Administer Justice: Walk Humbly (11/29/24)

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.

-Micah 6:8 (NIV)

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We've gone over the first two elements of how to administer justice as God has laid out-act justly and love mercy. Let's tie it all together by looking at how :"to walk humbly with Your God." Humble is an interesting word. When we describe someone as humble today, the image that comes to mind for many is that someone is a doormat, or a person that debases himself. That is NOT what humble means in God's instruction. Humble means "not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive" and "reflecting, expressing, or offer[ing] in a spirit of deference or submission"1 to Almighty God. Simply, we are to respect God and our neighbors as well as obey God's commandments because He is greater than us in all ways. After all, He created us.

Jesus instructs us about humbleness through exposing the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:1-12 (NASB). As Jesus ends His lesson to His disciples, He states, "But the greatest of you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." For our triune God, humbleness needs to come from the heart and permeate into word and deed, as emphasized in Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14 (NASB)).

Now, with a little understanding of how God wants us to administer justice through the sum of acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with Him, it all goes to the greater purpose in the end as described in Psalm 82 (NASB). In Psalm 82, the Lord will judge mankind's judgments and actions and note the lack of the administration of justice to one's neighbors.

Questions Administer Justice: To Walk Humbly with Your God

1. Why is walking humbly with God part of God's administration of justice?

2. Consider and explain how these elements work together with regard to the Lord's adjudication of man in Psalm 82.

3. Out of the elements that make up administering justice, which one is the most difficult one for you to do?

Prayer: Inspired from Jeremiah 21: 12(NIV): Almighty God, please show us when, where, and how to “administer justice every morning” and to “rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed” in order to keep your wrath from us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to all. This is the end of Part I of God's Laws & Justice. Next year, we'll follow up with administering justice to the vulnerable and those in need. Thanks for studying with me. Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! See you in 2025.

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1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humble (see definitions 1 and 2)