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Prophets and Kings
were the pleadings of the prophets; and as they stood before the people,
earnestly exhorting to repentance and reformation, their words bore
fruit to the glory of God.
Through Micah came the wonderful appeal, “Hear ye now what
the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the
hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy,
and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy
with His people, and He will plead with Israel.
“O My people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I
wearied thee? testify against Me. For I brought thee up out of the land
of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent
before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
“O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted,
and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto
Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.”
Micah 6:1-5
.
The God whom we serve is long-suffering; “His compassions fail
not.”
Lamentations 3:22
. Throughout the period of probationary time
His Spirit is entreating men to accept the gift of life. “As I live, saith
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the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that
the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil
ways; for why will ye die?”
Ezekiel 33:11
. It is Satan’s special device
to lead man into sin and then leave him there, helpless and hopeless,
fearing to seek for pardon. But God invites, “Let him take hold of My
strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace
with Me.”
Isaiah 27:5
. In Christ every provision has been made, every
encouragement offered.
In the days of apostasy in Judah and Israel, many were inquiring:
“Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the
high God? shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves
of a year old? will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?” The answer is plain and positive:
“He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord
require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with thy God?”
Micah 6:6-8
.
In urging the value of practical godliness, the prophet was only
repeating the counsel given Israel centuries before. Through Moses,
as they were about to enter the Promised Land, the word of the Lord
had been: “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of