61 Hear, I pray you, that which Jehovah is saying: 'Rise—strive thou with the mountains, And cause thou the hills to hear thy voice.' 2 Hear, O mountains, the strife of Jehovah, Ye strong ones—foundations of earth! For a strife 'is' to Jehovah, with His people, And with Israel He doth reason. 3 O My people, what have I done to thee? And what—have I wearied thee? Testify against Me. 4 For I brought thee up from the land of Egypt, And from the house of servants I have ransomed thee, And I send before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 O My people, remember, I pray you, What counsel did Balak king of Moab, What answer him did Balaam son of Beor, (From Shittim unto Gilgal,) In order to know the righteous acts of Jehovah.'
6 With what do I come before Jehovah? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves—sons of a year? 7 Is Jehovah pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my first-born 'for' my transgression? The fruit of my body 'for' the sin of my soul? 8 He hath declared to thee, O man, what 'is' good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except—to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Micah 6:1-8
Commentary on Micah 6:1-5
(Read Micah 6:1-5)
The people are called upon to declare why they were weary of God's worship, and prone to idolatry. Sin causes the controversy between God and man. God reasons with us, to teach us to reason with ourselves. Let them remember God's many favours to them and their fathers, and compare with them their unworthy, ungrateful conduct toward him.
Commentary on Micah 6:6-8
(Read Micah 6:6-8)
These verses seem to contain the substance of Balak's consultation with Balaam how to obtain the favour of Israel's God. Deep conviction of guilt and wrath will put men upon careful inquiries after peace and pardon, and then there begins to be some ground for hope of them. In order to God's being pleased with us, our care must be for an interest in the atonement of Christ, and that the sin by which we displease him may be taken away. What will be a satisfaction to God's justice? In whose name must we come, as we have nothing to plead as our own? In what righteousness shall we appear before him? The proposals betray ignorance, though they show zeal. They offer that which is very rich and costly. Those who are fully convinced of sin, and of their misery and danger by reason of it, would give all the world, if they had it, for peace and pardon. Yet they do not offer aright. The sacrifices had value from their reference to Christ; it was impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. And all proposals of peace, except those according to the gospel, are absurd. They could not answer the demands of Divine justice, nor satisfy the wrong done to the honour of God by sin, nor would they serve at all in place of holiness of the heart and reformation of the life. Men will part with any thing rather than their sins; but they part with nothing so as to be accepted of God, unless they do part with their sins. Moral duties are commanded because they are good for man. In keeping God's commandments there is a great reward, as well as after keeping them. God has not only made it known, but made it plain. The good which God requires of us is, not the paying a price for the pardon of sin and acceptance with God, but love to himself; and what is there unreasonable, or hard, in this? Every thought within us must be brought down, to be brought into obedience to God, if we would walk comfortably with him. We must do this as penitent sinners, in dependence on the Redeemer and his atonement. Blessed be the Lord that he is ever ready to give his grace to the humble, waiting penitent.