“Walking Humbly with a Humble God”
“Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD!
Psa. 113:2 ¶ Blessed be the name of the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore!
Psa. 113:3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the LORD is to be praised!
Psa. 113:4 ¶ The LORD is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
Psa. 113:5 Who is like the LORD our God,
who is seated on high,
Psa. 113:6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
Psa. 113:7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
Psa. 113:8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
Psa. 113:9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 113, English Standard Version)
“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, English Standard Version)
It isn’t easy being humble and walking humbly with God. Perhaps it would be a bit easier if we recognized the humility of God himself. The God who requires us to walk humbly with Him is the God who humbles himself to walk with us. In the ancient Near East, the gods did not generally walk with human beings. Humans sometimes encountered these gods. Sometimes the gods spoke to humans. But these encounters and messages were not usually good news for the human who experienced them. The best thing to do with the gods of the ancient world was to sacrifice to them and not tick them off. The gods of the ancient Near East were definitely not known for their humility.
We sometimes fail to realize how radical the God of Israel was and is. This God is loving. This God is forgiving. This is a God who does not require humankind to serve and feed him. This is a God who provides food and serves humans. This is a God who humbles himself to look at what is in heaven and on earth.
In Psalm 113:4-5, we are told how highly exalted God is. Then, in verse 6, we are told that God humbles himself to look on what is in heaven and on earth. But God’s humbling of himself does not stop with merely looking. God lifts the poor, seating them with royalty, and God takes care of those who can’t have babies. God’s humility requires that God get his hands dirty in human affairs.
What a strange and wonderful God!
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