This is what Yahweh says!
“I can’t stand your religious meetings.
I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That’s what I want. That’s all I want."
Amos 5:18-25 (The Message)
Let that sink in for a moment! these are harsh words from the Prophet Amos. Words that read so much more powerfully in The Message translation of the Bible! To be perfectly honest with you, 'The Message' isn't a version of the Bible that I naturally turn to, but here, wow! this modern language hits home like a slap in the face as it speaks directly to the heart, so much so that I'm compelled to use it!
Amos's words address the issues of his day for the people of Israel. Issues such as social injustice, religious hypocrisy, and true worship.
Firstly, who was Amos? Well he was a shepherd and a forester who came from 'Tekoa' in the Southern Kingdom of Judah about 10 miles from Jerusalem. He lived in the 8th century BC, when the Northern Kingdom of Israel was going through a period of prosperity. He was an ordinary man, yet God chose him to be His prophet with a messsage for the Northen Kingdom of Israel. God's message through Amos was one of judgement against the people of Israel for its social injustices. its religious complacency and the moral decay that was rampant at that time. These vices often accompany periods of prosperity, wealth and power! and things are no different today. Human nature without doubt remains unchanged throughout the ages!
Religious Practices:
Back in the day, the Israelites (just like us today) took part in religious rituals and festivals, believing that these acts would secure God's favour. However, Amos stood up against the people critising there acts of worship as 'hollow and meaningless! Amos challenged the people arguing that God desires justice and righteousness over worthless ritualistic observances!
'The day of the Lord'
In verses 18-20, Amos warns that the 'Day of the Lord', seen as a time of divine intervention, is not to be longed for as it wont be a day of blessing for the complacent!, Rather that day will be a day of darkness and judgment! and so Amos calls on the people to examine the sincerity of their faith to determine if their actions are aligned with God’s values!
Amos calls for justice, emphasising that God desires justice (I want justice—oceans of it) rather than empty rituals. And so we see that True worship is tied to ethical living that's concerned for the lowely, the poor and marginalised!
Amos challenges the 'notion' that religious practices can substitute for genuine moral conduct! Warning the people that God is more concerned with how people treat one another rather than the rituals of their religious practices and observances.
Is Amos relevent for us today?
The themes in Amos resonate strongly with us as believers today. Especially issues concerning social justice, inequality, and the treatment of marginalised communities. Many movements today cry out for justice, echoing Amos’s call for a faith that actively seeks to address the injustices that run rife throughout society.
Secular 'Pop' or Praise Worship?
What about our worship, can we call it 'authentic' today? Without doubt hollow worship exists in many churches, with today's praise songs more akin to secular pop songs! While they may have a lively beat, many lack the praise and substance of the likes of the Wesley's or Frances Alexander, and others! Sadly from the back of the church, today worshipers are sometimes indisguisable from the 'Swifties' of the pop concerts that wave and cheer in empty praise! Many of us rightly struggle with this, asking questions as to how we should live out our faith with authenticity, while also ensuring that the actions of our faith and praise align with God's values! After all it's not a 'pop idol' we worship, we praise non other than the Almighty!
What about us?:
The passage invites each of us to reflect on our own lives—how we engage with our faith and how we contribute and add too societies well-being. It challenges each of us as believers to consider whether our worship leads us to take direct action in the world, so that we live out our faith and become the hands and feet of Christ. We need to constantly ask ourselves, am I revealing His love and compassion to our brothers and sisters, regardless of their colour, creed or social status throughout God's world?
Amos shows us that being 'religious' is no substiture for direct action, he reminds us that God is concerned for the poor, the needy and the marginalised. A trait that's revealed in the life and ministry of Christ Jesus! The apostle James writes early in his espistle concerning 'True religion',
James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Jesus cared for the vulnerable in the society of his day and so should we in our day. James reminds us that 'faith without works is dead!'
James 2:14-16
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
To close,
The book of the prophet Amos serves as a timeless reminder of the importance of genuine faith expressed outwardly through us in justice and righteousness. This message is timeless, remaining relevant today, where issues of inequality, injustice, and the authenticity of modern religious practices continue to blemish our worship and challenge todays believers .
We must not forget that all of us are called to align our worship with God's ethics as live in a manner that reflects the command of Chirst to love our neighbour as ourselvess and by doing so help make a positive difference in His world.
Have a great day, and God bless,
Trev.