Amos

Ever read Amos - it's one of those short little books at the back of the Old Testament. I read it the other day alongside a little bit of a study guide and was amazed at how well such a book still speaks to us today. Amos is pretty much full of doom really - as God kind of let's Israel know that they are going to pay for their rejection of him. So Amos starts with God pretty much telling everyone including Israel that they are going to get what is coming to them. But what is interesting is that Amos was written during a time of brief prosperity for Israel. Things were going well and money was in the land. And although Amos has a go at them for their injustice, false worship etc, it seems that the ritual of sacrifice and worship was still be kept. But the following verses really hit me....

Amos 5:21-24

I hate all your show and pretense - the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.

I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.

I won't even notice all your choice peace offerings.

Away with your noisy hymns of praise!

I will not listen to the music of your harps.

Instead, I want to see a mighty river of justice, and endless river of righteous living.

(From NLT 2nd Edition)

There are many other verses like this in the OT - check out Isaish 58 for perhaps a more hard hitting one. But somtimes - I think we can so easily slip into the mode Israel had here. They did the right thing, they had their festivals and their offerings. We today can have our Services or youth rallies with their great music etc. But in the end if our lives are not reflecting a river of justice and righteous living then maybe all our 'services and rallies' are is show and pretense.
Maybe we need to think harder about really matters to God in ministry and life?
Maybe Micah 6:8 is a good place to start?

Til next time
D