Micah 6:8

No, these sacrifices were not what the Lord wanted. He had already told the Israelites what would be good (beneficial) for them when they sinned (cf. Deuteronomy 10:12; Deuteronomy 10:18; 1 Samuel 12:24; Hosea 12:6). He wanted each of His people ("O man") to change his or her behavior. The address "O man" emphasizes the difference between God and man, particularly man’s subordination under God. It also connects Micah’s hearers, the people, not just the leaders, with the vain worshippers described in the two previous verses. Specifically, the Lord wanted His people to practice justice rather than continuing to plot and practice unfairness and injustice toward one another (cf. Micah 6:11; Micah 2:1-2; Micah 3:1-3). He also wanted them to love kindness, to practice loyal love (Heb. hesed) by carrying through their commitments to help one another, as He had with them (cf. Micah 6:12; Micah 2:8-9; Micah 3:10-11). And He wanted them to walk humbly with Him, to live their lives modestly trusting and depending on Him rather than arrogantly relying on themselves (cf. Micah 2:3). There is a progression in these requirements from what is external to what is internal and from human relations to divine relations. Doing justice toward other people demands loving kindness, which necessitates walking humbly in fellowship with God. [Note: Mays, p. 142. See also Waltke, in Obadiah, . . ., p. 197.]

This verse contains one of the most succinct and powerful expressions of Yahweh’s essential requirements in the Bible (cf. Matthew 22:37-39; Matthew 23:23; 1 Corinthians 13:4; 2 Corinthians 6:6; Colossians 3:12; James 1:27; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 Peter 5:5). It explains the essence of spiritual reality in contrast to mere ritual worship. Though the Lord asked His people to worship Him in formal ways, which the Mosaic Covenant spelled out, His primary desire was for a heart attitude marked by the characteristics Micah articulated (cf. Psalms 51:16-17; Jeremiah 7:22-26).

"No vital relationship with God is possible if one is unfaithful to the responsibilities arising out of his God-given relationships with his fellow men." [Note: Robert B. Chisholm Jr., "A Theology of the Minor Prophets," in A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, p. 403.]