ours. Through
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.[3]
-25 January 2023
[2] Collects for Epiphany 4, Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[3] Collect for Wednesday of the week of Epiphany 3, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, © 1995, The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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