Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct 1/61

Contributor - Unknown

Title - Lesson Discussion

Topic - Youth

AMOS 5: 10 - 15, 20 - 24

1) God Knows Our Sins

There are two strong words in the first verse of the lesson the word hate and the word abhor. A person can hate in a most hurtful manner and he can hate in a noble way. There are times when it is right to abhor something or some one and there are times when it is sinful to abhor. The word "they" used in the text refers to people who hated and abhorred in the wrong way. They hated anyone who rebuked them and they abhorred the person who spoke uprightly. It may be that Amos thought especially of the judges and leaders whom he reproved because they did unjustly, but it is also possible that Amos thought of people in general.

Most people, especially not after they reach forty, like to be rebuked or criticized or corrected. Usually the more guilty people are the less they like to hear about it. When a minister preaches about giving, it is people who do not give as they ought to, who say, "The minister is always talking about giving." Tithers never object. Dishonest people do not like to hear about being honest, and the immoral object to the pure, and the faithless church members about being faithful and true to heir vows. Amos publicly preached against sinful living he preached at the city gate, the place where the court of justice met, where all manner of public assemblies were held, and where people met for social fellowship. Jeremiah and Isaiah preached at the city gate also. The preaching of Amos was not popular he preached too much about sin and its punishment.

Amos traveled throughout his nation and in Israel too, and so he knew about the sins of the people. The prophet denounced the rich who oppressed the poor by demanding high rent, excessive shares of the crops - "exactions of wheat" - and by taxation. They enriched themselves dishonestly and then lived luxuriously, they built houses of hewn stone, and planted vineyards, and they thought they "were getting away 'with it". In the days of Amos the latest fashion was to build houses of hewn stone. Other prophets also made mention of this luxury. Some people today are building mansions which to some of us seem out of proportion. We are living in days of much luxurious living. It is time for Christians to consider how much they are spending for luxuries and how much they are giving to the kingdom. Frequently luxurious living and godliness do not go hand in hand. It is still commendable to buy a smaller car in order to give a bigger gift to missions.

The Lord knew their manifold transgressions and great sins. The prophet, speaking for God, mentions some definite sins - they afflicted the just and turned "aside the needy in the gate from their right" - they had no standing in the public gatherings because they had no money and no one to speak for them. When justice is ignored a nation is in a dangerous position. God knew all about Israel's sins and He knows the sins of our nation and communities. The prophet reminded these proud lawbreakers that God would punish them - they would not live in their beautiful homes nor enjoy the fruit of their vineyards. God is man's final judge from whom no one will escape, not even those "who get away with murder" here. Let all who violate God's laws remember that God is the Judge before whom every one must appear.

2) God Demands Justice

Amos knew how bad times were. Conditions were so bad that the prudent kept quiet, not because they wanted to, but because they were silenced by the wicked tyrants. Tragic indeed are the times when it is not possible for the wise and good to speak. It is said that today there are labour unions in which honest workers are not permitted to speak their minds.

The godly life is not meant to be one of ease but of effort. Amos summons people to seek good and not evil - observe that word "seek". Surely we ought to be even more diligent in the realms of the spiritual life than in our every day affairs. However, this is not always true. A minister asked a parishioner (who always made excuses why he did not come to church Sunday nights) the question, "If some one would give you $25, if you would go to church tonight, would you be there?" The parishioner said, "Yes, I would." He was honest. The Israelites in the days of Amos were seeking evil - the prophet told them to seek the good. God wants people to seek the good in order that they may live. Godliness means life. Some people think that to live without God means to really live. How mistaken they are! These people were told that if they lived right God would be with them. Amos said that if the people would seek good, and not evil, and hate evil and love good, then God would be gracious to the remnant of Joseph to Israel.

Take note of the fact that Amos tells the people to hate the evil. If they had done that it would not have been necessary for the prophet to tell the people to do this,

People who love the good hate evil. There are many people in our land who do not hate evil enough, and that is why they play with, flirt with, and do evil. In our day some church members do not seem to have a sense of what is right and wrong, and they yield to the wrong, but it does not bother them in the least. We need a generation of people who hate evil because they love the good. The stronger we hate evil, the more we will love the good. Satan gets dominion over people by degrees. It is smart not to let him get a foothold in our lives. It seems so easy for some people to be tolerant to evil. God hated evil and all who do likewise are on the side of God. Every Christian ought to take a firm stand against all manner of evil. If Christian people would hate evil more it would not be so brazen in the land.

Sometimes people get all stirred up about evils in society, but they do not seem to take any note of the evil in their own hearts and lives. The best place to begin a crusade against evil is in our own hearts and homes and lives. Sometimes an evil gets such a hold on people that they are dominated and blinded by it to such an extent that they only see the evils in society and in groups and in the lives of others, but not in their own.

God Hates Insincerity

The people in the days of Amos were religious. A reading of the prophets gives us the information that the people they addressed were religious. The term "religion" is used much today. Many people think it is enough to be religious, it does not make any difference what kind of religion they have. The prophets of the Old Testament addressed their messages to people who were religious and Jesus was at odds with the religious leaders and people of his day.

In the days of Amos the people were religious. The prophet mentions some of their religious feasts and offerings. There were the three annual feasts at which every male appeared, and the burnt offerings which were very costly, and the meal offerings, of flour, mingled with salt, oil and incense, and the peace offerings or thank offerings, and the offerings of fat beasts, and the singing of songs or psalms but all of these highly displeased the Lord, and were all useless in his sight.

Why did the Lord say, "I hate, I despise your feasts?" There were two reasons. The first is that these worshippers had corrupted the true worship of God. Recall that Amos preached to the leaders and people of the northern kingdom. Jerobeam corrupted the true worship in order to keep his kingdom from returning again to the kingdom of Judah. Jerobeam introduced a false kind of religion by establishing two new religious centres. The sacred writers tell us many times that Jerobeam made all Israel to sin by placing calves of gold in the sanctuary at Bethel and at Dan and by making priests "of the lowest of the people which were not of the sons of Levi." God had never ordained this kind of worship.

There was still another reason why God despised and abhorred these their religious ceremonies and rituals. These religious people had the notion that their sins could be expiated by sacrifices and the observance of religious ceremonies. Mark well that God does not simply say that he was displeased, but that he despised and abhorred their religious feasts and activities. If these people had offered their sacrifices and worshipped sincerely and thus shown that they were truly penitent, they would have been acceptable in God's sight. None of their religious services pleased the Lord because they were not evidences of true faith or repentance. All the money they spent and the time that was used were wasted. They continued their sins and wickedness.

What was wanting in the religion of Israel? Love and obedience. The Lord said that people show their love to him by keeping his commandments. These Jews were much concerned about observing the feasts and offering sacrifices, but they showed no thought about doing the Lord's will in business, in their relationships with their fellow men they cheated, lied, oppressed, bribed, lived luxuriously in spite of their religious activities. A profession of religion must be followed by performance. What is the use of going to church on Sunday and then mistreat your fellow pilgrims to eternity on Monday ?

Some preachers and teachers are always negative. Amos was not that kind. "But let judgment run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream". These people were told to love God and show it by manifesting a true love for man. The prophet bids them to let judgment which had hitherto ever been perverted in its course roll on, like a mighty tide of waters, sweeping before it all hindrances, obstructed by no power, turned aside by no bribery, but pouring on in one perpetual flow, reaching all, refreshing all "and let righteousness manifest itself as a continuous and unfailing stream." The prophets of Israel always emphasized the important things in life. And this all teachers and preachers should do in season and out of season.

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