"O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me" (Micah 6:3).
Never has there been a better example of a rhetorical question. God's query was not meant to be answered for the answer was obvious; and it was an answer that had deep and disturbing implications.
God had been gracious and patient with the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. They constructed idols from wood and stone and referred to them as their father. They lived the prostitute's life seeking instant gratification from instant gods. But come the high tide, they hungered for the true and living God of Israel (Jeremiah 2:27). And He was there for them.
So what negative declaration could they speak against Jehovah? What charge could they bring against the One who had been so long-suffering? They could bring no charge. Why then did God ask the question? Because though they could not accuse God of wrong-doing, they were treating Him as though He'd done wrong.
Their lives were portraits of apostasy and betrayal. Their unfaithfulness was a slap in the divine face that for so long had looked upon them with mercy. Surely a people who were willfully abandoning God's ways had a reason. Surely they had come to find fault with God or His will. For why else would people consciously betray the wishes of Him who had done so much for them?
And what about you, friend? Are you doing God's will in your life? If not, may we ask: What will you testify against God?
~In Gospel Power, Anderson, Alabama, 2/21/99.