Amos 5 & 6 -- They Didn't Even Realize

The Israelites were saying, “Come on, God … bring judgment and justice!”  But they did not know what they were asking, for they were living lives that would bring that divine justice back on their heads.  Instead of the Passover, in verse 17 God promises, “I will pass AMONG you to punish you.”

A great way to envision their spiritual blindness is this:  Imagine a typical Sunday morning at church, especially the worship service.  Everyone leaves with a smile on their faces, believing it was a good morning.  But then imagine instead hearing this from God:

“I completely hate your feasts; I cannot stand your religious meetings.  If you offer me … offerings, I won’t accept them.  You bring your best offerings, but I will ignore them.  Take the noise of your songs away from me!  I won’t listen to the music.”

Wouldn’t that be a shock to hear?  It certainly should have been for the Israelites, who probably thought they were “doing church right.”

But God point-blank said, “I know your many crimes, your terrible sins.”  They thought that what they did away from church had no effect on their worship at church, but as I’ve read before, “Work and worship do not sanctify sin.  Sin contaminates work and worship.”

God also gives them an “Oh, by the way …” revelation – they thought He didn’t know about it, but He said, “While you traveled in the desert for 40 years, you carried with you your king, the god Sakkuth, and Kaiwan your idol, and the star gods you made.”  Even as He was originally rescuing their ancestors and bringing them out of Egypt to the Promised Land, they were secretly (or so they thought) bringing along idols that they worshiped!

Despite their many sins, acknowledged or not yet known to God, He still called out to them twice here:  “Come to Me and live … Come to Me and live.”  Such love from our Creator and such apathy from His creations.

Father, our sins are bright as day to You, and they do taint our worship, casting an ugliness upon what should be a beautiful moment between the Creator and His creation.  Please help me to have an acute awareness of all sin in my own life and help me acknowledge it, quit it, and ask for forgiveness before I attempt to ever begin to worship You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford