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Sunday School Lesson
Historically, much has been written or said concerning "the basics." This fact is seen in many areas of life. There has been the "swinging of the pendulum" of interest from "this is the foundation of society" to "forget the past, and let us build our own future." The first of these positions gives us the basis for our system of values, while the second - which might have some long-term significance - must "prove itself" through the "test of time." The heavenly father - the creator of the universe - has given the "book of instructions" to his highest creation. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21. These words have been read and observed through the centuries, thus producing a "track record" that can be trusted. When God sends a message to his people, he chooses a "willing vessel," not necessarily one that humans would see as significant. In the case of the prophet Amos, he declared, "... I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son;but I was a herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit." Amos 7:14. He told his hearers, "And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel." Amos 7:15. Since he was from Tekoa (Amos 1:1), which was south of Jerusalem, he was sent to the Northern Kingdom. In the third of his messages to this people, he rebuked them for their "substitutionary worship" in the places of their choosing - they did not go to Jerusalem to worship in the temple. They went to "Bethel ... Gilgal, and ... Beersheba ..." Amos 5:5. The message was direct - "Seek the Lord, and ye shall live..." Amos 5:6a. This man attempted to focus the attention of these people on Jehovah - "The Lord is his name: That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress." Amos 5:8d, 9. The hearers did not listen kindly to the message. "They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly." Amos 5:10. He described the acts that were being carried out. "Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them." Amos 5:11. Is not this kind of attitude seen in our day? The divine message is direct. "For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right." Amos 5:12. These actions discourage those who would "stand for the right." "Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time." Amos 5:13. Through the prophet, God gave instructions. "Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph." Amos 5:14,15. The holy spirit allowed this "rough around the edges" prophet to paint a word picture of those who refused to listen to the message that they had heard. "Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus, wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandmen to mourning, and such as are skillful of lamentation to wailing. And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the Lord." Amos 5:16,17. It is important for us to remember that in that society, there were "professional mourners," who could be "hired to mourn" for specific occasions. The people of Israel desired the "day of the Lord" since they saw this as the "destruction of their enemies." However, Amos wanted them to understand that the "day of the Lord" was for judgment upon all evildoers - including themselves. "Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light." Amos 5:18. The prophet gave examples of "danger where there should be safety." "As if a man did flee a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him." Amos 5:19. He asked, "Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?"Amos 5:20. These people had been "doing all the right things" that would be in the setting of "worship." However, God sees the motives, and looks into the "heart" of that which we "perform" as "worship." "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies." Amos 5:21. These "offerings" were a "highlight" of the "worship" that these people were "performing." God declared, "Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts." Amos 5:22. What is our attitude when we "worship?" These people seemed to have developed some kind of "system" of singing that must have been "pleasant" to the human ear, with no regard for the divine directives. Psalm 100:1-5; 150:6. The word of the prophet must have grated upon the emotions of his hearers. God declared, "Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols." Amos 5:23. The "instrument" was not the problem. Psalm 150:3. The divine call is for judgment and righteousness. "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." Amos 5:24.
Are we faithful?
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