Listen to what the Lord says: “Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. “Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6
We try to use God for our own ends. We try to find something that God wants--some leverage--with which we can barter to get what we want. What do we want so badly? What infuriates us when someone else receives what we feel we deserve? What longing eats at our hearts and disturbs our sleep? We know that God could give us that, if he wanted. So we make an offer. Does he want prestige? Does he want glory? Does he want public professions of faith and sacrifice? Sure, we can give that as long as we will get what we want.
Micah reports the Lord's words and points them back to a famous spiritual wheeler-dealer: Balaam. Balak wanted to whomp on Israel when they were in the desert after leaving Israel. But he had seen that it had gone badly with the last nation that tried that, so he wants to buy some insurance. He has correctly identified the source of Israel's strength. It is Yahweh, their God. So Balak tries to find a holy man who knows about Yahweh and offers him the deal: you convince Yahweh or you place a curse on Israel, and I'll give you major big bucks. So Balaam, who knows what Yahweh wants, tries to play both sides: he keeps going and asking God again and again for the 'curse' that Balak wants, getting paid each time for his trouble, He extends hope that there is a way to gain leverage on Yahweh using mega-bucks. But eventualy God has to talk with Balaam through his donkey when Balaam goes too far.
So it is with Israel. They try to do what they want and have God bless it. They are so desperate to get what they want that they even offer their own children. So God tells them what is required: give up leverage on God and other people. Humble. Merciful. Just. Leverage. Revenge. Leverage. The way to gain leverage with God is to give up leverage.
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