#DailyDevotion What God Wills For You Is No Mystery
mountains, and let the hills hear you. 2Hear the LORD’s case, you mountains, and you enduring foundations of the earth, because the LORD is presenting His case against His people and is arguing with Israel.
Having addressed the nations in the previous verses, the LORD now turns to His people. He is in a sense taking His people to court and making His case against them. He tells them to plead their case against Him with creation as their witness. The LORD Himself will also plead His case against His people and call upon creation as His witness. The LORD often does this. I can only guess that creation is an impartial witness to everything.
3My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. 4I took you out of Egypt, freed you from the place where you were slaves; and I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. 5My people, please remember what Balak king of Moab planned, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you will know the righteous things the LORD has done.”
Verse three is used on Good Friday several times with the LORD pleading to His people in the pews. Here He is pleading with them to return to Him. He pleads with them based on what He has done for them in the past. He repeats the salvation history they had experienced. He saved them from the Egyptians, through the wilderness and into their land. Because of this, they should trust Him. He would point us to Jesus Christ on the cross and the empty grave to remind us what He has done for us.
6What should I bring when I meet the LORD and bow to God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand streams of olive oil? Should I give my firstborn for my wrong, the child of my body for my sin?
This is the Israelite complaint. They complain about the sacrifices. The word for bow here is not that of faithful worship but as a defeated subject. They exaggerate what sacrifices the LORD demands of them. The LORD has not asked them for these things. I hear similar complaints from those who leave Christianity. The hard life they think the Father demands of them is generally not what He has commanded or asked for. Their relationship with the LORD is based purely on their works and their performance, usually not what the LORD has told them to do.
8 You were told, O man, what is good and what the LORD wants from you: only to do what is right, love mercy, and live humbly with your God.
This is the LORD’s response. What the LORD wants is clearly written in the Torah. While there are outward performances of certain sacrifices and rituals, there is more importantly the life of the people of God. Doing what is right and loving mercy is how we treat our neighbor. Living humbly with God is our trust in who He is, what He has done for us and what He has promised in Christ Jesus. It is not complicated. He wants a life of faith in Him and for us to love our neighbor.
Heavenly Father, grant us eyes that see what You truly want of us and grant us Your Spirit that we may do it and please You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.