He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To begin with, it helps to understand what Micah 6:8 means. One thing is clear and true about this verse is the language. God is literally saying I have shown you what it is to do. You have no excuses.

The Lord desires that you act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him, as stated in Micah 6:8. This verse is often called the “Micah Mandate,” it emphasizes that God is not primarily concerned with outward rituals or sacrifices, but with inner character and righteous living.

Act Justly: simply means being fair and honest in all your dealings, treating everyone equally, and upholding moral principles even when it is not popular. That can easily be interpreted as treating everyone poorly, or treating the poor terribly. Which is what we are seeing today.

Love Mercy: involves showing compassion and kindness, especially towards those who are less fortunately or in need, and responding with understanding and empathy.

Walk Humbly with God: signifies recognizing that your position and blessings are a gift from God, not a result of your own merit, and living in a way that acknowledges His authority and grace.

Although God was speaking to Israel, it applies to us also. Before I attended seminary, I saw no real reason to read the Old Testament. I figured I could learn everything I needed to know from the Apostle Paul. I soon learned that I was wrong. What led up to Paul making the changes that he made?

Little did I know, without understanding what happened before has a lot to do with what is happening now. Clearly there was a problem or it would not be a need to address now. History as many would agree repeats itself. If you are not aware of the past and make no changes, it will continue to repeat itself.