The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1960-09-23
Lesson for September Is, 1860

they do not argue so much abou
what is good and right to do
One of the most famous pass
ages in the entire Bible is uI
for study this week. Some Of its
great words have been inscrib
ed in Roman Catholic cathedrals
in Unitarian churches, in Port
estant sanctuaries. We have tx
agree with one another here, be
cause the Bible speaks on the
point so plainly we cannot dodge
it.
What Do We Mean By Good
Everybody uses the wore
good" but not everybody stops
to think what it exactly means
1t certainly means more thar
Il like it, We know what we
call good. but why do we cal.
it that? And is there goot
which deserves the name wheth
err we recognize it or not?
What we really want to know
when we are serious about al
this, is what God calls good
Now this is not a new question
Many centuries ago the pro
phet Micah faced good
people who felt that somehow
they had failed to please God
They asked, in effect, What does
God really want us to do? If We
could figure that out, then Of
course that would be the good
for God is not going to be salts
fled with anything less. They
were religious enough to see
that much, though Micah had tx
help them over the bridge to 3
fuller understanding.
The People VS.. God
Micah does this dramatically
He imagines a court room as
big as all outdoors. Judges are
the mountains, the enduring
foundations of the earth" sym
bols of eternal Justice. God frs
asks what his people have
against him. He reviews thei
history, reminds them Of hon
his providence has led and pro
tected them so long. Then thu
people speak is it a little
desperately? What does thu
Lord desire? they ask. We of
fer sacrifice S, isn't tina
enough? Is God Unsuitable. doe.
he demand always more ant
bigger sacrifices? Instead of {
few gallons of olive oil a year
shall we pour rivers of oil OF
Gods altar? Instead of one ran
sacrificed at one time. will hi
be better pleased with thous
and?
He Has Showed
You What Is Good
Then comes the voice (som'
think it is the prophets, other,
think it is the verdict of thu
"everlasting hills") bringing thu
decision of truth. Some one ha'
pointed out that Micah does no
offer a solution of his own. He
points without using theil
names) to the three other grea
prophets of his own day, Amos
Hosea, and Isaiah. Amos key
though was Justice; Hosea.
was Mercy Cor "steadfas
loveD; and Isaiah's was Humili
ty. God has showed you Israel
by these three prophets wha
GOOD" is. You do not neet
another prophet to tell you. Jus
these three things: Justice
kindness, humble spirit before
God. If every any one tries Il
tell you that religion is 50 com
plcated that only professors cal
understand it, show them this
sentence from Micah. If an,
one claims that religion is {
lot of stupid Dos and Don is
make them read these simple
words.
Too Simple?
Some Bible readers feel {
little let down at this point. II
good is so hard for men tx
define, how much more mys
teriouS it must be as God see:
it! Surely there must be some
thing more. something biggel
than justice, what is greater
than steadfast love, what is bet
ter than humility in the pres
ence of God? These are no
little items picked from a Ions
list of little items. These ar.
very big indeed. You can live {
long life working out the mean
ing of justice and mercy ane
humility. Besides. you will no
tice that Micah does not claim
that is all there is to religion
What he does claim is these art
the Musts. Without these three
everything else goes sour. Or
this foundation much can b.
built. This is the ground-floor o
Good. But without this founda
ton. no house of life can bt
called good. for it will not stand
BASED on outlines copyright
ed by the Division Of Christian
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