Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
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The Questions
1) What does it mean to act justly?
2) What does it mean to love faithfulness?
3) What does it mean to walk humbly with God?
Micah 6:8
Mankind, he has told each of 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.
Original Intent
1)What does it mean to act justly?
The word act means to perform an activity with a distinct purpose, moral obligation, or goal in view. Justice is a legal term that distinguishes right from wrong. It is a primary attribute of God. It’s rooted in His character and should be reflected in His people. So, to act justly means to choose the right way, God’s way. This is good in God’s sight, and He requires it of us.
2) What does it mean to love faithfulness?
To love means to desire, to delight in, to be fond of. It implies a strong conviction of the mind and a tenderness of affection at the same time. The word faithfulness is one of the most important words in the Old Testament. It’s often translated as “loving-kindness” or “mercy”. The basic idea is that of an act of kindness, love, or mercy shown to another person. The quality of kindness is usually reserved for a friend or relative. When no former relationship existed, the person exercising “faithfulness” is making a conscious choice to treat the stranger like a close friend or relative. So the act of loving faithfulness is desiring to treat people like family, delighting in loving on people, and being fond of showing mercy to all.
3) What does it mean to walk humbly with God?
The Hebrew word for walk is figuratively applied to the characteristics of one’s lifestyle as well as one’s relationship with God. It’s much like our English word. It means to do something together or in common with another. To have companionship with. It ties two separate things together. To walk humbly means to walk in meekness, not with arrogance or boasting. So, to walk humbly with God means to share your life with God in such a way that you eat with Him, talk with Him, share with Him in a way that shows that you understand that He is God and you are not. Walking with a true estimate of who you would be without Him.
Everyday Application
1) What does it mean to act justly?
Let’s admit it! It’s not always easy to act justly, especially when people aren’t acting justly to us!! However, God doesn’t put stipulations on when we are to act justly. He simply states that it’s good to act justly because we are mimicking Him. I think the hardest area for me to act justly in is in my relationships with those closest to me. I don’t always want people to see the best in my husband. Sometimes, I just want to vent about the things I dislike about him, but that’s not really doing him justice. Sometimes, when my kids are being…well, kids, I want to make their lives miserable because sometimes I feel like they make my life miserable. Sorry for the honesty! I have three teenagers. What can I say?!?! However, if I truly seek to please God and follow after Him, I need to die to myself just like He did, and do the right thing because God calls it good. It didn’t say it would always “feel” good. He said it WAS good!! And I know that He’s a lot wiser than me. Acting justly comes down to a choice.
2) What does it mean to love faithfulness?
Do you have a deep desire or longing to love others like they’re your closest friend? Are you fond of showing people mercy when they’ve sinned or messed up or are in a bad predicament? Or do you steer away from those you don’t really know? Do you choose just to love on those closest to you and forget the rest? God says it’s good to reach out to, show mercy to, and love everyone. And not just to love them because He says it’s good, but to delight in it, to be fond of it, to desire it. I think it’s interesting that the verb’s definition says that it implies a strong conviction of the mind. Do we feel convicted to love others? Are we making that choice to do what God says is good? The Lord knows that I’m not always loveable and certainly don’t deserve mercy, and yet God loves me and grants me mercy because He considers it good. Lord, may we do the same in turn!!
3) What does it mean to walk humbly with God?
Let’s talk about the rules that God set up when He set up the tabernacle. Those rules are hard for us sometimes, just like the one rule that God gave Adam and Eve was hard for them in the garden. Why is it so hard? Because we’re arrogant. We think we know more than God or know better than Him, or we think He should do it our way. This is the exact opposite of walking humbly with God. When we humble ourselves and admit that it’s hard to follow the rules, we prove to ourselves and to God that we understand our deep need for Him. We recognize that it’s impossible for us to be “good” apart from God. We need Him for righteousness and we need Him to empower us to love others!!
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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