Today’s passage: Amos 5:1-17
Helpful thoughts:
- Bethel, Gilgal and Beer-sheba were locations of idolatrous worship. God commanded Israel to seek Him instead of their false idols.
- The Israelites were worshipping the stars (Or the gods man “found” in the stars) instead of the Creator of the stars (Verse 8). Anything that is not worship of the Creator is worship of the created.
- “Those who are skilled in lamentation” (Verse 16) were paid professional mourners. Israel knew when to mourn and knew how to mourn, but their hearts were far from repentance.
- God was able to call on them to turn/repent and tell them judgment was coming. He knows all things.
Questions to consider:
- What does God promise to those who seek Him? What comes to those who turn elsewhere?
- What becomes of the lives of those who turn to God? What are the actions of those who have turned elsewhere? What is the source of injustice, evil, bribery, etc.?
- When we refer to a “time” as evil, what does that mean (Verse 13)? Where is the evil coming from? Are the problems and sins coming from outside of man or inside? Are the problems of our day the result of the economy, the government, or a pandemic, or something else? What is the cure?