This is the second post in a series on commonly misunderstood Bible passages. Previously I discussed Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” You can read that here. This series is meant to help us correctly handle God’s word. Where God has spoken, we must listen carefully, and Christians must strive to rightly handle his word (2 Tim. 2:15). It is important we do not put words into God’s mouth. Christians do not have the authority to add to or take away from God’s word.

Today we will look closer at Micah 6:8:

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 with your God.”

The popularity of this passage is due, at least in part, to our misunderstanding of it. What does it mean to “act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God”?

The Common Misunderstanding

That final phrase of Micah 6:8 is seen everywhere today as it is emblazoned on mugs, t-shirts, posters, web graphics, and even bumper stickers. This is unsurprising because the topic of justice, especially social justice, is very popular. Micah 6:8 is something of a rallying cry for Christian social justice warriors. It is a prooftext that provides justification for their movement. It is true that Christians must care about justice, but we must do so biblically. Micah 6:8 has been hijacked by modern social justice movement and used to advance ideas like wealth redistribution, tearing down “white” privilege, supporting DEI tactics, and other forms of wokeness. Is this what Micah 6:8 is really about? No, not even close.

The heart of our misunderstanding of Micah 6:8 comes from confusing mercy and justice. One prominent pastor described this passage as a command to live justly. As far as that goes, he is right. Yet, how we define justice matters. He defined justice as loving mercy and being humble.  Is mercy a part of justice? Of course, Christians are to love mercy. We are people saved by God’s mercy. Mercy is not the problem. The problem comes from confusing mercy and justice. If we blend the two, we lose both.

This understanding of Micah 6:8 argues that mercy is a necessary part of justice. Yet, justice is defined as getting what is owed to us. In the most basic sense, justice is receiving what we are owed. Conversely, mercy is receiving good when we are not owed it. The two are related, but they are not the same thing. If we are owed mercy, then it truly ceases to be mercy. If we are owed mercy, then we can demand it. This distinction is important to keep, otherwise we undermine the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

If mercy is something we are owed, then we lose the gospel. The good news of Christ is that God has shown mercy to us through Christ instead of giving us what we earned (justice). If God owes us salvation, then salvation is no longer a grace. The gospel is great because God gave us the exact opposite of what we deserved. He forgave those who deserved judgment. The wonder is magnified because God also satisfied his justice by sending his Son to die in our place. Thus, God is both just and the one who justifies us (Rom. 3:26). At the cross of Christ, mercy and justice meet. If we confuse these two terms, we lose the glory of the gospel.

What Micah 6:8 Actually Means 

Part of the blame for our misunderstanding of Micah 6:8 is found in our poor English translations. The word translated as “love mercy” is only one word in the Hebrew (hesed). This is one of the most important terms in the Bible and it is most often translated as steadfast love. That is exactly how the ESV translates it later in Micah 7:18. Throughout the Old Testament, hesed refers to the covenantal love of God. It is God’s enduring and faithful love expressed toward his people. To translate this word as a command to “love mercy” misses the mark. Hesed is about remaining lovingly faithful to the covenant. Thankfully, the HCSB translation gets it right, “Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Micah 6:8 calls God’s people to act justly by responding to God’s faithful love (hesed) with a similar faithfulness (hesed). The context of the book demonstrates this reality. Micah is organized like a trial, with God presenting his case against Israel. The people have broken the covenant, and thus they are facing God’s judgment.

Before Micah 6:8, God contrasts his faithfulness (hesed) with the unfaithfulness of Israel (6:3-4). God has “wearied” Israel by redeeming them and sending them people like Moses. Next, Israel considers returning to the Lord, but how? What must they do to be accepted by God? They can’t get back through sacrifices, even if they killed their firstborns it wouldn’t be enough (6:6-7). The only way of return for Israel is a return to covenant faithfulness (hesed). The background of Micah 6:8 is God’s faithfulness and Israel’s unfaithfulness. This is why the word hesed is used—the only path back is to respond to God’s hesed with their own hesed. This word draws their attention to the faithful love God has poured out on them through the covenants. To live justly means Israel must faithfully keep the covenant.  

Micah 6:8 has more behind it than just its immediate context. It points back to an earlier command given to Israel. God says, “I already told you what I require of you.” Where did God do this? In Deuteronomy, God affirms his covenant with Israel and sets the terms of their covenantal relationship. Micah 6:8 is God quoting Deuteronomy 10:12:

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

There is no mention of loving mercy. Rather, God tells Israel to love him and to keep the covenant. Micah 6:8 is not about social justice. It’s about repentance and covenant faithfulness.

Conclusion

So how do we live out justice? We do so by loving God, obeying his commands, and keeping his covenant with us. This is what Micah 6:8 is about. It is a call to obey the moral commands of God and honor his covenant. When we understand Micah 6:8 correctly, we do not end up confusing justice and mercy. We do not undercut the logic of the gospel. While mercy is a wonderful reality, it is not an outworking of justice. Rather, just living is found in faithful obedience to God.

Pastor Levi Secord

Christ Bible Church