Kingdom Keys - Amos Series

So maybe you’ve heard it said, ‘read your bible’ so you tried and failed. Our hope as leaders is that all of us will pick up God’s word and come to understand the true nature of God. After all, the bible is God’s Word curated over centuries detailing His nature, His will, the meaning of life and humanity’s historical interactions with Him. The Bible details the hidden keys to the Kingdom. Hence, the reason we are reviewing a new book each week.

This week we move ahead to the book of AMOS. Amos was a shepherd and a fig farmer. He lived 750 years before Christ. He had no other credentials other than he was chosen by God to offer a prophetic word to His people in a time of prosperity. Amos challenged the materialism, morality and spirituality of his culture. He stood in the gap for those without a voice and urged the powerful to repent. However, like today, people wondered why he was causing such a fuss. Everything was going well for the country - stable government, strong military, good homes, corporate profits and their 401K were growing. AMOS saw the future and it wasn’t so bright.

In chapter five of Amos book, he warns them of their errors: faith in military, faith in a corrupt justice system, faith in the status quo, faith in their birthright as the chosen people and their utter contempt for those who live out their faith in God. Let’s pick up the prophets' words in verse 18.

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?

These verses should convict us all, who in our frustration utter “when are you coming Lord?” Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to meeting our Lord. However, when he returns it’s not going to be a mountaintop high experience for everyone. There will be those who rejected, ignored or were just plain apathetic towards God and the reason for their existence, who will not enjoy the benefits of God’s return. A God of perfect justice has to judge every thought and deed so those accepted into his presence don’t taint His perfection or his perfect place of residence. Evil will be judged accordingly.

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.

These verses really hit home for me as a Christian. I keep hearing those words of Jesus in the parable sheep and the goats. A judgment day parable directed at the pharisees who were sure their jewish birth and obedience to the letter of the law including every ritual celebration assured their salvation only to hear Jesus say to them the heart of true worship and faith is not festivals, songs, rituals or even music but service to the hungry, thirsty, naked, foreigner and imprisoned. A fact with dire consequences as Jesus said, “‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

When Christ comes again, He will judge the living and the dead. It’s then, as AMOS said,

24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

The Hebrew word for Justice is Mishpat. It means action taken to correct injustice.

The Hebrew word for righteousness is Tsedaqah. It means being in the right relationship with others should include equity despite social differences.

To illustrate what this looks like in real life, let me tell you a story.

There was a grandpa years ago who worked a small oil field everyday of his life. After a long time without a vacation, his grandson decided to give his grandfather a vacation by doing all the work on the oil patch for a 10 day period .

“Now, son,” Grandpa said (he always begins a serious talk that way), “this country is not going to collapse if something should go wrong with this oil field. It doesn't produce a thousand barrels a week, but, son, they hired me to be darn sure that it produces all the oil it can. As long as the good Lord sustains my health, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I expect you to do the same.”