Amos: Seek The Lord and LiveSample

The issue is still false security. Israel trusted in its wealth and its worship. Let’s focus on their worship today. Around 930 BC the kingdom of Solomon had split. Rehoboam became king of the two tribes of Judah, where Jerusalem was located. Jeroboam I became king of the ten northern tribes of Israel. Jeroboam I was a bit nervous that his citizens would keep going back to the temple of Jerusalem. His solution was to create two golden calves and place them at Bethel and Dan (1 Kgs. 12). He effectively declared, ‘Here you go, Israel. There’s no need to go to Jerusalem like God told you to. I’ve made it far more convenient for you to knock God off the “to-do list”. You can pop in and doff your cap at Bethel or Dan. A choice of two places! Brilliant, hey?’ 

The people thought that if they grasped hold of the horns of the altar upon which the calves stood, then all their sins would be forgiven. But the Lord warns, ‘the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground’ (v. 14). Their false sense of forgiveness will be destroyed. We are meant to worship the Lord on His terms, not in a manner which is convenient to us and fits around our lives. 

Then in 4:4–5 the Lord opts for outright sarcasm. You need to read these verses with that tone: ‘Why don’t you go to Bethel and sin!’ They are told to go through the motions of religious worship. The sting is in the end of verse 5: they brag and boast about their worship ‘for this is what you love to do’. They’re not there to worship God; they’re only going to make themselves feel good. 

Reflection

Although our motives are always mixed, do we go to church to honour the Lord, hear from Him and encourage others? Or do we go because it makes us feel good? Is it 'what we love to do'?