Go Do What You Want | Amos
By Rev. Jeremiah Cheung
From Amos 4:1-5
4:1 “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’ 2 The Lord God has sworn by His holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. 3 And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon,” declares the Lord. 4 “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; 5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!” declares the Lord God.
Amos 4:1 “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria.” The prophet continues his rebuke of the Israelites, calling them cows of Bashan. Bashan was a rich pastureland where strong fat cows grazed. This was how the prophet rebuked the rich and powerful people of Israel. They used their power to oppress and bully the poor, drinking up all the wine left in their homes.
The disparity between the rich and the poor is a social problem. But it is unfortunate that even God’s people are part of the problem. We who belong to God must examine ourselves. God blesses us so we can be a blessing. Do not use the power that we hold in our hands to oppress the poor; this will only bring God’s judgment. Amos 4:2 says, “The Lord God has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks.” These are God’s words of judgment.
Why would the Lord’s judgment come upon them? The Lord gave them up and allowed them to do as they pleased. It is a terrible thing when the Lord allows us to do whatever we want. V.4-5 tells us that God allowed them to do two things:
1. God allowed them to make sacrifices and offerings.
But these religious practices did not help their relationship with the Lord at all. It only increased their sins. Amos 4:4 “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days.”
When the Lord told them to go make sacrifices, he was saying, go and continue in your sin. All religious activities that do not regard the Lord as God only provoke His anger!
2. God allowed them what they loved to do – their self-righteous deeds.
Amos 4:5 says, “offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!” declares the Lord God.”
When we give and help others out of self-righteousness, out of a desire to boast about these deeds, such are all unacceptable to God, because the Lord is a God who examines men’s hearts and motives.
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任憑你們去作 | 阿摩司書
張國強牧師
阿摩司書 4:1-5
4:1 你們住撒瑪利亞山如巴珊母牛的阿, 當聽我的話你們欺負貧寒的,壓碎窮乏的, 對家主說: 拿酒來, 我們喝罷。2 主耶和華指著自己的聖潔起誓說:日子快到, 人必用鉤子將你們鉤去, 用魚鉤將你們餘剩的鉤去。3 你們各人必從破口直往前行, 投入哈門; 這是耶和華說的。4 以色列人哪, 任你們往伯特利去犯罪, 到吉甲加增罪過, 每日早晨獻上你們的祭物, 每三日奉上你們的十分之一。5 任你們獻有酵的感謝祭, 把甘心祭宣傳報告給眾人; 因為是你們所喜愛的, 這是主耶和華說的。
4:1 你們住撒瑪利亞山如巴珊母牛的阿! 先知繼續責備以色列人，稱他們如巴珊的母牛, 巴珊是一個非常豐盛牧牛的地方, 那裡的母牛都是非常的強壯, 這是代表先知在責備以色列中那些有錢有勢的人, 他們用他們的力量去欺負貧寒的人, 對窮人家裡僅存的酒都拿來喝掉, 這叫欺壓貧窮。
貧富懸殊是社會的問題, 但想不到連神的百姓都是一樣, 我們屬神的人真是要省察, 神祝福我們是要我們成為祝福, 不要用我們手裡的力量去欺壓貧窮的人, 這只會有帶來神的審判。4:2 主耶和華指著自己的聖潔起誓說:日子快到, 人必用鉤子將你們鉤去, 用魚鉤將你們餘剩的鉤去。這是神宣告審判的話。
神為什麼要審判他們呢? 因為神任憑他們去作他們以為對的事，神任憑是我們最可怕的情況, V.4-5告訴我們神任憑他們作二件事：
1. 神任憑他們去獻祭去奉獻。
但這些宗教的行為一點都沒有增加神與他們的關係, 只增加他們的罪。4:4 以色列人哪, 任你們往伯特利去犯罪, 到吉甲加增罪過, 每日早晨獻上你們的祭物, 每三日奉上你們的十分之一。神稱他們去獻祭是去犯罪, 一切不以神為神的宗教的活動都是惹神發怒的行動啊！
2. 神任憑他們去作他們甘心作自以為義的事。
4:5 任你們獻有酵的感謝祭, 把甘心祭宣傳報告給眾人; 因為是你們所喜愛的, 這是主耶和華說的。當我們奉獻時, 幫助別人時, 如果都是自以為義為出發點的, 為要宣揚給人聽的, 這些都是神不能悅納的, 因為神是察看人肺俯心腸的神啊!