Titled - "Seek The Lord And Live"
Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz
God’s admonishment towards all Israel continues as we go through Chapter 5 of Amos; and it comes with encouraging words and direction. God speaks of righteous worship through the mouth of the Prophet. Jehovah is lamenting over His people, He desires fellowship with them, and true worship from them. He is missing both because the relationship has been broken.
It is natural for man to want freedom and independence, but God does not want the natural man, He desires the spiritual man, which is imputed to each of us at birth, with our first breath. It is God’s design that we need His air to live. Oxygen rich air is circulated throughout our bodies. And wonder of wonders, the trees and foliage replenish the oxygen we use. (And we replenish the carbon dioxide that they need and use!) God has left nothing to chance, in any part of His Creation.
But there is much left to chance for those that do not claim Him as Father. In fact, for them, everything is left to chance, unless mankind intervenes. The natural man has that level of wisdom, so one of our vulnerabilities is how easily we can be exalted by others and gain accolades from mankind. Those that desire the wisdom of God look to seek after Him, not one of His Creation.
Gilgal, Bethel, and Beersheba have nothing to offer the believer, and only temporary relief for the non-believer. Many here in the west followed after one who offered hope and change to the masses. They turned out to be empty promises because they utilized the collective wisdom of humanity, rather than God’s wisdom. And lest I be accused of politicizing the issue, every leader, of every age offered their own wisdom gained from human advisors, and personal experience, rather than the wisdom of the Creator.
Some have been, and will be better than others, and many will be worse because we are comparing the earthly with the earthly. We are in this conundrum because like Ephesus in Revelation 2:4, mankind has either left their first love, or rejected Him outright. And leaving God’s teachings behind, there is nothing long lasting, much less eternal without Him in our lives. Turn back to Jesus!
“Call now, if there will be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?” - Job 5:1
Bobservations' Column: Audio Version
Sunday Morning's Audio Message:
Amos 5:1-15 - "Seek The Lord And Live"
Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:
Amos ministered as a prophet to Israel at the nation’s apex of prosperity and political power. Sadly, it was a time when true worship of God had been replaced with idolatry, immorality, greed, materialism, injustice, spiritual complacency, and self-reliance. God’s people, both in Judah to the south (Amos’s home) and Israel to the north (Amos’s mission field), faced the Lord’s judgment because they had forsaken Him. In a string of dire predictions of coming doom (Amos 3:1—6:14), Amos offers this one ray of hope: “This is what the Lord says to Israel: ‘Seek me and live’” (verse 5:4).
The chapter opens with a lament for the fallen nation of Israel, likened to a young woman ravaged by war. Through a series of pronouncements, Amos exposes the hypocrisy of their religious practices, highlighting their neglect of justice and righteousness despite engaging in rituals and sacrifices.
Amos condemns their oppression of the poor and vulnerable, their pursuit of wealth through dishonest means, and their false sense of security in their religious observances.
The chapter offers a glimmer of hope, conditional on seeking the Lord and living justly, but ultimately warns of a coming exile as a consequence of their unrepentant hearts.
Sunday Morning Audio Message:
Key Words and Definitions with Reference:
Lamentation (5:1) - A funeral dirge was taken up for Israel, compared to a young woman who had died (cf. 8:14). The term, “lamentation” describes a song or dirge for the dead; such funeral songs have a distinct meter or cadence. Typically, the dirge or funeral song consists of four discernible movements, including: a description of the tragedy (5:2–3), a summons to respond (5:4–6, 14–15), a direct address to the fallen (5:7–13), and a call to mourning (5:16–17).
Seek the Lord (5:4) - Three times the invitation to seek the Lord. Three times God's mercy is given (verses 4, 6, 14). Though God’s judgment is imminent, it can be avoided, or at least postponed, by seeking the Lord. The only hope is to seek the Lord in true repentance and thus avoid the judgment of God. We see one more plea for them to repent and turn to God. If they would heed the warning and turn to God, even now, they would live. The appeal to “seek” God is a summons to respond to the prophet’s funeral song. The repetition of the summons (5:6, 14) with the use of the imperative form of the verb indicates the desperate situation Israel faced for making a decision. Simply stated, seeking God involves both obedience to His Word and repentance. In order to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, they must seek what is good and run from evil (5:14).
And Live (5:4) - “Seek me and live” is the cry of God’s heart—His appeal for people to repent and pursue His forgiveness while there is still hope of salvation. The message echoes in Isaiah’s invitation: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6). It resonates in Zephaniah’s call: “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger” (Zephaniah 2:3). “Seek me and live” is God’s invitation to return to “pure and genuine” devotion to the Lord (James 1:27), which is the foundation of our life and relationship with Him. When we forsake the Lord, we must humble ourselves before Him, repent, obey His commands, and walk in His ways again. Only in this way can we receive forgiveness of sins and restoration (2 Chronicles 7:14). The prophets repeatedly warned God’s rebellious children to return to authentic worship, which is our source of spiritual life and the only hope of salvation from the Lord’s judgment and wrath.
Bethel . . . Gilgal (5:5) - Bethel, the place of Jacob's dream (Genesis 28), and Gilgal, where Israel was circumcised before surrounding Jericho (Joshua 5:1-9), were sacred to Israel.
Beersheba (5:5) - Located in southern Judah, fifty miles southwest of Jerusalem, Beersheba had a rich Israelite history (cf. Genesis 21:33; 26:23; 1 Samuel 8:1-3; 1 Kings 19:3-7). Apparently, people from the north crossed over the border to worship there (cf. 8:14).
House of Joseph (5:6) - This refers to the northern kingdom, since Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph, were two of its largest tribes.
Justice to Wormwood (5:7) - Justice was so perverted that it was like wormwood, an herb known for its bitter taste (cf. Revelation 8:11).
Judgment (justice)...Righteousness (5:7) - The prophet pairs “justice” and “righteousness” three times in this section (Amos 5:7, 24; 6:12). This is the best summary available to define the covenant responsibilities of God’s people. Since justice (cf. Isaiah 30:18) and righteousness (Micah 7:9) are essential activities of the LORD, they must become prime duties of his people.
Judgment (justice)...Righteousness (5:7) - The prophet pairs “justice” and “righteousness” three times in this section (Amos 5:7, 24; 6:12). This is the best summary available to define the covenant responsibilities of God’s people. Since justice (cf. Isaiah 30:18) and righteousness (Micah 7:9) are essential activities of the LORD, they must become prime duties of his people.
Seven Stars (5:8) - The pagan worship of the stars and the gods associated with them, as practiced in the false religions of the land, was foolish, for the true Creator God had made the stars and their constellations. He had even named them (Isaiah 40:26). The "seven stars" was a popular name for the Pleiades.
Pleiades and Orion (5:8) - Pleiades, part of the constellation Taurus, and Orion depict God's creative power and wisdom (cf. Job 9:9; 38:31-35). Israel was guilty of worshipping the stars (cf. v. 26) instead of their Creator. The book of Amos features three ancient hymn fragments (Amos 4:13; 5:8–9; 9:5–6). Amos emphasized the order and rhythm of God’s creation with his appeal to the cycle of constellations crossing the heavens (5:8a), the temporal patterns of day and night (5:8b), and the seasonal rainfalls (5:8c). By appeal to the ancient hymn Amos understood that it is God who brings order to creation and to life (5:8b and 8c). The biblical creation account depicts a God who brings order out of chaos by his very word (Genesis 1–2; cf. Psalm 33:6). The unfathomable wisdom behind the design and order of creation is personified as a master architect (Proverbs 8:30), and his handiwork in the natural world is obvious (Psalm 19:1–4).
Dark Day with Night (5:8) - Only Jehovah could control the day/night cycle, for He had set the earth rotating on its axis.
In the gate (5:10-13) - The fabric of justice had been destroyed, causing pervasive corruption "in the gates." This is the place where justice was administered (cf. verse 15; Deuteronomy 21:19; Joshua 20:4).
Seek Good (5:14, 15) - These were the righteous conditions necessary to turn back God's fast approaching judgment. To seek good is to seek that which is pleasing to the LORD. To treat others justly, as commanded in God's covenant law with Israel. In this context, it specifically means to treat the poor justly, and to practice justice with equality for all (v. 15). God's covenant law required everyone in Israel to be treated the same under the law. There was to be no preference to either rich or poor. These two commands—seek God and seek good—sum up the essence of the Ten Commandments: love God and love our neighbor (Matt. 22:36-40; Mark 12:30-31).
That Ye May Live (5:14) - The succinct message to "seek good, not evil" and "Hate evil, love good" is the central theme of the book. If obeyed, God's people would "live," the Lord would be with them and be gracious to them.
Hate Evil (5:15) - Evil is usually thought of as that which is morally wrong, sinful, or wicked; however, the word evil can also refer to anything that causes harm, with or without the moral dimension. The word is used both ways in the Bible. Anything that contradicts the holy nature of God is evil (see Psalm 51:4). Anything that contradicts God's Word, His Commands are evil. God commands us to hate evil. Perhaps the most straightforward reason that we should hate evil is that God hates evil (Deuteronomy 12:31; 16:22; Psalm 5:4–6; 11:5; Proverbs 6:16–19).
