Seek Justice or Do Justice?

Micah 6:8 (NIV)

⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a] with your God.

My Scripture writing for today was this, Micah 6:8. Since it's in the Old Testament, I grabbed my Jewish Bible.

Guys! This is translated directly from the Hebrew. To me, it means something different from all of the English versions I've read.

Casting Crowns and Steven Curtis Chapman have songs with this Scripture in it.

I have always heard, "SEEK justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God."

You see in the NIV I posted above, it says to ACT justly.

Here is the Jewish Bible:

"He has told you, O man, what is good, And what the LORD requires of you:

Only to do justice, And to love goodness, And to walk modestly with your God."

Honestly, the King James is the closest: Micah 6:8 (KJV)

⁸ He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

To SEEK means:

verb (used with object), sought, seeking.

1.to go in search or quest of:

to seek the truth.

 

2.to try to find or discover by searching or questioning:

to seek the solution to a problem.

 

3.to try to obtain:

to seek fame.

 

4.to try or attempt (usually followed by an infinitive):

to seek to convince a person.

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To DO means:

 

verb

1.to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.):

Do nothing until you hear the bell.

 

2.to execute (a piece or amount of work):

to do a hauling job.

 

3.to accomplish; finish; complete:

He has already done his homework.

___________________________

To ACT means:

 

noun

1.anything done, being done, or to be done; deed; performance:

a heroic act.

 

2.the process of doing:

 

 

 

Honestly, I can't even find a version that uses the word SEEK. So, I'm not sure where that came from. I know I have heard it more than just that song. Seek and do are verbs, act is a noun.

What I want us to see here is that we need to really pay attention to God's Word.

It is our road map for life.

We can really mess so folks up telling them to SEEK justice. That sounds like they have to do something to earn their salvation.

We can not do anything to earn our salvation. Jesus died on the cross for us, and that will never change.

I believe the Golden Rule always applies to everything in life... treat people the way you want to be treated.

If you don't want people telling you that you are doing everything wrong, then don't tell them they are. Pray for people. Do justice. Love Goodness. Walk modestly with your God.

God bless you today and always!