He Told You What Is Good

Some leaders are impossible to figure out.

They excel at authoritarian pronouncements and blistering chastisement, but disappoint as communicators. Those in their charge never quite know what is expected of them – their slate of responsibilities is like a moving target, which they can never seem to hit to the satisfaction of the leader.

Every student has probably had such a teacher – tests and essays were an adventure in trying to guess what the grader really would want to see. Many bosses are of this sort, for they have risen to places of authority due to merit or longevity, but that is where the Peter Principle – “in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence” – strikes and their inability or disinterest in communicating a vision to the people doing the work renders them inefficient at supervision (First Peter 2:18). Athletes are frustrated with coaches whose demands cannot be met, just as children are exasperated by parents who only seem to demand more without ever expressing approval (Colossians 3:21).

In such situations, one never seems to know how to define success and he certainly never experiences it, because the voice that could pronounce victory will not. Sometimes it is a matter of pride, or a perverse attempt at motivation, but usually it adds up to discouragement, turnover, and failure.

There is no reason – ever – that a believer in Jesus Christ should feel that way about the authority in Heaven. God’s expectation of us is no moving target, but is an eminently attainable goal (Philippians 3:12-15).

Although he wrote long before the establishment of the new covenant upon which these premises are based, the prophet Micah also asserted that God’s expectation is both knowable and achievable.

With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8)

Micah reports the self-serving proclamations of ignorance and frustration that emanate from people who really do not want to try to be faithful, who would prefer to give minimal effort and enjoy maximum benefits. They falsely claim to be incapable of figuring out God’s expectation, using passive aggressive hyperbole to make God seem unreasonable. Micah responds that God’s requirement is not confusing or excessive; certainly it is not even impossible to the one who is willing to pursue God’s favor with the diligence characteristic of Noah or Job.

Micah is not presenting the elements of the gospel invitation, of course, but he is setting forth timeless principles of faithful discipleship. There are three of them: first, doing justice to the people around us, especially those who depend upon our fairness when we occupy seats of leadership, judgement, or benevolence; second, expressing kindness and mercy to people who, like us, sometimes fail and fall short of perfection and thus require a second chance, which is obtained through grace; and, third, walking humbly with God in faithful subjection and obedience.

Jesus persisted in these timeless themes throughout his earthly ministry, leaving them as pillars of truth and discipleship when the disciples assumed both pulpit and pen. Jesus confronted those who rejected him outright and those who believed, but refused to confess him, saying,

If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. (John 12:47-49)

In other words, he has told you, O man, what God expects. The teaching and lifestyle of Christ perfectly demonstrate the human ideal, and, coupled with the inspired commentary of early Christians, the New Testament becomes the manual for life. One of them, the apostle Paul, asserted, “When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4). That mystery, now revealed, involved the extension of grace to people of every nation and its description in the New Testament is understandable, even if a bit of human effort and persistence are required (Second Peter 3:17, Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 18:1-8).

The principles set forward by Micah remind us that mere religious ritual is not sufficient to cause God to overlook insincerity and hypocrisy. He refuses to attend the sacred assembly where iniquity is excused or glossed over by callous rites of false piety (Isaiah 1:13-17). Conversely, God is not so unreasonable to expect that anyone will live out his life flawlessly – that practical certainty of shortcoming, after all, is why he sent Jesus and the essence of his grace toward the sinner. While we strive to live holy lives, we also must acknowledge imperfection, because it is then that we can enjoy God’s forgiveness and the sense of reclamation as prodigal children who come home (First John 1:9-10).

Our Father is far from unreasonable, explaining to us what he expects and then extending to us the offer of mercy when we fall short. Sinless perfection is not the medium of fellowship; it is Christ’s shed blood and our interest in allowing its power to course through our veins as obedient, if imperfect, children of the covenant.