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Devotional For the Week—27 November 2006

Seek God and Live: Remedy or Repercussion?

Scripture Text: Amos 8 & 9

What is the purpose of a being a Christian? It is to be redeemed from our fallen nature and to be restored to holiness or Christ-likeness.

Sometimes, the hard truth is difficult to accept, just as bitter medicine is difficult to swallow. No one likes unpleasant treats but Amos would not allow himself to succumb to popular diplomacy when it came to revealing God’s truth and pronouncing the impending judgment of God. In today’s passage, we learn many lessons.

1. Character

Amaziah protected his religious office at all costs and was willing to sacrifice his priestly duty of teaching the truth. Sadly, Amaziah failed in his duties as high priest of Bethel (Amos 7:10). In the table below, a quick comparison is made between Amaziah the high priest and Amos the prophet.

AMAZIAH

AMOS

Amaziah had a title – high priest (v.10)

Amos had testimony (v.14)

Amaziah had positional authority

Amos had spiritual authority

Amaziah was political (v.13)

Amos was prophetic (v.15)

Amaziah was interested in pleasing man (v.10)

Amos feared God (v.16)

Amaziah served the king (v.10)

Amos serviced the King of kings (v.17)

Amaziah treated his position as a career (v.12)

Amos knew his was a calling (v. 15)

Amaziah was all about accomplishment

Amos was authentic

Amaziah wanted stature

Amos was interested in substance

Amaziah was ritualistic

Amos brought about reformation

Amaziah was connected to high places (v.10)

Amos had character

When you examine yourself closely, what characteristics of Amos or Amaziah do you exhibit in your life?

2. Compromise

We live in a time where biblical moral authority and standards are challenged by human ideals, rationalization and social forces of liberalization. While this may threaten to erode our Christian principles, we must make every attempt to stand firm on God’s law. King Jeroboam and the High Priest Amaziah both compromised God’s standards by giving in to the popular demands of the day. When they rejected God’s voice, God began to judge the people. Which of God’s principles are you tempted to sacrifice today? Will you pray for God’s enabling so that you can keep close to His commands?

3. The 5 Vision in Amos 7-9

God’s judgment is seen in the 5 visions set out in Amos 7 to 9: (a)            the vision of the locust (Amos 7:1-3); (b) the vision of the fire (Amos 7: 4-6); (c) the vision of the plumb line (Amos 7: 7-9); (d) the vision of the ripe fruit which symbolized the people’s sins as being ripe for God’s judgment (Amos 8: 1-14); and (e) the vision of the ruin temple where Amos saw God standing at the alter ready to bring the religious pride of Israel to ruin (Amos 9: 1-10).

In the first two visions, Amos interceded before God to withhold his wrath, and the Lord relented (Amos 7:3 and 6). However, from the third vision onwards, Amos no longer interceded because he knew the sins of the people had reached its limit.

Similarly, Amos 8, repeats the same idea, as the basket of ripe fruits symbolizes the perfect timing of judgment that has to be acted upon and meted out. Amos no longer interceded for the people. The people’s indifference towards God, insensitivity towards the poor, indulgence in material wealth and lack of integrity were all boiling onto judgment.

The 5 visions teach us that:

(a)        as God’s people, we are a redeemed people and given every spiritual blessing and power to be Christ’s ambassadors; and

(b)        the characteristic of God’s people should be shown in their personal convictions about holiness and sin (Amos 7:7-9; Amos 9:1-10); a responsiveness to God’s Word (Amos 7: 10-17; 8: 11-14) and concern for the needy amongst us (Amos 8: 1-10). These 3 characteristics are well summarized in Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what I is good and what does the Lord require of you? To act Justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

4. True Beauty

The redeeming grace of our Lord Jesus Christ redeems us from our sins and transforms us into Christ-likeness. This transformation can be liken to the children of Israel when they were delivered from Egypt and given the promised land. The Israelites were a people without an identity and God transformed them into a people with a divine destiny.

True beauty comes from inner change. It is true transformation of the inner person that brings about a natural attraction. This transformation is brought about through life changes and the discipline of discipleship. It abides because it is a work of the Holy Spirit. In what area of your life do you need to be transformed?

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you once again for the reminder that I am not to test your limits. Help me to be sensitive to your voice, to the needs of others around us and to remember that I am Christ’s ambassador to the world. Lord, in areas of my life that need to be transformed, please help me submit to your will and to obey your commands.

Devotional based on a sermon by Rev Vincent Goh.