Third Presbyterian Sunday Morning Bible Study - February 14, 2021

Below is the Bible Study written by Jim Rudiger for his Sunday School Class which meets at Third Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Virginia. It's based on Amos 5:14-15, 18-27.

“Build it and they will come.”  That is what the movie Field of Dreams was all about.  If Kevin Kosner built a baseball field where he grew corn, the great players of the past will come and play a game.  It was an adult man day dream of making a fantasy come true.  Don’t we do this all the time when the present seems unbearable - like right now?  Mankind hasn’t faced this many bad times since Tucker Carlson was on Dancing With the Stars.  So what do we do?  We look for something better in the future.  That isn’t all that bad.  It forces us to be patient waiting for that better time.  The problem with waiting is that you might not contribute to correcting the present and making it more bearable.  Sometimes, we delude ourselves into believing we are right to put all of our hopes into an unknown future rather than deal with the present.

Unfortunately, religion isn’t immune to delusions about the future.  Our hope and faith all concern a better world to come, but it doesn’t dictate that we sit out the present.  It is in the present that we have the responsibility to love God and love our brothers and sisters in Christ.  It is in the present that we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty and clothe the naked.  Christ tells us that by doing these things for others, we are doing them for Christ.  

That’s the crux of our lesson for today.  Religious people doing everything for a future and not taking care of what they need to do right here in the present.  A people deluded into thinking that the future would be their field of dreams.  It will be Amos’ job to plow that field and get their priorities straight.

Last week we learned that Amos was a part time prophet from the southern kingdom of Judah who God has chosen to take his message to the northern kingdom, Israel.  Amos crosses the border between Judah and Israel and settles in the town of Bethel.  Bethel wasn’t just an ordinary town. What did we learn about it last week?  It was one of two towns in Israel that Jeroboam 2 built temples to rival the temple in Jerusalem.  So, above all it was a religious town.  So what are we starting with?  A southern part-time prophet trying to teach those Israelite Yankees how to behave.

He tells the people in Bethel that Damascus will be torn up like grain under a threshing pole; that Gaza and Tyre who enslaved people will be defeated and enslaved themselves; Edom who killed kinfolk will be defeated; Ammon who committed atrocities like cutting open pregnant women will be defeated; and Moab who not only killed people, but burned the bones of their dead kings would be defeated.  So far the score is six to nothing in favor of Israel, and Israel was feeling pretty good about itself.  All of these guys has caused Israel a lot of grief will be smacked down.  And this wasn't the end.  There were a lot of enemies God could get rid of for them.  

For instance, their southern rival for God's chosen people.  Judah needs to be taken down a peg or two.  Then Amos caused their heart to skip a beat.  Amos dealt with Judah.  His own country won’t be spared.  The Israelites must have chuckled at that.  Even those dumb southerners in the Bible belt will get theirs too.   

Unfortunately, Amos didn't end with Judah.  He brought up Israel.  Based on last week, how do you think Amos start God’s message to Israel?  “For three trespasses of Israel and for four, I won’t hold back punishment.”  How did all of the other prophesies start?  The same way.  Amos zeroed in on how Israel had acted.  For starters they bribed corrupt judges to rule against the righteous.  What money did it take for a bribe?  As little as a pair of used beat up old sandals.  You know the kind - imitation leather with cardboard soles.  They put their sandal-clad foot on the necks of the poor and pushed their faces in the sand.  Father and son shared pagan temple prostitutes or slave girls for their pleasure.  They defiled the house of God by sleeping beside the alter on garments they had taken from the poor and having drunken parties in the temple with wine they had taken in as fines.  Remember, Israel represented ten of the original twelve tribes God had led out of bondage in Egypt.  Israel should have known better than to act this way.  From these people God had high hopes and had raised up prophets.  For forgetting where they had come from, God was going to put the pressure on them just like a cart loaded down with wheat will cut ruts in the roads.

Bethel and Gigal were two of the oldest religious sites in Israel. On big religious celebration days, people would flock to these centers. They would be very festive - streamers hanging from windows and everybody all dressed up in their finest “go to Temple” clothes. There would be music and good food catered by Surf Riders. It would be one of those times when everybody seemed to be in a good mood and feeling good would be contagious. Even the non-believers would be caught up in the fun and join in. Can't you just see the people smiling jostling along the crowded streets? There are smells of bread baking and meat being roasted, the smell of ginger and spices. Everything was "party, party, party". What time of year does this description remind you of?

On these occasions the chief priest would address the smiling crowd. They wouldn't be disappointed as he told them that they were the chosen people and by implication that they were doing everything right because they were in the temple worshiping God. They were offering their sacrifices and tithes. They were singing religious songs. It was a happy time that they looked forward to all year long. There were shouts of "right on, brother” as priest after priest told them how pious they were. Then Amos, who had been observing all of this as he stood in the midst of the crowd stepped forward to speak. The crowd wanted to hear more about how righteous they were and here was a visitor from Judah ready to compliment them. This is going to be great.

Amos shouted over the din of the crowd "Come to Bethel --". The crowd recognized this as the way the priests started their sermons and there was a cheer from the crowd as they waited to hear what wonderful things this stranger would say about them. "Go to Gilgal and sin even more." A hush fell over the crowd. What did he say? Amos continued "Bring your sacrifices every morning". Is he crazy? Doesn't he know you only bring your sacrifices once a year? "Your tithes every three days" There he goes again. Everybody knows you bring your tithes every three years. "Tell everybody how much money you are giving. Don't use unleavened bread as commanded but substitute leavened bread because it tastes better.  I mean, weren't rules made to be broken?." You can imagine that this all went over like a lead balloon. Amos sure splashed cold water on all of the fun.

Amos goes on to tell them that five times God had punished them hoping that they would return to Him. But they did not. Now, the people were worshiping God. In fact they were joyous in their worship. Why would Amos talk to them like that? What were they guilty of?  After all, how can going to church not be a worshipful experience?  And that is the question Amos wanted asked, because he had the answer in today’s lesson.

Amos 5:14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts will be with you, just as you have said.  15 Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph

So far everything Amos had to say was full of doom and gloom.  Things looked bad for Israel.  But, now the tone seems to change.  What are the people told to do?  “Seek good and not evil.”  Is there anybody here who disagrees with that?  After all, isn’t that why we are here today studying scripture?  We are seeking good.  Is there anything new for us to learn from a command to seek the good?  It would appear to be a no-brainer.  But, actually, there is.  When we become so pleased with our own goodness, we forget that we still need God and that he wasn’t finished with us when he told us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  Our own assurance of our goodness can be a barrier that Satan is just waiting to use to drive us a little further from God’s continous communication with us.

Seeking good and not evil is followed by what?  “That you may live.”  What does it sound like Amos is saying?  “Don’t give up.  There is still time to fix this thing.  In all of this doom and gloom, there is a ray of hope for you.”  Granted, it is a dim ray of hope, but dim is better than nothing at all.  This hope depends on what three things?  First is hate evil.  Hate is a strong word.  You might not like somebody, but there is hope that this can or will change.  “Like" is a very wishy-washy word.  But, hate.  Now, there’s word that has staying power.  The hate Amos is talking about is not to imply a attitude animosity.  You can hate somebody and still deal with him.  Amos is talking about totally rejecting evil.  Not having anything to do with evil.  It is absolute - nothing wishy-washy.  

The other side of the coin is what?  Love good.  What does love conjure up in your mind?  Tenderness.  Affection.  Something where your mind gets all fuzzy and soft.  Amos’ love is more than that.  It is an act of deliberately choosing something.  It’s the final act.  Amos is saying “Absolutely reject hate and deliberately choose good.”  And the final thing hope depends on is establish justice at the city gate.  The city gate was where the elders met to hear civil cases and render verdicts.  The city gates were the legal courts of the day.  When we talk of “justice” what do we think of?  A legal system that promotes fairness, impartiality and equal opportunity to be heard and judged.  In the Old Testament, however, justice was another word for righteousness.  Amos is referring to both righteous and legal fairness.  What had Israel been accused of last week?  Judges who took bribes.  When you look at hating evil and loving good - this can only happen when there is justice and righteousness.

Amos finishes with the promise that God will be gracious to what’s left of Joseph.  What’s he talking about?  Who is Joseph?  He is the Joseph who was sold into slavery into Egypt by his brothers and rose to be one of the most powerful men in Egypt.  When the Israelites left Egypt, they took the body of Joseph with them.  Why bring up Joseph?  Amos is saying that not all Israelites are condemned.  Joseph is used to represent the small remnant who honor God and will be saved.

Amos 5:18 Doom  for you who desire the day of the Lord!  Why do you want the day of the Lord?  It is darkness not light; 19 as if someone fled from the lion, and was met by a bear, or went into the house and rested his hand against the wall and was bitten by a snake.  Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness,

What is the first word?  Doom.  After two verses of hope, it’s back to doom and gloom.  Who is going to be doomed?  Those who desire the day of the Lord.  What is the “day of the Lord”?  The phrase "day of the Lord" was known to everybody listening in Bethel. It was the central theme of Joel's prophesy and was referenced by many of the prophets. Generally, when the people heard these words, the people associated them with things like "In the day of the Lord the enemies of Israel will be defeated".  The day of the Lord will be when all nations and peoples of the world will be judged and finally have to recognize the chosen people as the world rulers.  Because of that, the people looked forward to this day. Then they would be the major world power and everything that all of the other nations owned would be divided up among chosen people. In the bad present times when Israel is a small kingdom attacked regularly by surrounding nations, the people could look forward to a better time when God would strike down their enemies and reward them as His favorite people.

Amos says you’ve got this all wrong. God isn't going give you a get out jail card.   In fact that is why God is disgusted with the northern kingdom.  They assume that only good things will happen to them because they are the chosen people regardless of whether they are righteous or not. All they have to be is card carrying Israelites.  When God judges the nations on that day, it will be the whole world including Israel. Amos tells them they are crazy if they want the day of the Lord to come right now because, to be brutally frank, they aren't ready and, because they aren’t ready, they will be subjected to God’s wrath. Amos illustrates the situation they are in by saying that they are like a person running away from a loin. He is looking back for the loin and doesn't see it so he feels he has gotten away safe. He leans back against a tree and wipes the sweat from his forehead. He lowers his hand and brushes it against the bark of the tree. That's funny. This tree has hairy bark. And it is warm. And it is moving. He turns and he's leaning against a bear. Was he safer with the lion or the bear? 

Or, suppose you can't wait to get home. People are after you. You run into your house, shut and lock the door, and lean against the wall relieved to be safe in your own house. You catch your breath thankful for the safety of a sturdy house and thick wooden door only to feel a sting on your arm. Looking down you see a poisonous snake has bitten you. Now the security of your house, the sturdiness of your door, will act to prevent someone from being able to help you.  Did the house prevent a disaster from happening?

What does Amos intend to say to the people with this prophesy?  Give up on the notion that because you are a favorite people, the day of the Lord will be a big benefit for you.  How is the day described?  Darkness.  What’s the worst thing about darkness?  The unknown.  You can’t see ahead of yourself.  In other words, in darkness you don’t know what lies ahead in the future.  So what is the darkness as far as Amos is concerned?  Not knowing God.  The people thought they had God over a barrel.  He had picked them, so he was stuck with them whether they acknowledged him or not.  That was their darkness.  If they knew God, then there would be light because God is light.  With light the path is clear and the future known.

As Christians, how should we view our final judgement?  Should we like the Israelites want it to come as soon as possible?  Haven’t you heard Christians say they look forward to the that day - no more pain, no more suffering?  That might make the judgement worth it.  But think about this.  We all know that because of God’s grace through Jesus Christ we will be saved.  But, for that last judgement we will have to stand before God and maybe everyone we have ever known and hear every sin we have ever committed.  Those secret things we have confessed to God, but no one else knows about.  You’ll stand there and hear those things that remained hidden all of your life now broadcast for everyone to hear.  It is one thing to confess in private and quite another thing to see all of your dirty linen laid out.  Can you imagine the shame - the humiliation - the disappointment - you bear for the time it takes for God the read off the list?  Maybe for the first time we will be faced with the enormity of our sin.  As shocking and painful as that will be, as believers, after listing our sins, God will tear up our indictment and gather us into his loving embrace.  We might look forward to that last embrace, but I don’t think many would look forward to the reading of our indictment.  Perhaps we need to temper our enthusiasm for that day and spend more time sharing the the joy of our salvation by spreading the gospel while we still have the opportunity. 

Amos 5:21 I hate, I despise your festivals, and take no delight in your solemn assemblies.  22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept the; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon.  23 Take from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps.

What does God think about their festivals?  Hates them.  Their joyous assemblies?  Doesn’t enjoy them.  Sacrifices?  Won’t look at them.  Songs and harps?  Won’t listen.  Sounds like it’s a good thing God isn’t on the Worship Committee.  The folks are having fun worshiping and God is unhappy.  Why?  Maybe it was that golden calf they had up front by the organ.  Think that is it?  There is no question that golden calves sure smack of the graven image thing.  But, the worship was aimed at God and not the golden calves.  The calves were never meant to represent God so, technically, they weren’t craven images.  There was a good argument made that they represented no more than something God could sit on if he got tired.  So, the worship with or without the calves was still worship of God.  So if wasn’t the calves, why did God hate all the fun things so much? The problem wasn’t with the joyous assembly or the sacrifices or the music.  They probably were great and even impressive.  So why was God so down on them?  They were done as entertainment for the people.  It allowed them to think that a good show replaced a good worship of God.  You see, it was all done for the people's pleasure and not for God's pleasure.  It all dealt with attitude.  If the people did all of these things to please God and not themselves, God would have accepted them.

Amos 5:24 But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an overflowing stream.

What is the first word?  But.  When that word is used, what is intended?  All of those things that made up their worship, while entertaining and fun, was missing what should have been stressed.  The “but” will be followed with the heart of the prophesy.  The first thing he mentions is what?  Justice.  What did we learn justice referred to in the Old Testament?  Righteousness.  And what does this righteousness do?  Rolls like an ever flowing stream of water.  What is Amos saying that worship should be?  Righteousness that never stops.  God doesn’t want worship to be a one big affair sort of thing.  God doesn’t want worship to be a flash flood like we get in a Nor’easter.  A flash flood comes, traffic comes to a stop and then it’s gone.  It doesn’t do much for the garden or the street.  But a gentle rain everyday nourishes the earth.  God wants that gentle rain to nourish us spiritually.

Amos 5:25 Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?  26 you shall take up Sakkuth your king, and Kaiwan your star-god, your images, which you made for yourselves 27 therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord whose name is the God of hosts.

What question does he have for these religious experts?  Did they sacrifice during the forty years in the wilderness?  When the people were in the wilderness, they didn’t offer God the normal sacrifices and offerings.  Things were tough and they didn’t have the circumstances to perform formal worshiping.  God understood and accepted what they could provide.  Now what have the people in Bethel introduced into their worship? Elements that pagan people used in worshiping their gods.  Sakkuth and Kaiman were Assyrian gods of the sky.  We don’t know exactly what form their worship took.  It might have involved music or dances that the Israelites thought were pretty nifty, so they incorporated them in their worship of God. What was God’s judgement?  They would be taken away beyond Damascus. This implies that they will taken in exile to Assyria.

“Build it and they will come.”  The movie offered hope for a miracle.  They only had to prepare the field.  That’s something I think Christians can work with.  Build faith and then go to the field, spread the gospel and then a miracle will happen.  That's what that popular old hymn affirms when it tells us,   "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness."  The field is ready.  Now it is time to get into the batter's box and swing for the fences, because our hope for the future was  confirmed with the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Build on that hope and they WILL come!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, awake in us the need to worship you with all of our heart and spirit.  Amen.