Micah 6:5

Secondly, God reminds them about his other wonderful deeds. These were acts that he did with great power. They happened when *Israel was still a weak nation. God protected the people from evil political leaders. Balak, the king of Moab, was one such leader. And God protected the people from evil *spiritual leaders such as Balaam, Beor’s son. God now tells *Israel’s people to remember the time when Balak and Balaam lived. Balak, the king of Moab, fought against *Israel’s people then. He asked Balaam to *curse *Israel. But God would not listen to Balaam. God would not let Balaam *curse *Israel. The result was that God did good things for *Israel. He rescued its people from Balak’s power (Joshua 24:9-10).

Writers in the *New Testament also mention that story about Balak and Balaam (2 Peter 2:14-16; Jude 1:11; Revelation 2:14). In the story, God spoke by means of a donkey (animal like a small horse). Then God was able to rescue the people. God is now asking that the same result might happen. He will speak by means of Micah, and then God can rescue the people. God’s message to them here means this. ‘At that time, the armies from Moab opposed you. Now the *Assyrians are doing it. At that time you had a false *prophet (Balaam). Now you have evil leaders. But I, God, remain the same. I can rescue you now. I hope that you will believe that.’

God is also reminding the people about a journey from Shittim (Numbers 22:1; Joshua 2:1; Joshua 3:1). They knew that many wonderful events had happened to them then. God had already rescued his people from Egypt. Then he helped them on the journey from Shittim to Gilgal. Shittim was on the east side of the river Jordan. Gilgal was on the other side. It was in the new country that God had promised to *Israel’s people. They had to go through the river Jordan. But God made the river dry so that they could cross it. Then they arrived in Gilgal. So then they had entered their new country. The camp in Gilgal was their first camp in that country. In the book called Joshua, the writer tells about that period. But God’s deeds do not happen only at certain times. He is always God. He acts in every age. He defeated *Israel’s enemies at that earlier time. And he will defeat their enemies now, at the time when Micah is alive.

So *Israel’s people entered their new country. This story is in Joshua chapter 3. They came to Jericho. People from many countries fought against them. With God’s help, *Israel’s people defeated those other people. *Israel won the battles. But that was not because of the military arms that its people used in the war. God won the battles on their behalf. God gave their new country to them. The people did not even have to work to get it. They did not plant the trees that gave fruit. But they ate the fruit from them (Joshua 24:11-13).

All those things remind *Israel’s people about how God has saved them in the past. What God is trying to tell them is this. He saved their families in the past. He saved their families from their troubles with Egypt and Moab. So he can do it again. He can save them from Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. To remember helps them to understand. They will understand God’s love for them. They can have a new relationship with him. They can see again how much he loves them. God can do the same for his servants in any age.

It is important to remember God’s past deeds. The best example is in the *New Testament. It is in the meal called the *Lord’s Supper (also called Communion). Jesus tells us to ‘do this to remember me’ (Luke 22:19; Luke 22:1 Corinthians 11:24-26). We remember what was God’s most important act among all his acts. This was his Son’s death on the cross. Jesus died so that God would forgive our *sins. We can have a real relationship with God if we invite him into our lives. The *LORD’s Supper is the time when we remember these things. First we remember, and then we share in this meal together.

v6 The *LORD is great and powerful. I must give great honour to him when I pray. It is not enough for me to burn an animal as a gift to him. If I offer young cows to him, my gift is too poor. v7 But even a very wealthy man’s gift does not give sufficient honour to God. The gift of a thousand sheep will not satisfy the *LORD. Even 10 000 rivers of oil would not satisfy him.

A man’s oldest son is more precious than anything else in that man’s life. The man might try to offer his son to God. But this gift is not enough to pay for the man’s *sin. Even the death of that son is not sufficient payment.