Is There Still a Chance? | Amos

By Rev. Jeremiah Cheung

From Amos 5:1-15

^5:1 Hear this word, Israel, this lament I take up concerning you: ² “Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again, deserted in her own land, with no one to lift her up.” 

³ This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel: “Your city that marches out a thousand strong will have only a hundred left; your town that marches out a hundred strong will have only ten left.” 

⁴ This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live; ⁵ do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.” ⁶ Seek the Lord and live, or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire; it will devour them, and Bethel will have no one to quench it. ⁷ There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground. ⁸ He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the Lord is his name. ⁹ With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin. ¹⁰ There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth. ¹¹ You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. ¹² For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. ¹³ Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil. ¹⁴ Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. ¹⁵ Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. 

In Amos 5:1-3, the prophet Amos made a lament concerning the desperate situation that Israel was in because God’s judgment was about to come upon them. But in Amos 5:15, he also said, “Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.” Perhaps the Lord will show them mercy and they will not be completely destroyed. Perhaps there is still hope for them. 

What happened between verses 4-14? In these verses, we see what could be the chance for Israel’s continued survival. In verses 4-8, the prophet asked them to seek God. In verses 14-15, the prophet asked them to seek good. Actually, God is good. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, a young official approached Him to seek eternal life. He referred to the Lord Jesus as a “good teacher”. The Lord Jesus immediately responded saying that there is no one good except God. Yes, only God is truly good. Therefore, to seek God is to seek good. But how do we seek God?

 1. Do not substitute religious activities for the pursuit of God

Amos 5:5: “Do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.” The Lord mentioned 3 “do nots” — do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. These three sites—Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba—were all sacred religious places for the Israelites. They held many religious activities in these places, but the Lord told them to stop going to these places and to stop using religious activities to substitute for the true pursuit of God. 

This is a great reminder for the church in the 21st century. We often use church participation as our spiritual yardstick. The more meetings you attend, the more spiritual we think we are. But what the Lord wants are not activities. What the Lord wants is us, our hearts. We still have a chance, but let us not just participate in activities and gatherings, but seek Him wholeheartedly.

 2. Seek the Creator and the One who upholds justice

In Amos 5:6 the prophet says, “Seek the Lord and live”. In this chapter, the prophet specifically mentioned two attributes of God: 

• First – God as the Creator. Amos 5:8 “He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land—The Lord is his name.” The Lord is the creator of all things in the universe. We must seek Him who is the only true God. We must part with all other idols because He is the only true God. 
• Second – The Lord is the one who upholds justice. From verses 10-13, the Lord mentions several social injustices, and He proposes a solution – overcome evil with good, do not repay evil with evil. He says that when you do so the Lord God Almighty will be with you. 

The Lord is not only the Creator of the heavens; He is also the One who upholds justice on the earth. We must seek Him and do what pleases Him; that we may experience the way out of our difficult situation!

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還有機會嗎? | 阿摩司書

張國強牧師

阿摩司書 5:1-15

^5:1 以色列家阿, 要聽我為你們所作的哀歌。² 以色列民跌倒, 不得再起, 躺在地上, 無人攙扶。

³ 主耶和華如此說, 以色列家的城發出一千兵的, 只剩一百, 發出一百的, 只剩十個。

⁴ 耶和華向以色列家如此說, 你們要尋求我, 就必存活。⁵ 不要往伯特利尋求, 不要進入吉甲, 不要過到別是巴, 因為吉甲必被擄掠, 伯特利也必歸於無有。⁶ 要尋求耶和華, 就必存活, 免得他在約瑟家像火發出, 在伯特利焚燒, 無人撲滅。⁷ 你們這使公平變為茵蔯, 將公義丟棄於地的, ⁸ 要尋求那造昴星和參星, 使死蔭變為晨光, 使白日變為黑夜, 命海水來澆在地上的, 耶和華是他的名, ⁹ 他使力強的忽遭滅亡, 以致保障遭遇毀壞。¹⁰ 你們怨恨那在城門口責備人的, 憎惡那說正直話的。¹¹ 你們踐踏貧民, 向他們勒索麥子, 你們用鑿過的石頭建造房屋, 卻不得住在其內, 栽種美好的葡萄園, 卻不得喝所出的酒。¹² 我知道你們的罪過何等多, 你們的罪惡何等大, 你們苦待義人, 收受賄賂, 在城門口屈枉窮乏人。¹³ 所以通達人見這樣的時勢, 必靜默不言, 因為時勢真惡。¹⁴ 你們要求善, 不要求惡, 就必存活。這樣, 耶和華萬軍之神必照你們所說的, 與你們同在。¹⁵ 要惡惡好善, 在城門口秉公行義, 或者耶和華萬軍之神向約瑟的餘民施恩。

5:1-3阿摩司先知為以色列人作哀歌, 因為神的審判要臨到了, 這是絕望的光境; 但在5:15最後一句卻說: 5:15 或者耶和華萬軍之神向約瑟的餘民施恩。他們或者還有機會, 神要向餘民施恩, 使他們不至完全的滅亡, 他們還有盼望。

4-14之間發生了什麼事? 這可能成為以色列生存的機會。4-8先知要他們尋求神。14-15先知要他們尋求善。其實神就是善, 主耶穌在世上的時候, 有一少年的官來尋求永生, 他開口就對主耶穌說: 良善的夫子, 主耶穌馬上回應說, 除了神沒有良善的。對, 只有神才是真正的良善, 所以尋求神就是尋求良善, 但怎樣尋求神呢？

1. 不要以宗教活動代替尋求神

5:5 不要往伯特利尋求, 不要進入吉甲, 不要過到別是巴, 因為吉甲必被擄掠, 伯特利也必歸於無有。神三次對他們說「不要」; 不要往伯特利尋求, 不要進入吉甲, 不要過到別是巴。伯特利, 吉甲, 別是巴都是以色列人宗教的聖地, 他們在這裡有很多宗教式的活動, 但神說不要再去了, 不要以宗教活動代替尋求神。

這對廿一世紀的教會是很大的提醒, 我們常以參加教會為屬靈的標準, 你參加越多聚會就越屬靈, 但神要的不是活動, 神要的是我們, 是我們對祂的心。我們還有機會的, 但不要再只樂於參加活動, 聚會, 乃是全心全意的尋求祂。

2. 要尋求那位創造者與那位道德的維持者

5:6 要尋求耶和華, 就必存活。先知在這裡特別提到神二個屬性:

• 第一.神的創造性。5:8 要尋求那造昴星和參星, 使死蔭變為晨光, 使白日變為黑夜, 命海水來澆在地上的, 耶和華是他的名。神是宇宙萬物的創造者, 我們要尋求這位獨一的真神, 我們要放下所有的偶像, 因為只有祂是獨一的真神。
• 第二.神是道德的維持者。從10-13節, 神讓我們看見一些社會不公平的現象, 神卻提一個解決的方法, 以善勝惡, 不要以惡報惡, 因為這樣耶和華萬軍之神必與你們同在。

神不單是天上創造者, 祂更是地上道德的維持者, 我們要尋求祂, 行祂所喜悅的, 這樣, 我們在這困難的環境裡才有出路啊!