Amos 5:18-27.
Woe to you who long
for the day of the Lord!
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?
That day will be darkness, not light.
19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion
only to meet a bear,
as though he entered his house
and rested his hand on the wall
only to have a snake bite him.
20 Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light—
pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?
21 “I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
your assemblies are a stench to me.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
25 “Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
26 You have lifted up the shrine of your king,
the pedestal of your idols,
the star of your god[a]—
which you made for yourselves.
27 Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,”
says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty.
A challenge for each of us as we read these words when we get so caught up in projects and programs, in theologically (rather than political) correct debates, opinions etc. When we whitewash the mess and brokenness of ours and others lives to keep ourselves theologically correct at the expense of mercy and justice. When we become the older brother in the prodigal son, the Pharisees. And we claim we are trying not to be the Pharisees with our theological correctness(TC). Our TC comes from our reduction of God, from thinking God needs us to be His spokesperson in today’s world, from allowing ourselves to have become of this world and allowing culture rather than God to have the greater influence in our lives. We look forward to the day of Christ’s return and the older one becomes the more one does so but God reminds His people right at the start of this section that it won’t be all joy and happiness. The day Christ returns brings with it God’s wrath but for those in Christ we will be saved. Will Christ say ‘I know you or not?’ That can be overwhelming and daunting and we can question ourselves. What we need to do when considering that question is more to challenge us in our actions, do our actions allow for justice, does God speak for Himself in our lives, are we willing to let a program go if God rather than His people call us to do so? Some of Amos, while unsettling, is easier to keep at an arm’s length because we do not directly see how we trample on the poor as we don’t see the supply chain of what we purchase etc, but these verses we cannot keep at arm’s length. We need to allow God’s Holy Spirit to work in us bringing to light that area that needs our attention, repentance and to receive God’s forgiveness and learn how to move forward in new ways.
Father, may Your name be hallowed. May Your Spirit work in us and renew in us a right spirit. May we be found in Christ in word, deed and thought. In Jesus name we pray.
Joshua's Tree Rooted 