"What Doth the Lord Require of Thee"

THIS expression occurs in a very remarkable passage in the prophet Micah, chap. 6, verses 6-8, which reads as follows: "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? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed 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?" We call this scripture remarkable because, perhaps, in no other in the blessed Bible is the real nature of genuine religion made more clear, and its relative importance distinguished more forcibly, from mere outward service. Outward ceremonies and services have their place, and a certain degree of importance, in our divine religion. But we must never forget that this importance is very small in comparison with the service of the heart, and obedience to those principles which perfect a Christian character. Perhaps there is no question of greater importance than this, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord" in a way which will be acceptable to him? It should be the study of every created being how we may answer the end of our creation, and live in a manner acceptable to God. It is always prominent in the mind of every good man.

A sense of man's accountability to God, and the fear arising from a sense of guilt because not at peace with him, has doubtless been at the foundation of every false system of religion in our world. Satan, the archdeceiver, when he could not wholly quiet men's consciences because of this sense of guilt, has taken delight in misdirecting their efforts to pacify its strivings. The great mistake seen in all false religions, and in all formal professors of the genuine, is the one corrected in this text; the prominence accorded to outward forms and service, and the neglect of the heart service and the principles of justice, mercy, and obedience to God. It is wonderful what zeal the heathen show in maintaining their systems of false religion; enough to put to shame many professors of the true. Their pilgrimages, penances, sacrifices, and painful rites, are such that few professors of Christianity would ever think of enduring as much for Christ's sake. But these are all outward services. Many forms of Christianity have degenerated mainly to ritual and ceremonies. This is always the tendency in times of backsliding and formality. Then professors are all the more strenuous for the forms. So it was with the ancient Jewish church. With what vigor does the prophet Isaiah denounce the formal professors in his day: "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. . . .Bring no more vain oblations. . . .the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood." Isa. 1:11-15.

Why does the prophet speak so disrespectfully of these outward services, when every one of them was commanded in the ceremonial law? Not because they were not all right in their proper place, and a duty under other circumstances; for they were. But because the real service of the heart, and obedience to principles of justice, mercy, and the love of God, were lacking. They set the form before the substance of religion. Where the latter is left out, and men content themselves with the form, God abhors it. In the old dispensation, the forms of religion embraced various kinds of offerings and sacrifices, attendance upon feasts and new moons, circumcision, and priestly ministrations, prayers and fasting. In this dispensation, we have attendance upon divine worship, the ordinances of baptism, and the Lord's supper, prayer and fasting; and these are of divine appointment. Man has added to these in some churches various rites, prostrations, crossings, changes of apparel, and offerings of incense, etc., which God never commanded, of which it might well be said, "Who hath required this at your hand?"

In Catholic churches, the visitor is astonished, if unaccustomed to the sight, to see the faithful making the sign of the cross, counting their beads, and at the prostrations, adorations, and devotional movements, in which all present participate with a wonderful unction. Yet many of those present he may know make nothing of swearing, and fighting, and cheating, while others may really be sincere. This outward service may affect the imagination, and satisfy its votaries that they are God's children, but it is a grand deception. Our Protestant churches may as really rely upon their forms as the other. No doubt millions satisfy themselves with occasional formal prayer, attendance upon worship, participation in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper, as much as the Catholic in his forms. The great things which God requires is a character imbued with love for justice, mercy, and communion with God. Where these are found in the heart and life, the outward services, prescribed by the word of life, will be acceptable and profitable. Prayer and attendance upon divine worship will be a means of bringing the blessing of God to the soul, and they will result in a closer communion with the great source of spiritual life. The Lord's Supper will be a true feast of the Lord where we partake of him spiritually. But without these principles prevailing in the heart, all outward services are empty mockery, which God abhors. We may pour out "rivers of oil," "give our first-born for our transgression;" or our bodies to be burned, and all these sacrifices will avail us nothing. "If we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us."

"Wherewith shall we come before the Lord" acceptably? By "doing justly," "loving mercy," and "walking humbly with God." From the heart we must repent of (that is, turn away from) our past sins, accepting the great offering made through Christ for the transgressions which are past, and through the strength which he will impart, live honest, pure, and holy lives, hating all iniquity. This kind of religion God will regard, and man must respect. All other is but filthy rags.