“I Hate; I Despise”
[Amos 5:18-24]
November 9, 2008 Second Reformed Church
Is God pleased with us when we do everything right? If we have an appropriate order of worship. If we sing hymns that have the right words to good music, if we confess true confessions, if we read the Bible and preach from it alone, if we give generously of our time, talents, and money, will God be pleased with us?
The divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah thought the answer to these questions was, “yes.” Under Uzziah in the North and Jereboam II in the South, Israel and Judah were at peace. Their economies prospered. Their people were happy. They worshiped in the temple and gave of their blessings for the maintenance of the work of God. They followed the ceremonial and civil laws of the land, and all seemed well to them.
The people could be found in the temple, listening to the Word of God and responding to it, crying out, “Come, Day of the Lord Come, Messiah ” They were of the line of Abraham; they had inherited the promises; they were ready for God to bring His Justice to earth – to fulfill the long ago promise made to our first parents in the Garden. If there was ever a time when the sons and daughters of Abraham were ready to meet God – this was it!
But they weren’t ready: they were hypocrites. Everything seemed right. They were wealthy and happy, doing everything that seemed right according to the Word of God. Yet the prophet Amos came among them and revealed that underneath their pristine exterior was idolatry, greed, and dishonesty.
Amos heard them rejoicing and calling out for the Day of the Lord – for God to come with justice on all peoples, and Amos pronounced judgment upon them: “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness and not light, as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of the Lord darkness and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?”
Amos told them that they were hypocrites – they put forth a show of being right with God – they did what they thought God wanted – but they had missed the point: all these good works, without a change of heart, are nothing. It is, as Jesus said, washing the outside of the cup while leaving the inside dirty. The last thing someone in their condition should want was for God to come with justice!
If God came to them with justice, and their heart was not changed, they would be facing God as sinners, deserving only of His Wrath, and that would not be the day of light and glory that they thought they would be received into. No, they would be received into gloom, into darkness, into terror, and there would be no escape. The Day of the Lord for those who have not repented of their sin and had their heart changed, will be like a man who runs from a lion only to be killed by a bear, or who runs from a bear only to be killed by a serpent – there is no escape.
Hear the word of Amos: you can be the best person in the world, you can be better than everyone that calls themselves a Christian, you can do everything that is right in the eyes of men and according to the Word of God, but if you do not believe in Jesus Alone for your salvation, if you have not repented of your sin, if your heart has not been changed, you will not be met by the smile of the Savior on that last day, you will be met by the Son of Wrath, with His sword of justice.
And the inhabitants of Israel and Judah cried out, “But wait, we have kept all of the holy days, we have made all of the appropriate sacrifices, we have offered up the best of the best of our animals, we have sung all of the Psalms, and had the best instrumentalists to accompany our singing, and we have become prosperous. Surely, God has heard us and accept us as the sons and daughters of Abraham.”
Amos delivered the Word of the Lord to them: “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.”
God is not shy in saying “I hate; I despise” – God is not only displeased with them, He is sickened by them. Israel and Judah prided themselves on doing everything right – on making sure God got His grain and His fat offering. They thought God would be satisfied, but they missed the point: God didn’t need their food – God wanted them to understand that they were sinners, in need of a Savior – that they needed to repent of their sin – to change their ways, their hearts – to be right with God.
Hear the word of Amos: it is right to take part in the life of the Church, in worship, the sacraments, in everything that is offered for our benefit, and in giving of our time, talent, and money, but God doesn’t need any of those things from us. God is Holy and Self-sufficient. If we think we are benefitting God by doing these things, God is disgusted and rejects our offerings. God wants us to understand that each one of us is a sinner, separated from God by our sin, in need of a Savior, the One and Only Savior, Jesus, and then we are recognize our need and give thanks for our salvation by taking part in all these things that God has told us to do – all those things that God offers us and calls us to do and be in His Church.
Amos continued to speak for God saying, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.” Amos told Israel and Judah that they had to begin – not with calling for God to judge the earth – but with their relationship with God. They needed to humble themselves and come to God in repentance, seeking their own holiness, seeking that they, themselves, would be bringers of justice. They needed to come to God with a pure and a sincere heart. That is what they ought to be doing – that is where their life ought to begin and end in God.
In the next generation, the prophet Micah would bring a similar message. He would say to Israel and Judah, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, ESV).
Hear the word of Amos: On this stewardship Sunday, we ought to understand two things: if we have not repented and believed in Jesus Alone for our salvation, all the good works and gifts we bring are worthless. God hates and despises them and calls us to justice and righteousness in our own hearts. But, if we have received Jesus Alone for our salvation, then we ought to be about doing all these good, merciful, just, and loving things that God has called us to do, and we ought to do them in humility, as for God and not men.
What kind of steward have you been? Have you come back to God through Jesus Alone? Or are you still trying to earn your way to being right with God? God doesn’t need anything, so our gifts and services will never make you right with Him. But God chose, from before the foundation of the world to send His Son, so that everyone who would believe in Him would be saved – forgiven for their sin – counted as righteous in Him – that they would be right with God – received by Him as His son or daughter. And Jesus died to make that happen for each one who will believe. And then He rose from the dead and ascended back to His Throne at the Right Hand of God. Do you believe? Have you repented and believed in Him Alone for your salvation?
If you have, then receive this promise of God, that “to all who [do] receive [Jesus], who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13, ESV).
And as His children, now purpose to give back to Him your whole self and your whole life, including generous giving from all you have been given, as you love the Lord your God and your neighbor, and as you take part in the work of Jesus Christ in this church.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, we give thanks to You for all the blessings we have received. Keep us from trying to buy You with those blessings, and make us understand that Your Salvation is free through Jesus Christ Alone. And for all who have received His Salvation, we ask that You would lead us in faithful stewardship, as a thank offering, and an acknowledgment that everything is Yours. May Jesus Christ be Praised, Amen.
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