Wetin Di Lord Want from You?

Court don sit. But no walls dey, no benches. Di jury na di mountains, old and quiet. Di hills bend come near to listen. And di one wey bring di case na God imself.

Micah come from Moresheth, one farming town for di low hills of Judah. E talk for di days of di kings Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Like Amos and Isaiah, e see one land where di powerful people dey take farms wey no be dia own, where judges dey collect bribe, and where people still dey come worship like say nothing dey wrong. For dis passage, Micah show us picture of court. God get complaint against im people, and e want make di whole creation hear am.

Get up, Di Lord talk. Present your case for di mountains front, and make di hills hear your voice. And then God talk, but e no shout. E ask question. O my people, wetin I don do you? How I take make you tire? Answer me. Na di voice of somebody wey dem don hurt, wey dey ask im friend make e explain. Wetin I ever do wey make you tire of me? Where I fail you?

Then God remind dem of dia own story. I bring una come out from di land of Egypt. I redeem una from di house of slavery. I send Moses, Aaron and Miriam to lead una. E remind dem of Balak, di king of Moab, wey hire Balaam make e curse Israel for di wilderness. But every time Balaam open mouth, na blessing dey come out instead. E remind dem of di journey from Shittim to Gilgal, across di river Jordan enter di land. Remember, God talk, so dat una go know how Di Lord don save una. Dis no be list of complaints. Na list of kindness. God case simple: I don dey good to una.

Now one voice from di people answer. You fit almost hear am dey rise, small fear dey inside, dey try find di correct price. Wetin I go carry come meet Di Lord? Make I bring burnt offerings, calves wey be one year old? Di Lord go happy with thousands of rams? With ten thousand rivers of oil? Every offer big pass di one before. And then di most terrible offer of all. Make I give my first pikin for my wrongdoing, di pikin wey comot from my own body for di sin of my soul? Di person wey dey talk don pass bound, like say God na big oga wey person fit buy, if only di gift big reach.

And then di answer come, quiet and clear. E don show you, O human being, wetin good. And wetin Di Lord want from you, apart from make you do wetin dey right, love mercy, and waka with your God with humble heart? No be more rams. No be more oil. Do wetin dey right: treat people fairly, especially di ones wey no get power. Love mercy: no be only to show kindness once in a while, but to love am, to dey loyal to am. Waka with your God with humble heart: pass through life side by side with am, no be for im front. Di people dey ask wetin God want from dem. God answer: na you I want.

People remember Micah words for long time. Like one hundred years later, dem carry di prophet Jeremiah go court because e warn say Jerusalem go fall. Some people want make dem kill am. Then some elders of di land stand up and remind everybody about Micah of Moresheth, wey give similar warning for King Hezekiah time. Hezekiah no kill Micah, dem talk. E turn to Di Lord. Dia argument help save Jeremiah life.

Wetin Di Lord want. You go find am for Micah chapter six, verse one reach eight. Di people try to find out which gift go big reach for God. God tell dem say wetin e want na life: fair, kind and humble, wey dey waka beside am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which one of di three, justice, mercy or humility, you need practise pass dis week?