Micah's Courtroom: Justice, Kindness, Walk Humbly with God

Devotional

Day 1: God desires justice, kindness, humble walking.

God calls for the heart, not elaborate offerings—what God truly wants is a people who pursue justice in their dealings, love kindness with action, and walk humbly with him rather than chasing power, wealth, or image; this is the posture that undoes the pollution of corrupt worship and the grind that never satisfies. [27:25]

Micah 6:1-8 (ESV)
1 Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, O you mountains, the controversy of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 O my people, what have I done to you? Or how have I wearied you? Answer me.
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD.
6 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?
7 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?
8 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?

Reflection: Identify one recent decision or relationship where you chose gain, comfort, or reputation over justice or kindness; what is one concrete action you will take today to choose justice or show kindness instead (a phone call, correcting an unfairness, or offering help)?

Day 2: Grace frees, not to continue sinning.

Grace is not a loophole for self-led living; being under grace calls for a transformed life that leaves the patterns of sin behind, because Christ's sacrifice invites a new way of living, not permission to keep repeating old ways of damage and deceit. [39:13]

Romans 6:1-2 (ESV)
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Reflection: What one habitual practice or excuse have you been using to justify continued sin in your life? Name it now and decide on one immediate, specific step you will take today to break that pattern (confess to a trusted person, remove a trigger, or set a short-term accountability plan).

Day 3: God's kindness leads us to repentance.

God's patient kindness is intended to awaken repentance, drawing the heart back in love rather than crushing it with shame; his loving correction points to restoration, inviting a humble return rather than hiding in defensiveness. [41:50]

Romans 2:4 (ESV)
4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

Reflection: Where have you hardened your heart against God's kindness or resisted his correction? Ask God today to show you one specific area to repent of, write one sentence confessing it, and take one immediate step toward reconciliation (apologize, repair, or remove what tempts you).

Day 4: Remember God's deliverance and the warning in history.

Remembering God's past saving acts — the exodus, faithful leaders, and even the story of Balaam — is a spiritual defense against corruption and false counsel; calling to mind what God has done grounds trust and exposes the ways people are tempted to bribe truth or follow destructive counsel. [24:15]

Numbers 22:18 (ESV)
But Balaam answered Balak, "Behold, I have come to you; have I now any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak."

Reflection: Write down one clear way God has delivered or provided for you in the past year, then share that specific story with one person today (a message, a call, or in conversation) as a way of remembering and testifying to God's faithfulness.

Day 5: Christ's sacrifice calls for remembrance and surrender.

The broken body and poured-out blood of Jesus were given to wash away sin and shame; remembering His sacrifice is not mere ritual but an invitation to surrender everything back to him and to live in the freedom and humility his death purchased. [17:40]

1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (ESV)
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

Reflection: At a meal or a quiet moment today, take a piece of bread or a bite of food and intentionally thank Jesus for his body given for you; as you do, name one area of your life you will surrender to him this week and state one practical step to begin that surrender (a habit to stop, a gift to give, or a relationship to restore).

Sermon Summary

We began at the Table, remembering Jesus’ body broken and blood poured out, and then stepped into a courtroom. Not a hoax like the Jury Duty show, but the real scene of Micah 6—God bringing a case against His own people. Israel’s leaders were buying up land, rigging scales, bribing prophets, and squeezing the poor. In response, God didn’t thunder first with wrath; He reminded them of His rescue: Egypt, the wilderness, Moses, Miriam, and even Balaam—the long record of His faithful love. The people’s reply, tragically, showed how far they had drifted: “What if we bring more sacrifices? What if we bring everything—even our firstborn?” When hearts are captured by power and excess, even worship becomes a transaction.

God’s answer is beautifully clear: do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God. He then asks piercing questions: Can He overlook dishonest weights and lying tongues? He will not, because love refuses to bless what destroys us. The “judgments” Micah describes sound like punishments—eating without satisfaction, work without harvest—but they are actually the fruit of the path Israel had chosen. Greed creates a hunger that will not be fed. Exploitation multiplies toil without joy. Corruption cannot deliver the life it promises.

This is our mirror too. We live in a culture discipled by grind, hustle, and self-advancement. We chase more and feel less. God’s case against Israel exposes the fault lines in us: our hunger for control, our habit of inflating self-importance, our subtle compromises. Yet the same God who indicts also invites. He is not seeking repayment but return. Jesus—our Redeemer—has paid the price in full. Grace is not a loophole; it is new life. God’s kindness leads us to repentance, and His Spirit forms a people who reflect His heart: justice that protects the vulnerable, kindness that costs us something, and humility that walks with God rather than performing for Him. This is the good life He offers—His life, with Him.

Key Takeaways

1. Judgment that aims to heal God’s charges in Micah 6 are not revenge but love’s refusal to bless what destroys His people. He cannot ignore crooked scales because they deform community and harden hearts. Divine discipline removes false power so we can return to the only One who satisfies. [31:22]
2. True worship: justice, kindness, humility God rejects transactional religion—lavish offerings without changed lives. He wants our hearts aligned with His character, expressed in everyday fairness, compassion, and a quiet, dependent walk with Him. Micah 6:8 is not a slogan but a way of being formed by God’s presence. [27:25]
3. The path of greed never satisfies Micah names the emptiness of grasping: eating without fullness, working without harvest, saving without security. Greed promises control but delivers restlessness. Only God can turn labor into fruit and desire into joy. [29:22]
4. Remember redemption, and return home God rehearses His saving acts to train our memory: you were rescued before; you can trust Me now. Remembered grace loosens our grip on self-salvation and opens us to repentance. The God who delivered from Egypt still leads us into freedom today. [23:49]
5. Grace is not a loophole Jesus has paid our debt in full, but grace never licenses old patterns—it liberates us into a new obedience. “By no means” is the gospel’s answer to using forgiveness to excuse sin. Grace empowers the Micah 6:8 life we could never manufacture on our own. [39:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:40] - Communion Prayer and Amen
[17:52] - Jury Duty illustration: a real fake trial
[20:20] - Introducing Micah 6 courtroom
[21:37] - The Lord brings His case
[22:29] - Israel’s corruption exposed
[23:49] - Remembering God’s saving acts
[25:27] - Israel’s misguided sacrifices
[27:25] - What the Lord requires
[29:22] - Consequences of corrupt living
[31:22] - Discipline, not wrath
[34:53] - A mirror held to our hearts
[39:13] - Grace is not a loophole
[41:50] - Kindness that leads to repentance
[43:22] - Closing prayer of surrender

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Micah 6:1-8
1 Hear now what the LORD says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a dispute with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 "O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me.
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD."
6 "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?
7 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?"
8 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?

Observation questions (3–4)

Read Micah 6:4–5. Which past events and people does God remind Israel of, and why does Micah put those memories into God’s case?
Read Micah 6:6–7. What offerings do the people propose, and what do those proposed sacrifices reveal about their view of God and worship?
Read Micah 6:8. What are the three requirements God names? For each one (justice, kindness/mercy, walking humbly) give a concrete example of what it might look like in everyday life.
The pastor opened with the story of the man on the TV show “Jury Duty” — one person believing he’s judging a real case while everyone else is acting. How does that image help you hear God’s courtroom scene in Micah 6 differently? [17:52]

Interpretation questions (3–4)

How does God’s rehearing of his rescue (Micah 6:4–5) function as both accusation and invitation? What does remembering rescue do to the people on trial?
The people respond with larger and larger sacrifices (v.6–7). What does that reveal about how people try to fix relationship with God when their hearts are captured by power or excess?
The pastor argued that God’s “judgments” in Micah are discipline meant to heal rather than vindictive wrath. How does that interpretation change the way a church should speak about God’s discipline when confronting communal sin? [31:22]
Micah 6:8 packs three verbs into one brief command. Which of the three is hardest for people in our culture shaped by grind/hustle (justice, love-kindness, humble walking)? Why does that one pose the greatest barrier to real change?

Application questions (5–7)

Identify one specific place where you’ve used “crooked scales” in your life — a way you’ve taken advantage of someone, hoarded resources, or rigged situations for personal gain. What one immediate step will you take this week to begin to repair that (a conversation, a repayment, a changed policy)?
The pastor said he’s been captured by hustle and grind culture and named how tempting those messages are in everyday life. Where are you most tempted by hustle or control (job, social media, reputation, side-gigs)? What will you stop doing and what will you start doing instead for the next 30 days? [36:21]
Micah 6:8 calls for “loving kindness” that costs us something. Name one concrete, costly act of kindness you can do in the next two weeks (time, money, an awkward conversation) for someone who is vulnerable or overlooked. Who will you do it for and when?
The sermon warned that grace is not a loophole for repeating old patterns. Where might you be leaning on forgiveness as an excuse to continue the same sin or habit? Who can hold you accountable, and what specific accountability will you accept (regular check-ins, a counselling appointment, an accountability partner)? [39:13]
Memorize Micah 6:8 this week. Then write down one daily, measurable habit that practices each part (justice, kindness, humility) — e.g., one act of fairness at work, one intentional kindness, one minute of honest prayer of dependence. What will those daily habits be for you?
The sermon urged remembering God’s rescue to loosen self-salvation. Name one concrete memory of God’s rescue in your life (a turning point, answered prayer, a delivered crisis). How will you rehearse and share that memory this month to keep your heart returning to gratitude instead of performance? [23:49]

Sermon Clips

God here is making his case, saying things like, Remember what I have done. Remember the trouble that you were in, and how I have brought you out. Remember my redemption that I have for you. Remember the slavery and how I pulled you out. Remember Aaron, Moses, Miriam, and how I can be faithful to you. I can bring you to the promised land. The land you are now in, which I had promised for you, I am with you. I have remembered you, and I have redeemed you. [00:24:01] (27 seconds) #GodRemembersRedeems

This is what God asks for his people. Not elaborate sacrifices, not their own levels of power. This. I love how the Amplified Bible puts this. Has he told you, O man, what is good? And what does the Lord require of you except to be just and to love and to diligently practice kindness, compassion, and to walk humbly with your God, setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness? This is what the Israelites needed to hear. [00:27:47] (40 seconds) #BeJustAndKind

The Israelites were asking, well, what should we do for God? What should we give to him? But all he wanted was them, their love and their hearts. God wasn't wanting retribution, but justice. He wanted the Israelites to let go of their ways and return back to him. Micah then shares God's response. The voice of the Lord cries out to the city and he shall save those who fear his name. Hear, O tribe, and assembly of the city. [00:28:32] (37 seconds) #HeartOverSacrifice

And you might be thinking well that's all good for you Toby but I mean like I read Micah chapter 6 verse 8 and I desire justice and we all desire justice except when it's against us then we start to build a wall we may get a bit defensive we try to fight or hide or ignore it or deny it but if we look at what God's saying here to his people I'm sure we can see part of ourself in it too but there is good news we're not ending the message here. [00:37:43] (38 seconds) #SeekJusticeNotWalls

The good news is that God doesn't want to have his anger towards us tonight either he doesn't want to show us wrath the same way he didn't for the Israelites what he wants is highlighting the issues the corruption and the errors of our ways the sin in our hearts the same in the Israelites and saying that these things can't satisfy the desire of the heart God doesn't desire elaborate sacrifices or repayment but a willingness to return to him to say that God I'm sorry I've messed up but I want you and I need you as my Lord. [00:38:26] (42 seconds) #CalledToRepentance

Micah shares that God consistently reminds the Israelites of the redemption that he has for them but we have a redeemer too that has paid this price in full Jesus God with us he came and died for all of our sin all of it the past what we're dealing with now and the future that we don't know about yet so although yes I am on trial before God against him Toby but that doesn't mean that we're off scot free Jesus has come and died for you because he loves you and knows that we can't do this without him. [00:39:13] (53 seconds) #RedeemedByJesus

But it doesn't mean we're free to continue in our ways and use this as a loophole in Romans 6 it says what then should we sin continually because we are not under law but under grace by no means God desires for us to live the good life his good life but this life cannot coexist with the behaviours of the world the behaviours that we so easily lean to before us and if we are to continue in our own path God has shown us here the results an effort a toil gain gain with no satisfaction no end and no reward. [00:40:05] (48 seconds) #GraceNotLicense

``But we know what God requires of us what he desires for us his children is to do justice to love kindness to walk humbly with our God God wants us to live with compassion and humility and justice in his love to be just like our father we need we are no longer needing to live by our own means in our own ways or following our own desires because God himself has paid the cost of where this will lead to and has given us the good life in return. [00:40:53] (46 seconds) #LiveJusticeAndKindness

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