Church Sermon - January 30, 2005

Rev. Bernt P. Tweit

Epistle Lesson; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Gospel Lesson; Matthew 5:1-12
Sermon Text; Micah 6:1-8

In the Old Testament, the Children of Israel had fallen into a pattern with the way that they lived their lives. This pattern happened over, and over, and over, again. Oftentimes we talk about that being a cyclical pattern. Let me explain the pattern. God’s people would live in His grace and in His forgiveness. Then, a time would come in which God’s people would fall into sin. At which time, God would send an enemy to discipline or punish His children, which would lead His children to repent of their sins. God would send a champion to deliver them from their enemies. And then, once again, they would live in God’s grace and forgiveness.

Throughout the Old Testament, that pattern happened over, and over, and over, again. They lived in God’s grace and forgiveness. Then, they sinned against God. God sent an enemy to discipline them. They repented of their sins. God sent a champion to deliver them. And then, they would live in God’s grace and forgiveness, once again.

Knowing that pattern, we come to our text for this morning, from Micah, chapter six. As we look at our reading for this morning, we see a courtroom before us. But, this isn’t an ordinary courtroom. The courtroom that God’s people are in is an outdoor courtroom. It is the mountains and the hills that make up the judge and the jury. The LORD, Himself, is the prosecuting attorney. God’s people sit on the defense stand, defending themselves.

Knowing that, the stage is set for our text this morning. As I read through our text, I want you to see three things.

Remember that we are in that outdoor courtroom, and the LORD is the prosecuting attorney bringing a charge against His people. We see in our text for today how the LORD lays out His case against His people. As any good lawyer does, he begins by laying the groundwork, up to the charge that He has against His people. We see some of that groundwork in our text for today. The LORD starts by saying, "I brought you up out of Egypt."

Remember how it was that the Children of Israel were living in Egypt. It is God who placed Joseph in Egypt. We remember how he was sold into slavery, but how God turned that into good. Joseph came to be second in power in Egypt, only to Pharaoh. During seven years of plenty, Joseph stored up grain, so that during the seven years of famine, the Children of Israel could come down to Egypt. There they would receive enough food to sustain them. They continued to live in Egypt for a time.

But, the time came when Pharaoh died. The time came when Joseph died. And, a new king came to power in Egypt, who did not know Joseph. This new king became very concerned about how Israel was growing in number. He put the Israelites into slave labor. And, he even had the Hebrew midwives put to death any boy that was born, while letting the girls live. This continued for four hundred and thirty years, that the Children of Israel were in slavery in Egypt. (To think that we, as a nation, have not existed for two hundred and fifty years, but this lasted for 430 years.) God was reminding His people "I brought you up out of Egypt."

It is the LORD who tells us the three people He used to lead them out of Egypt - Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. It is God who called Moses from the burning bush, asking him to go to Pharaoh and say, "Let my people go."

You might remember Moses’ response that he was not very good with words. God said to him that his brother, Aaron, could be his mouthpiece for him. Also Miriam, the prophetess.

Those three, that triad of leaders, those three siblings, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, God raised up, to lead His people out of Egypt.

Right before the Children of Israel came to the land of Canaan, the land that God had promised, they were crossing through the country of Moab. And, in our text for today, the LORD reminds His people that it was King Balak, King of the Moabites, who was afraid of the Israelites. He was afraid, because he knew the Israelites could overpower them. And so, he asked Balaam, who was a diviner, or a sorcerer, to come and pronounce curses against God’s people. But every time that Balak asked Balaam to pronounce those curses against Israel, Balaam would go to the LORD. Balaam would then come back, only pronouncing blessings to God’s people. In one of those blessings, Balaam even pronounced a messianic prophecy, prophesying about the ultimate deliverer that God would send, the Messiah, the promised Savior, Jesus. Balaam said, in that blessings, "I see Him, but not now. I behold Him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab. Edom will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. A ruler will come out of Jacob, and destroy the survivors of the city."

After laying that groundwork, it is now the LORD who brings this charge against His people. The charge that He is talking about happened in the city of Shittim before they came to the city of Gilgal, that first city that they entered in to in the Promised Land. The city of Shittim was the very last city that the Children of Israel left before they entered into the Promised Land. It was there that the Children of Israel began to worship false gods. It was there in the city of Shittim that the Children of Israel got into the practice of indecent, sexual acts, while worshipping those false gods. It got so bad (scripture tells us) an Israelite man took a Moabite woman, and walked right in front of Moses into his tent. Then scripture tells us that Aaron had enough. He took his spear, went into that tent, and thrust that spear right through the man and woman. God was so upset with His people that 24,000 people died that day.

But, God kept His promise. His people crossed over the Jordan River, entered into that land that He had promised to them, and they came to the Gilgal. The LORD had laid the groundwork for His case. He had presented His charge against His people. The charge was that they were unfaithful. They had worshipped false gods. Now the LORD rested His case.

It is now God’s people who have the opportunity to respond to the charge that the LORD has brought against them. His people knew the response that they should have, because God is very clear in His Word how He wants His people to live. He simply says, "Be holy, as I am holy." But, in our text for today, we see how the Children of Israel, God’s people, how they respond. They say things like this: "LORD, would you like burnt offerings?" "LORD, would you be pleased if we sacrifice a thousand rams?" "LORD, will you be pleased if we bring to you ten thousand rivers of very precious olive oil?" "LORD, will you be pleased if we sacrifice our firstborn child to you, because of our sin?"

We see how the Children of Israel responded. They were trying to buy off the judge and the jury. They were trying to buy off the ‘Prosecuting Attorney’. And, they were looking to their own good works, in response to the charge that the LORD has brought against them.

Now, we see the LORD, as He tells His people how He wants them to live. He says three things. He says they should act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.

Now today, as we are in that outdoor courtroom, with the hills and the mountains being that judge and jury, I want to tell you about someone who is on that defense stand, as the LORD is bringing a charge.

How often don’t we sit on the defense stand, as the LORD brings accusations of sin against us, and we try to buy the LORD off? We say things like: "LORD, if I do this, then will you be merciful to me?" instead of simply seeing how our sins have already been paid for. Yes, it is we whom the LORD also tells to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.

As the LORD brings the charge of sin against us, instead of looking at the good works that we think that we have preformed for the LORD, and instead of trying to buy Him off, may we simply go right to the foot of the cross, and there see what our Savior has already done for us.

He allows us to walk free. He gives to us the forgiveness of our sins. He extends to us the promise of everlasting life and salvation.

Today as we go forward, walking as children of the light, may we heed what the LORD requires of us in verse eight of our text, for this morning. May we act justly. May we love mercy. May we walk humbly.

Then, that cycle in our lives will be complete.

We,

who live in the grace and forgiveness of God,

who have sinned against Him,

have been disciplined because of our sin,

have come to repentance and now

see how our God has raised up a champion for us.

who has delivered us from sin, death, and the devil, so that

we, once again, can live in the grace and forgiveness of God,

for Jesus’ sake!

Amen.

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