A Beautiful Illustration

Micah 6:5 says, "Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD." Truly this is a beautiful example of God's grace that Micah is sharing with his audience. Shittim was the camp right before the Israelites crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. It was here where they previously indulged in idolatry and sexual sins with the Moabites and were punished by God (see Numbers 25). Gilgal was their first camp after crossing the Jordan. Therefore God is reminding them of his righteousness by highlighting that he graciously led them out of the sinful black hole they had gotten themselves into; he still remembered his promises and faithfully kept them. And this is the loving God we see throughout the Bible. He hates and punishes sin, but he carries his people to repentance, to paradise in his loving arms.