The painting by Rosemarie Adcock depicts Micah the prophet (c. 735 BC), a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah, who lamented about the condition of God’s people and declared to them what God expected. In one of the most famous verses in Micah 6, God declares His pleasure is not in spectacular wealth and offerings we might bring him as if to pay for our wrongdoings, but instead Micah declares that God has indeed declared what he desires and it isn’t complicated; we are to display His very character:
"Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
In this painting there is a ram (pointing back to the Scripture text) and a bull depicted next to Micah, as he leans over to extend care and lift a barefoot young woman from the ground. Without her own strength to stand, she supports herself by wrapping her hands around his arms as he begins to lift her. The woman is depicted as one poor in spirit, rather than poor in earthly goods. Often those in need of an extension of mercy never show it on the outside, thus it is ours to be always merciful to whomever we encounter.