#DailyDevotion Are You Secularized Christians Like The Israelites?
Amos 8 4Listen to this, you who want to devour the needy and put an end to the poor in the world. 5“When will the first of the month be over,” you ask, “so we can sell grain; and the Sabbath so we can offer grain for sale?” — using a bushel that is too small, a money weight that is too heavy, and crooked scales to cheat, 6buying poor people with money and the needy for a pair of shoes, and selling as grain what you sweep up on your floor. 7The LORD swears by the pride of Jacob: “I’ll never forget anything they’re doing.” 8“Shouldn’t the country tremble for this and everyone living in it mourn? All of it will rise like the Nile and be tossed and sink down like Egypt’s river.
We can see how secularized the Israelites had become while remaining quite religious. The people who were to be a nation of priests had become a nation of merchants. People of God can never say, “It’s only business.” I’m sure the Israelites had a saying for this as they devoured the needy and put an end to the poor in the world. We can see in verse 6 how they are doing this. They were enslaving the poor and needy when they should have been taking care of them. They were selling shoddy grain to them. The Israelites were not to enslave one another but treat them as hired hands.
Secondly, we can see they were dishonoring the LORD’s commands concerning the Sabbath. While they outwardly observed it, they did not see it as a blessing. They, in their hearts, worshipped mammon. They did not keep it holy in their hearts. Perhaps we may be guilty of this when we are looking at our watches during the worship service. Rarely is it going to last an hour and a half. We have no problem watching a game or a movie that long. Are our hearts like these wicked people, having only an appearance of being holy?
They dishonored the Word of the LORD by using bushels that are too small, weights that are too heavy and crooked scales. I guess our state government’s department of weights and measures prevents this from happening too often. But when we sell something, do we disclose possible defects and problems so the person can value the item appropriately or do we say, “Buyer beware?” Is that the proverb of a Christian who has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
So the LORD swears by the pride of Jacob. He is the pride of Jacob. He cannot swear by anything higher because He IS. What does He swear? He will never forget anything they have done or are doing. This should cause them to tremble and repent but it will not. They will continue in their wanton lifestyle though they should be holy to the LORD. The LORD had given them a rule for living that would make them wise in the eyes of the world but they spurned it for the wisdom of the world. He had given them a way of life in which He would bless them as they trusted in Him. They sought the blessings of demons and men and would pay for it.
Learn from the Israelites how not to live and how to avoid angering the Almighty. First, put your trust in Jesus Christ. May everything we think, say and do be to His glory. Secondly, listen to His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount imitate Him in being merciful and holy.
Gracious Father, give us Your Holy Spirit so we may live our lives trusting in the mercy of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and then imitate Him in everything we do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.