Devotional Thoughts Based on the Glory to God Hymnal

Micah 6:6-8

With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly^[a] with your God.

At first glance, non-musical types will say this hymn is too hard for me. It is laid out differently than most hymns. Once you run through the hymn a few times, it is a piece of cake.

One group sings, “What does the Lord require of you? What does the Lord require of you.”

Another group sings, “Justice, kindness, walk humbly with your God.”

Another group sings, “To seek justice and love kindness and walk humbly with your God.”

The commentator has written, “This text is a very slight paraphrase of the latter part of Micah 6:8. That verse sums up in a single sentence the legal, ethical, and covenantal requirements of religion. The intertwining of these commitments can be suggested by singing these phrases in an overlapping canon.”

So don’t try this at home unless you are very familiar with singing it. Let’s look forward to that time when we can freely assemble for worship and sing praises to our God.

Prayer

O Lord, keep us ever mindful of what You require of us – to do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with you. Amen