Micah 6:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Will you also condemn Moses, your leader, who inspires you to rise above lowly thoughts and reveals to you what pleases God to enable you to live a life of glory? Or is there a desire to attack the priestly order? For I appointed Aaron to act as a mediator between God and you. Is there resentment towards this as well? And what can I say about Miriam, who celebrated the downfall of the Egyptians and led the women in their song? As she struck her tambourine, she sang of the horse and its rider drowned in the sea (Exodus 15:20-21). Yet the victory of God, who allowed you to pass through the waters while rendering the sea impassable for your foes, appears to bring you no delight or relevance. Thus, He gently reproves them, invoking the blessings they have received and chastising them for neglecting the most crucial truths, while also honoring the Savior by adhering to His commandments. Likewise, He has freed us from spiritual Egypt, meaning the shadows of sin and demonic control—delivering us from the labor of worldly desires; He has transported us across the waters, securing us from perilous waves that threaten our souls, and inscribing divine laws within us. He has appointed a priest in the person of our Savior. He has also sent forth what can be likened to Miriam, symbolizing the Church, which has triumphed over the schemes of adversaries and brings glory to God the Savior; in the Church, hymns of gratitude, praise, and worship for God’s goodness are always resounding. Therefore, let us remain vigilant that we do not succumb to offenses similar to those of the Jews and find the demands of God burdensome; for Blessed John teaches, ‘His commandments are not heavy’ (1 John 5:3), and Christ Himself assures us, ‘My yoke is good, and my burden is easy’ (Matthew 11:30). It is imperative that we obey God, for His expectations are not oppressive.

For where the LXX refers to the ark of the covenant, the altar, or the tabernacle constructed from imperishable trees, the Hebrew scriptures frequently mention the Septimus trees, akin to what is commonly known as the white thorn. It seems to me that the LXX translated scinon, which means mastic tree, yet gradually, due to scribal errors, the term evolved into scoinoi, meaning ropes, instead of scinoij, which refers to mastic trees. God thus speaks to the people of Israel, summoning them to judgment and allowing them to resist. My people, what injustice have I done to you? How have I caused you grief? Although these last words are not present in the Greek text, the father feels sorrow for his chastened son, and the shepherd governs the unrighteousness of the sheep with a rod. With what toil have I burdened you? Or, as the Hebrew articulates more vividly, with what labor have I weighed you down? Will you not perceive My blessings as a dishonor? Do you crave the melons and diverse foods of Egypt, mourning the fact that I delivered you from bondage and rescued you by My power, giving you Moses, My beloved, Aaron, My priest, and Miriam, My prophetess, as your leaders? If this seems insufficient, recall how Balak sought to use Balaam the prophet against you, and observe how, wanting to utter curses, he ended up blessing you instead. As he surveyed the army of Israel from Settim to Gilgal, changing locations thrice, did I not show you that I could accompany him throughout his journey? I did this so that you might know of My mercies and reassurances—I who cherish you so deeply, that even as I endure the blasphemies of the one who curses, I have not allowed your enemy to bring a curse upon you. The Hebrew interpretation of “From Settim to Gilgal” is to highlight the justifications of the Lord: from the time when you engaged in idolatry in Midian until Saul was appointed king at Gilgal, remember all your transgressions and My mercies, and you shall recognize My compassion toward you. Thus, God speaks to carnal Israel, reflecting on the historical events of the past. But we, desiring to see the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, and who truly can call Abraham our Father, will humbly heed God's rebuke and judgment because of our transgressions. For we once toiled under Pharaoh, making bricks for the Egyptians; yet He who offered Himself for the redemption of all has redeemed us, so we who are saved by the Lord and gathered from various nations can declare that His mercy endures forever. He also sent before us Moses, representing the spiritual law, and Aaron, the Great High Priest, adorned not merely in the ephod, an emblem of truth, but marked with holiness as ordained by God the Father. He even sent Mary, as foretold by the prophets, and not only that, but He also liberated us from the grasp of our foes. Moreover, let us consider what the devil devised against us, this true Balak, who sought to devour and destroy our assembly through slander. "Balak" signifies the one who wipes out, while Moab implies native water according to another interpretation. When Balak schemed against us through his futile people, referred to by the term “Balaam,” God did not permit us to fall under his curses; on the contrary, He blessed us. It was this worthless Gentile people, born of one wholly focused on the flesh, who blessed us, driven by the essence of the event itself, as Beor denotes one clothed in skin, preoccupied with earthly matters and the deeds leading to death. This insignificant people spoke on our behalf, a lineage derived from one entirely covered in skin, continually shifting or standing over thorns, or in the wrong sense, over cords. According to the Savior's teaching, the thorns symbolize the cares of this world, along with its riches and desires, where the futility dwells. And he who is ensnared in the ropes remains bound by his sins, for everyone becomes entangled by their own transgressions, as Proverbs states. Woe to those who carry their iniquity like a lengthy rope, their sins suffocating like an ox’s belt. Hence, when he tries to stand, he remains ensnared and surrounded by thorns, unable to find solid footing. With unstable footing, he reaches Galgal, which signifies instability or the mire of sin. If ever we encounter those who rise against us and seek our demise, we can proclaim: Balaam came from the bondage to Galgal, so that God's righteous judgment may be revealed.