Eucharistic meditation, Sunday after Epiphany

Micah 6:5: My people, remember now . . . from Shittim to Gilgal, in order that you might know the righteous acts of Yahweh.

We’ve seen this morning that Micah is presenting the covenant lawsuit against the people of Israel and Judah. He is bringing Yahweh’s indictment, his “case” against Israel. And part of that case is a reminder of what the Lord has done for Israel in the past. He brought them up from Egypt, led them through the wilderness, planted them into the land, fulfilled all His word. Israel might complain, but all their complaints are groundless.

The Lord calls these “righteous” acts. We sometimes think of “righteousness” as primarily conformity to the law. But that doesn’t fit in this case, because there is no law outside of God to which God has to conform. God isn’t righteous because He keeps some external code law; He is His own law, and His righteousness is conformity to His own character, His own nature, especially as expressed in His faithfulness to Israel. He manifests His righteousness when He is faithful to Israel by blessing them and removing their enemies. And Israel is to remember His righteousness.

Specifically, Israel were to remember the last stage of their journey to the land, the crossing from Shittim to Gilgal, their baptism in the Jordan. If they had remembered their baptism in the Jordan, their crossing from Egypt and the wilderness into the land, they would have kept from their sins and covenant-breaking.

This table is a table of remembrance. That remembrance is first of all a memorial directed to the Father. We remind the Father of His promises when we present the tokens of His Son before Him. We remind the Father of His righteous acts.

But we are also reminded, and reminded specifically off God’s righteous acts, and more specifically still of His righteous acts in His bringing us through the waters from the wilderness to the land that flows with milk and honey. At this table, we remember that the Lord has brought us through dangers, and the Lord strengthens our faith. We can be confident because the one who did righteousness in giving His Son will do the same continually.