Micah 6:1-16

6:1-5 | God displays considerable emotion in His dispute with Israel. For the Israelites to assert that God wearied them (Isa. 43:22-23) conveys that He did something to make them impatient and disobedient. In reality, He had mightily delivered them – from Egypt (Ex. 12:51; Deut. 7:8) to Gilgal (Josh. 5:9-10) - in fidelity to His righteous nature and covenant promises. The mountains, present throughout all of Israel’s history, are called on as witnesses (like the heavens of Deut. 32:1 and Isa. 1:2), because they have “seen” all that the Israelites have done.

6:6-8 | Micah summarizes the laws of Moses into three commands (Deut. 10:12). These few things are what God truly desires of His covenant people, not innumerable sacrifices offered without a commitment to faithful living (1 Sam. 15:22; Isa. 1:11; Hosea 6:6). Mercy in the Hebrew includes the idea of loyalty and faithfulness to God’s promises.

6:9-16 | The Lord passes sentences on Jerusalem and Samaria recounting their injustices (wicked and deceitful business practices, violence, and lies). An unproductive land and national scorn is the fate of a people who follow the example of Omri and Ahab, kings who promoted pagan worship in Israel’s capital (1 Kgs. 16:23-24).