Page 16 - Florida Sentinel 2-28-20

A Call To Accountability AMOS 5:18-24 (KJV)
SCRIPTURES
18 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.
19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
20 Shall not the day of
the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offer- ings of your fat beasts.
23 Take thou away
from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Sunday’s lesson, “A Call To Accountability,’ is the be- ginning of a new quarter, which will focus on justice as presented in the Old Testa- ment prophets.
In Unit 1, Amos Habakkuk, Micah, and Malachi issue God’s call for justice for the poor and op- pressed and describe how leaders must practice justice.
Unit 2 includes lessons for Palm Sunday (April 5th) and Easter (April 12th) that examine the promised Mes- siah as the defender of jus- tice. Esther’s triumph demonstrates the prevailing
of God’s justice.
In Unit 3, Zephaniah
presents both a judgment against the wickedness and injustice of Jerusalem and a vision of restoration. Zechariah calls for a return to God’s ways of justice. In Jer- emiah, God’s people are given a choice either to repent of in- justices by executing justice or to face destruction. Hosea uses early history to call the people to love and justice.
Background
Amos was a shepherd and keeper of sycamore fig trees. Although a resident of the Southern Kingdom, God called him to be a prophet to warn the Northern Kingdom of coming judgment. Amos prophesied during the reigns of Jeroboam II, the king of Is- rael, in the north (792–753 B.C.), and Uzziah, king of Judah, in the south (792 – 740 B.C.).
For several months, he delivered a message of judg- ment to Israel, warning her leaders that failure to repent of the injustices they commit- ted against the poor and vul- nerable would lead to Israel’s destruction.
Amos began his message with a series of oracles pro- nouncing judgment against Israel’s pagan neighbors — Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab (1:1– 2:3). Then, the remainder of the message was dedicated to condemning Judah and Is- rael.
False Hope (Amos 5:18–20)
One can imagine the sense of satisfaction and pride God’s chosen people would have to hear the initial proclamations against the sins of the other nations.
However, Amos reveals that Israel is also worthy of condemnation, even more so because of their habitual sins, frequently violating their covenant relationship with God.
“Woe” was a funeral cry, the wailing in grief over the dead. When referring to the living, it serves as a predic- tion of death. Here, the “woe” is for those eagerly awaiting the day of the Lord, expecting light and abundant life, who will instead be met with dark- ness and death.
Amos illustrates the futil- ity of such hope using images of a lion, bear, and poisonous snake to describe the terror
one will experience when, after escaping one danger, finding himself face to face with an equally terrifying one. Then, upon finally believing that rest and relief are avail- able in their own home, meet- ing even more danger. There will be no safe haven when judgment comes.
False Sacrifices (vv. 21-24)
“Ihate...Idespise...Iwill not smell ... I will not accept ... nor regard ... I will not hear.” In three short verses, God vehemently rejects mul- tiple aspects of Israel’s hypo- critical religious rituals. Although their outward prac- tices imitate a commitment to the Lord, their hearts are far from him.
He begins with his dis- pleasure with their feasts. Moses gave instructions for three feasts that the Israelites were to celebrate annually — the Passover with the Festival of Unleavened Bread, honor- ing God for His protection, and the Festival of Harvest and Festival of Shelters, hon- oring His provision (Deuteronomy 16). God’s disdain for their celebrations of these stems from the real- ity that in daily activities they make a mockery of them.
Amos then addresses the assemblies, offerings, and sacrifices. The Israelites offer sacrifices that are required by law. They are supposed to be a representation of lives to- tally surrendered to God —ac- knowledging and repenting of sin, reconciling to Him, and seeking His pleasure.
However, these offerings are refused because they are not authentic — Israel is bla- tantly disobedient and their “worship” is self-seeking. Even their music, previously prescribed and valued by God as worship, is disregarded as useless noise. Instead of these insincere ritualistic perform- ances, God calls for repentant hearts committed to doing what is morally right, just, and fair.
However, justice and righteousness are not to be an occasional action, but exacted continuously and abundantly, as with rolling water and an ever-flowing stream.
We are challenged to live as God wants us to in a soci- ety that holds justice and righteousness in high esteem. Then we can continue to look forward to the "Day of the Lord" when all of us will give an accounting for our former life.
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