📦 Micah 6:8 | Love That Sticks

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

I’m a card-carrying Bible nerd and today we are taking a deeper look at four crucial words to understanding the biblical narrative.

In today’s email…

• 🗣️ Four Hebrew words

• 📦 The simplicity of Chesed

• 📚️ A few resources to go even deeper in study

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MEMORIZE 🧠 

He has told you, O man, ___ __ ____;

 and what does the Lord _______ __ ___

but to __ ______, and to ____ ________,

and to ____ ______ with your ___?

Micah 6:8

CONTEXT 📕 

Let’s slow down and look closer.

Micah 6:8 is beautiful, but it’s also bold - direct, even.

This isn’t abstract poetry or something inspiring to merely hang on our walls and never put into practice.

It’s a clear answer to the question, what does God actually want from us?

And behind its three-part command are four Hebrew words that key us into what God is saying:

1. ‘Ahab (pronounced ah-HAV) — “Love”

This isn’t a mushy-mushy, sentimental love. This is a strong word of deliberate devotion and chosen loyalty.

In Hebrew, ’ahab often describes the kind of love God has for His people, and the kind He desires in return.

It’s the language of covenant, not convenience.

To “love mercy” (or chesed, which we’ll get to next) means you don’t just show kindness. You cherish it. You seek it out. You celebrate it. You protect it in a world that often sees kindness as weakness.

2. ḥeseḏ (pronounced HEH-sed) — “Mercy”

One of the richest words in all of Scripture.

ḥeseḏ is God’s steadfast, covenantal kindness. It’s the kind of mercy that sticks around when we fail, wander, and don’t deserve a second chance.

When Micah calls us to love ḥeseḏ, he’s saying: Let the faithful love of God not just shape your beliefs, but your behavior.

3. Mishpat (pronounced MISH-pot) — “Justice”

This word shows up all over the Old Testament and it always brings weight with it.

Mishpat is about equity and fairness. About restoring what’s broken.

It means standing with the vulnerable. Refusing to take advantage. Sacrificing what you want for what others need.

And it’s both personal and systemic.

In Micah’s day, justice had been hijacked by the powerful.

Leaders exploited the poor. Courts were corrupted. The wealthy flourished while the weak were crushed.

Micah says: You want to please God? Start by doing justice.

4. ṣānaʿ(pronounced tsa-NAH) — “Humbly”

This is a rare Hebrew word, only used twice in the Old Testament.

It doesn’t just mean being modest. It means being careful, thoughtful, attentive to how you walk with God.

Basically the opposite of arrogance or self-reliance. It’s the posture of someone who knows they’ve been rescued and walks slowly enough to stay in step with their rescuer.

Micah could’ve said “serve God,” or “obey God.”

But instead he says: walk humbly.

Because that’s where real obedience starts, with a heart bowed low, recognizing that He is God and we are not.

Bonus word: The word for “require” is dāraš. It’s not referring to a requirement in the sense that we tend to think about it today. It’s more about what the Lord is seeking. So another way to put it would be “and what does the Lord seek from you.”

APPLY AND RESPOND 🏃‍♂️ 

A few months ago, my family was helping a friend move. I watched my 4-year-old son carry a box half his size across the driveway. He tripped, the box fell, and books scattered everywhere.

Before I could step in, my friend knelt beside him and said, “Thanks for helping me today, buddy. You’re working hard. Let me help you up.”

My son beamed.

That’s ḥeseḏ. That’s humility. That’s love choosing mercy.

Not everything in your life will be neat, fair, or successful. But Micah 6:8 reminds us: God’s not grading performance.

He’s looking for love that sticks, justice that moves towards the vulnerable, and a humility that walks with Him daily.

🧠 Reflect: Which of the four (love, mercy, justice, or humility) feels most absent in your life right now?

📖 Read: Micah 6:6–8 again, slowly. Imagine standing in the courtroom. What part of God’s response hits you hardest?

🙏 Pray: God, I don’t want to just admire these words. I want to embody them. Help me love mercy like You do. Teach me to act justly, not just when it’s easy or convenient. And lead me in the humble way of walking with You, every step. Amen.

TOGETHER WITH AXIS

If you’re a parent like me, your #1 priority is raising children who follow Jesus.

And now, more than ever, there are countless things competing for our kids’ hearts and attention.

That’s why my wife and I personally love Axis. They’re a ministry that creates (free) resources to help parents disciple their kids in everyday moments.

My favorite resource (by far) is their weekly newsletter called The Culture Translator.

Their team spends hours researching the music, movies, TV shows, and social media trends impacting your kid's world. Then they translate it for parents and give you simple conversation starters to help you grow closer to your kids and guide them to gospel truth.

The best part? It’s free and you can unsubscribe anytime if you don’t like it (but trust me, you will like it).

Click here to join us and over 413,000 Christian parents.

p.s. If you’ve already signed up for The Culture Translator, be sure to open their next email (it goes out on Fridays). It’s going to be a good one!

RESOURCES 📚️ 

Here are a few resources to help you dig deeper into the verse and its themes:

• 🖼️ Micah 6:8 for your wall (link)

• 📚️ Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Joel, and Obadiah: God's Comfort for His People by John MacArthur (link)

• 📚️ T. Desmond Alexander, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries) (link)

• 📚️ Leslie C. Allen, The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (link)

• 🎥 BibleProject Overview on Justice (watch)

• 🎥 BibleProject Overview on Loyal Love (watch)

• 🎵 Micah 6:8 by Charlie Hall (Spotify | Apple)

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ANSWER KEY ✅ 

He has told you, O man, what is good;

 and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8