Please turn in your Bible to Micah 6 and read verses 3 through 5.
The LORD wants His people to know and understand His righteousness, so much so that He addressed Israel through His prophet, Micah, and tells them to think on two specific events in their history so that they would know the righteousness of the LORD:
1. When He brought them out of Egyptian
bondage (Exodus 3-17, see also Deuteronomy
4:15-20, 24:5-7)
2. When Balak, the king of Moab, asked the
prophet Balaam to help him defeat Israel (Numbers
22-25, 31:1-24, see also Deuteronomy 18:20, 23:3-5, Joshua 24:8-10, 2 Peter 2:15,
and Jude 11)
How do these events help us to know the righteousness of the LORD?
1. God keeps His promises; He is faithful and does not lie (1 Thessalonians 5:24, Titus 1:2, Numbers 23:19). The LORD promised Abram that He would give his descendants the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:1-8) – and He did. He raised up
Miriam, Aaron, and Moses to lead the
children of Israel (Abraham’s grandson’s children) out of Egyptian slavery (Joshua 24:5-7). He protected His people
in their travels (Exodus 13:21-14:31)
and provided for them (nourishment: Exodus
16-17, victory: Exodus 33:1-2). The LORD brought them to the land of Canaan
with Joshua and His faithfulness never failed (Joshua 24:11-14).
Bottom line:
If God has said it, you can be rest assured that He will do it, and He will be with
you to help you every step of the way.
2 . God will bless His people, and the wicked He will punish (Psalm 37:37-40, Proverbs 11:18-21). Balak, the king of Moab, wanted to defeat the immense nation of Israel that had been steadily conquering their enemies as they approached the land of Canaan, so he requested the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites (Numbers 22). Balaam went to inquire of the LORD to see if it would be alright for him to curse the Israelites; God told him not to go with Balak and not to curse the people “for they are blessed” (Numbers 22:12). Yet, when Balak once again begged Balaam to come with him to curse the Israelites (this time promising him great honour, Numbers 22:17), Balaam once again went to inquire of the LORD to see if He had changed His mind. God told him to go if the men came to call him the next morning, but Balaam took that instruction as approval, rose the next day, saddled his donkey, and went with the Moabite princes.
The whole time Balaam was with
Balak, each time he opened his mouth, the LORD made every attempt at a curse
into a blessing for His people (Deuteronomy
23:5), frustrating both Balak and his evil plans.
Bottom line: God daily loads us with benefits and blessings (Psalm 68:19) and no one can block or prevent His blessing on His people (Numbers 23:19-20).
God’s word will never fail. His promises are real. His blessings are real. Neither will fail because our God and Father has given them. All will be fulfilled. Our righteous God could not do otherwise, of this you can be wholly assured.
Take time this week to think on all that God has done and continues to do – His word and His work have not failed, will not fail, do not fail. Are you confident in God and His righteousness? Are you ready to seek it first and foremost (Matthew 6:33) each day?
You can do it! So can I!!
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