On this ride aboard the Bible Bus, Dr. J. Vernon McGee walks us through the powerful message of Micah 6, addressing a question every honest soul must ask: “How do I come before God?” From the sacrifices of ancient Israel to the moral efforts of modern man, we often get it all backwards—trying to earn our way when God is asking for belief, not bribery. Along the way, letters from young and passionate listeners remind us that God’s Word is still reaching hearts today. This episode uncovers four questions the people of Micah’s day asked, and the one answer
The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith.
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No matter where you travel in the world, false religions have one thing in common. They look for methods to get to God their own way. Most include good works. Some claim it’s through personal sacrifice. Others, well they’ll advocate a piety beyond any person’s ability. So as we make our way through the Bible, our teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, we got the thing all backwards. Well, I’m Steve Schwetz. Welcome aboard the Bible bus. Now, before we turn to our study in Micah chapter six, through the Bible’s president, Greg Harris is here and we got a few letters to share. So what do you have for us, Greg?
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Well, I always love to bring letters from our North American listening audience, Steve. And so let’s start with one from Rylan, who’s from Tennessee and shares this. I am 18 years old and I’ve been listening now for some time. I was told about the program by my aunt and I love the ministry. God has done so much in my life through it and it has helped kindle an undying love for God that has brought me closer to him than ever before. Wow. Way to go. Hmm. third is for my friends whom i love dearly dr mcgee has called out many things like a profane mouth and dirty jokes and i feel i could do better i’m not sure if my friends are saved or just going through the motions at church so please pray for them i tell everyone i can about this program and if i could get some bible bus passes that would be awesome may god bless you and your ministry Wow.
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Wow, Ryland, 18 years old, man, and you got so much going on. I’m excited about your heart for the Lord, your desire to serve him. There’s a lot there.
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That’s exciting. And if you would like to get the Bible bus passes that Ryland is talking about, they are business-sized cards with a QR code. You can hand them out and say, this is something that’s meant a great deal to me in my life. I’d like to share it with you. it will take them to a page where they can get the app in English and about 70 other languages. So, great way to share TTB.
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This next letter is from Scott, who writes this. Hello, BibleBus team. We have been studying 1 Corinthians at my church on Sundays, and our pastor did a wonderful sermon yesterday. It struck me that there is a tremendous parallel between the work that God did in the first century church and what Through the Bible is doing now. People back then were saved when they heard the gospel in their mother tongue And the current outreach of Through the Bible is a 21st century revisitation of that. I just love how God works and how he’s getting the gospel out to everybody who can hear it. He is so personal by making sure that each person can hear it in the language that makes sense to him or her. All glory to God for what he is doing and the harvest that he is bringing in.
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Thank you so much, Scott. And we love it. We love to hear your thoughts about the ministry. And you are in perfect concert with our passion to get the whole word to the whole world in a tongue and a language that people understand. That’s why we work so hard at that.
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Yeah. Amen. Greg, why don’t you pray for us as we begin our study?
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Father, thank you for our fantastic listening family, those that are younger, those that are older. We just thank you that people from all walks of life can join together at the foot of the cross and study your word. We pray you will help us all now as we do that today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Here’s Dr. J. Vernon McGee with our study of Micah 6 on Through the Bible.
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Now, friends, I trust that you have turned in your Bible to the sixth chapter of Micah, and we begin at verse 6 today. Now, we are in this next to the last chapter of this very marvelous little book, and we see here who is a God like unto thee pleading present repentance because of past redemption. In other words, God is pleading with these people here to come back to him, to repent of their gross negligence and sins and turn to him. And he cites his redemption of them in the past, of how he redeemed them out of the land of Egypt and brought them through the wilderness. Even when they were rebellious, God defended them against a false prophet. prophet like Balaam, who had been hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse them. Now, these people have a question. And fact of the matter is, we have really four questions here that they ask. And they are good questions. There’s nothing wrong with the questions. It’s the answer to them that is all-important. And that is what we want to look at today. This is a very important passage of Scripture because it has been used and abused by the liberal today probably more than any other. And it’s so easy to just reach in here and lift this little passage out of three verses. In fact, they lift out only verse 8. Now, this is a wonderful section, but let’s be very careful with it and keep it in the context of what we’re talking about here in this book, and especially as it relates to the Old Testament. Now, I’m confident that every person who believes in a God wants to ask the question of how am I going to approach him? How will I come to God? Unless you’re an atheist, that has to be a question that would cross your mind. The pagan nations of the past and the heathen of the present hour, they have asked that question and they’ve answered it. All the pagan religions of the world have attempted to answer this question. How will I come to God? And the pagan viewpoint, the heathen viewpoint is, first of all, it’s revealed in their idols, they’re horrible looking. And they try to appease God. He’s angry. They’ve got to do something to appease him. Now, today, that is the viewpoint of the pagan and heathen in this country. And it’s, I think, the question, a legitimate question that the average man would ask. Now, I’m reading verse 6. The first question is, with what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? Now, these people, of course, had in mind, they say, what’s wrong with God? Why is he displeased with us? We’re going through the rituals and the liturgy and the rites of religion. In fact, we are going through the outward form, and he gave us the form to go through. But he also had given them something else, too. But they were just going through the formality of religion. And so they’re asking the question, and it’s a legitimate question. It’s a question that any person that believes in God must ask. With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? What can I bring to God? What can I give him? He’s way up yonder. I’m way down here. How am I going to reach him? How am I going to communicate with him? How am I going to make contact with him? How will I please him? And how will I be saved? The Philippian jailer, as pagan as they come, his question is, what must I do to be saved? How can I be right with God? This is a good question. Nothing wrong with the question. Now, the second is, shall I come before him with burnt offerings with calves of a year old? Now, this is their answer. God had required that. God had told them in the sacrifices that you have in the first part of the book of Leviticus, five offerings they were to make. And this was their approach to God. And so they ask the question, will this be adequate just to go through the form of religion? And it always degenerates down to just one thing. I have to do something for God. I must do something for him. He wants me to do something. And may I say that this probably reveals the proud heart of man more than anything else. We want to do something for God. We feel very warm on the inside when you and I have been generous and made a gift. The lost man says, well, I go to church. In fact, I’m a church member. I give generously to the church. And when they ask me to do something, I do them. I’m a civilized man. I don’t go around hitting people on the head. In fact, I’m considered a pretty good Joe. I’m a fellow that everybody likes. And now, what in the world does God want of me? Shall I do something else? I feel like I should do something. You see, we’ve got the thing all backwards today. What must I do to be saved? And they came to the Lord Jesus. What must we do that we might work the works of God? And the Lord Jesus said, this is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent. And he is saying, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved. That’s the only work God’s asking you to do. Believe. Faith is just about the opposite of works. Now, saving faith produces works as we’ve seen, but it certainly doesn’t originate It doesn’t originate salvation. Your works have nothing to do with your salvation. But that’s the normal question of man. That’s the second one. Now he asks the third one. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Now, that’s really being generous. In other words, is it because I haven’t done enough for God? Should I do more for God? to try to please him. You hear that today. I had a man, he was a wealthy man in Nashville, Tennessee. It was near Christmas. He and I were members of a health club at the Y. We played volleyball together. And he told me, he says, I want you to know what my religion is. I believe in being generous. And every Christmas, I give my employees a bonus. And I give to this cause and that cause and the other cause. And I give to my church too. Now, what else could God ask of me? In other words, I go the second mile. I’m a big spender as far as the Lord is concerned. Well, what else would he ask me to do? I’m doing all of this. And that’s the question. Is it that we should be very generous? Yes. in what we do. Is that our problem? A great many say, well, maybe I’m not doing enough. And I hear that. I’ve heard that. Somebody says, I just don’t feel like I’m right with God. I don’t seem to be doing enough. you know, sincere people. They’re not saved. They’re church members, but they feel like if they just do a little bit more. And that is something that the liberal preacher can work on. It’s a psychological approach. He can say, now look here, you folk are not doing enough. And the fellow digs down a little deeper, especially He’s a man of means. And he says, well, I’ll give a little bit more. My God will be tickled to death with that. My, he’s sure going to be pleased with me. And he’ll pat me on the head. I’ll be like little, was it Georgie Porgie? Or who was the little fellow that sat in the corner eating a plum pudding or pie or something? And he reached in his thumb and he pulled out a plum. And he said, what a smart boy am I? You know, there are a lot of Christians, I shouldn’t say that, a lot of church members just like that. They’re pulling out a plum and they say, my, God must want to pat me on the head for what I’m doing. My friend, that’s the third question that they ask. Now the fourth one, and this is going the limit. Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Now, to these people, this was very meaningful because they were surrounded by pagan peoples that worshiped Moloch. worship Baal, and human sacrifice was offered. Many a person did that. And there are instances when Israel turned in this direction. In fact, two of the most godless kings that the southern kingdom had indulged in human sacrifice, that was old Ahaz and old Manasseh. Two men probably as godless as they come. And these two men indulged in it. But is that what God would ask? Now, I want to be very careful right now because these people were never asked to offer a child at all as a human sacrifice. But God did require that they give the firstborn male of everything that was born into their families. It was true of a cow or of a sheep or an oxen or what have you. And it was true of the son. All right, then somebody says, then that would mean a human sacrifice. It would not. God made it very clear to them. Now, there are many passages on this, and I’ll have to confine myself to just two or three that I think that are ample to illustrate this. Over in the 18th chapter of the book of Numbers, God there is giving certain regulations. Actually, what he’s doing here is he’s confirming what he’s already given and telling them what he required of them. Now, in Numbers 18, verse 15, “…everything that openeth the matrix in all flesh.” which they bring unto the Lord, whether it be of man or beast, shall be thine. Now, God claimed the firstborn, you see. Nevertheless, now the nevertheless is very important here. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem. Now, God required that when a male child was born, belong to God. But then redemption money, silver, was taken and paid for that firstborn. and also the firstlings of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. In other words, God would not accept a human sacrifice, and he would not accept an unclean animal. That, I think, is quite interesting. Man’s unclean. We have a habit today of dedicating our children to the Lord, and I think that that’s a very fine thing to do. It’s been my privilege to dedicate… I suppose several thousand children in my day as a pastor. Well, some of them have turned out wonderfully well. I rejoice. A mother introduced me to a young man back in the seminary. I was speaking at the school and she was there and she brought up her son. She says, Dr. McGee, you dedicated him when he was an infant. Well, no. thank the Lord, he’s turned out well. But I have some that have been in some of our best jails, too. Now, the matter of dedication is nice to dedicate your child to the Lord. That doesn’t mean he’s going to turn out well. God, in the Old Testament, said this, you’re to redeem the child, put up redemption money for him. I will not take him now. Why? Well, he’s like that unclean animal. He’s unclean. That’s the reason that a woman that had brought a child into the world was unclean. Why? She brought an unclean thing into the world. David said, in sin did my mother conceive me. And God doesn’t want that child until he’s redeemed, you see. So you’re going to have to wait till that child can say, I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. And then when you do that, Then that child, God can take him and use him, but God won’t take him and use him until then. That’s the reason God required him, and God never would hear human sacrifice at all. And you have that mentioned so many times. I wonder if I may turn to another passage in Exodus, the 13th chapter, verse 2. “…sanctify unto me all the firstborn.” whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast, it is mine. And then I think probably I’ll just turn to one other passage, and that’s over in the 18th chapter of the book of Leviticus here, and it’s in the 21st verse. And thou shall not let any of thy seed pass away. through the fire to Moloch. That is, you do not offer a human sacrifice. Don’t take your child and offer him as a human sacrifice. Neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God. I’m the Lord. God said, you’d profane me if you did that. Now, may I say this, that I have people that write in and say to me, I surely hope your little grandson is going to follow in your footsteps. and become a preacher. And somebody else writes in and says, I know that that’s what he’s going to do, and I’m praying that he’ll do that. May I say to you, and I do not mean to be cold-blooded and cold-hearted, but I don’t pray that way about him at all. I don’t pray about him. The best I could as a grandfather, I’ve lifted him to the Lord, and I’ve told the Lord that I want him saved first of all. And then I pray the Lord will use him in whatever his will is for him. Now, if his will is to be a pharmacist and to roll pills, that’ll tickle me to death. If it is for him to dig a ditch, and that’s the Lord’s will for him. I’m going to be for that. May I say to you that you and I can’t take a little child that’s got our nature, a fallen nature, and attempt to dedicate that child to the Lord. It just simply won’t work. That’s not the way that it’s done, if you please. Now, I hope that I’ve made that very clear, that these are things God does not require of you. When you come to him, how are you going to approach God? He’s a holy God way up there. I’m a sinner way down here. All right, listen, verse 8. Oh, here is where the liberal, he has a picnic here. You just, well, spread the nice tablecloth down on the grass, friends. The liberal’s going to have a picnic here. Listen to this. He hath shown thee, O man, what’s good, and what doth the Lord require of thee? Number one, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. Three things here. You’re to be righteous. Ha! justly in your dealings with your fellow man, honest and true. These are the things that he mentions here. Then the second thing is to love mercy. Love. Love not only the mercy of God, but merciful in your own dealings with others. And then to walk humbly with thy God. Now, how are you going to do this, brother? Can you do this in your own flesh? Do you think that you can do it without God’s help? Do you think that you can do it without God’s salvation? If you do, I’m going to say something very strong now, but I’m far enough away from you, you can’t hit me. You’re a hypocrite. Don’t tell me that you live by this moral code today without the power of God for the very simple reason these are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, and in it is righteousness. In it is mercy. All of these things can come and can only come in that way. Now, do you want to go to the New Testament and see what’s said there concerning this? This is summing up the law, actually, the Mosaic law. Now, if you could do these in yourself, but will you listen to a man who lived in under it? And when he lived in under it, he told the truth. Will you listen to him here? In the 15th chapter of Acts, Simon Peter, when they were deciding whether the Gentiles would have to keep the law in order to be saved, that that would be part of the ritual, Simon Peter stood up and said, Acts 15, 11, “…but we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they.” Now, why did he say that? Because he just said in verse 10, Now, therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Simon Peter said, I lived under the law, and I don’t think he ever got far away from it, even after he was saved. Yet he said, We did not measure up to it. And God made it very clear that… They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. They that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit. But to be carnally minded is death. To be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. It’s not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you’re not in the flesh since… You are in the Spirit since the Spirit of God dwells in you. My friend, how does the Spirit of God dwell in you? You must be born again. The Lord Jesus said you must be born again. And you must be born again by receiving Christ. To his men is received him. To them gave he the right, the power, the exousia and authority to become the sons of God, even to those that don’t do any more than believe in his name. Mr. Liberal, I insist that you interpret this accurately. And when you do, You’re not saved by your good works because you don’t have any. Until next time, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
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Learn more about what it means to be born again by clicking on How Can I Know God in our app or at ttb.org. If you’d rather receive a few of these resources for free by mail, then just call us, 1-800-65-BIBLE is the number. I’m Steve Schwetz, and again, I’ll meet you back here as the Bible bus continues to roll along next time.
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Jesus made it all All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.
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We’re grateful for our committed listening family who faithfully pray and invest in Through the Bible as we together take the whole word to the whole world.
