Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Micah 6:8 & Deuteronomy 10:12

"And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

That is a famous piece of prophetic Scripture, I heard it several times this MLK weekend. Like almost all of the prophets, their material is not original with them: it comes from Deuteronomy. And Micah, like most prophets, knew Deuteronomy. And so did Jesus. And so should we.

"And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God demand of you? Only this: to revere the LORD your God, to walk only in His paths, to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and soul and soul..."

This sounds similar to Jesus' version of the Great Commandment Part 1.

One theme of Jesus' ministry is this: Walk His Way.

He came to show us how to walk God's way, as outlined in the Torah.
He came to enable us to walk God's way, as outlined in the Torah.
He came to call us to walk God's way, as outlined in the Torah.

And Jesus gave us his version of the Torah. He is the new Moses.

Jesus was a prophet, like Micah, like Isaiah. He brings back to life the heart of the Torah, he vividly reminds us of the Covenant - it's blessings and curses. He compels his hearers, pleads, inspires us to respond rightly to God. To walk his way.

So what is a Christian? One who Walks His Way.

And like those first followers, I can be thickhearted and stiffnecked as I walk his way. How do I know if I'm straying or displeasing God? When I'm thickhearted and stiffnecked towards people who I live with, work with, shop with and play with. Walking God's Way has direct correlation to how I treat other people. As Micah points out. And Isaiah. And Jesus.

O LORD, soften my heart and relax my neck, torah (instruct) me, that I might walk your way and be a blessing (with all my heart, mind, soul) to the people I meet today.

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