10/9/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Amos 5:6 issues a serious threat from God. Seek the Lord or he will spread like fire and consume everything. While we find ourselves eager to avoid the picture of God as a consuming fire, we also may doubt that God would actually do something like that. But our passage from Amos 5 goes on to explain it. God uses human means to level penalties in a society. In verses seven and ten we find that those who reject God and His righteousness are the people who bring destruction. They reject righteousness. They show their hatred against those exercising rightous judgment or speaking the truth. In verse eleven we find the result of our faithlessness is loss of what we have worked for.
How can this happen? Why doesn’t good and right prevail? Verses 12-13 make a remarkable statement. Those who are righteous and who would pursue justice become quiet due to the threats they face. Because of the evil oppression, some will not speak up for good. The evil, lacking restraint, flourishes.
How do we deal with the fallout? Verses 14-15 tell God’s people to pursue good, even though it is very difficult. We stand for what is right even in the face of opposition. We have confessed that the Lord is the true God. We live in accord with our confession.
Can we see these patterns in our society? I think they are increasingly clear. If God’s people do not stand for truth, everyone will suffer. May God have mercy.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Amos 5:6 issues a serious threat from God. Seek the Lord or he will spread like fire and consume everything. While we find ourselves eager to avoid the picture of God as a consuming fire, we also may doubt that God would actually do something like that. But our passage from Amos 5 goes on to explain it. God uses human means to level penalties in a society. In verses seven and ten we find that those who reject God and His righteousness are the people who bring destruction. They reject righteousness. They show their hatred against those exercising rightous judgment or speaking the truth. In verse eleven we find the result of our faithlessness is loss of what we have worked for.
How can this happen? Why doesn’t good and right prevail? Verses 12-13 make a remarkable statement. Those who are righteous and who would pursue justice become quiet due to the threats they face. Because of the evil oppression, some will not speak up for good. The evil, lacking restraint, flourishes.
How do we deal with the fallout? Verses 14-15 tell God’s people to pursue good, even though it is very difficult. We stand for what is right even in the face of opposition. We have confessed that the Lord is the true God. We live in accord with our confession.
Can we see these patterns in our society? I think they are increasingly clear. If God’s people do not stand for truth, everyone will suffer. May God have mercy.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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