The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1956-11-09

:" h + d. why DR.. Foreman
doesn't God speak to us as he used
TO do to the prophets of old? Why
doesn't God who knows all the
answers. share his knowledge with
u.s.
Country Preacher
Long ago a country pre- achcr had
these questions thrown UP at hin,
His name was Micah He was not q
preacher in the regular sense. for
he had no church. and in fact he
had no connection with the regular
"fficls rel Gion of his country. But
ne did speak and preach. so far
as we know only to his fellow.
villagers; but what he said was
remembered We have extracts
from his sermons in what we cali
the Book Of Micah m o n the
minor tthat is, shorter prophets OF
the Old TIE stament. Maybe he
never preached a full-leneth formal
sermon Maybe he Just stood or sat
around IN the marketp place, and
talked to any Who would listen. At
any rate it is plain that he was
asked much the same questions as
those three lust now mentioned
The country Of Judah, in which
Micah's small town of Moreshab
vas located. was either in 4 very
prosperous condition or was run
ing doWn.--dcpending on where
Fou lived In the capital city Of
jerusalem everything seemed To
y booming But in the farmlands
I'd IN the little villages il was a
i.iierent story Even in the cities
here We're some who suspected
he boom would not last. There
as "A kind Of revival Of interest
N religion going on. but it was
confused People had an idea they
ought to be better. but what was
good They felt sure they ought
to obey God more carefully; but
what did God want. really? Why
didn't God come right out and tell
people what they would have to do
to get right With him?
This Is II
II the answers To such questions
a S these were written on gold
plates IN a strange language and
kept on top OF a seven-mile noun
tain guarded by seven wise arch
angels. the roads to that mountain
would be ] 4 m m d !. and people
would pay the r c h a n G S big
money to tr 81 al tie the mystic
words of wisdom. But d country
preacher a in in the simple
words anybody ten years old can
understand? Yes; the people of
that village already had the an
SWcrs only they didn't realize it
Why doesn't God speak? He has
already spok en- Why don't we
have prophets? We do have proph-
cts. right there in your Bible Yes,
BAT they are hard to understand
Well, Micah says. it's not so hard
n understand What does the Lord
eGuire Of you but to do justice,
and to love kindness. and TO walk
hunbly With your Gcd@ Oh. some.
oody in The crowd M ght say
old stuff, Yes. exactly Amos tbs
prophet spoke Of J u s. &C and
Hosea spoke Of Love and Kind
ness, and Isaiah spoke Of humility
before God Most High This is ii
you don't need to write away (
find out. this is il right here What
is Good, what God wants Of us.
God has already spoken He does
not change his mind.
Simple and Final
Looked at in one way, these
three great requirements of God
are not simple. Justice-how easy
to say, how hard to make sure
what is really the just and fair
thing in every action Kindness
yes, but who knows what is the
kind thing TO do every time Isn't
what is just in one case perhaps
. unjust in another? Yes to be sure:
, No comm andinent of God is going
to save US from having to think.
This is not. so simple as to be auto
matte Nevertheless this is simple
in the main We can see the lines
along which the good life must be
built. We always know: if it is not
just if il is not kind. then it is out
Of line with God will. And all this
is final. too; again not in the sense
OF saving us any further thought
But final in the sense that this is
God word We can't now or ever
get b yond or above.-w can't
graduate from Justice and kind,
ness and humble reverence before
God.
BASED On cnttine. eePyYtshted ~ th
Division - Christian Edu.atien. W
Henal CereeU of the Churches # Chris.
In the [. s A. Released BY Com r, unit,
Press SeYyieeb