Amos 5, Romans 6: 1-15, Psalm 106: 40-48
Amos 5: 21-24 (ESV)
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in
your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain
offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened
animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to
the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like
waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
Verses 21 through 24 from Amos 5 show God speaking through
Amos about how he did not like people giving me offering and feast and songs
because of the injustice that was being done. Amos was a prophet during the
time of King Jeroboam I in Israel. God sent Amos to deliver a message to the
people of the northern kingdom of Israel to stop abusing its own people and worshipping
new idols. Many bible commentaries have noted that Amos was saying the same
things Jesus said referred to in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said to be
reconciled against those who have wronged you before you bring gifts to God.
I find these verses interesting because it does make wonder
if this is truly God’s reaction to people in church who worship, but have not
repented to God of their sins. It’s almost like Amos is saying God will let
people worship God all they want thinking God has forgiven them all of their
sins, but God will not accept their worship. God will still bring justice on people
for the wrongs they have done if they do not repent. It is not enough to just
worship God, we need to ask God for repentance of our sins. Even if we have
faith in Christ, it’s not a free pass to sin all we want thinking that God will
always forgive us. We must always make a sincere attempt to follow God’s law,
and always ask God for forgiveness of our sins.
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