Amos now turns his attention to the people of God. As Amos addresses the sin of Judah he shows a natural progression back through the stages of Judah’s backsliding into sin.
Despising God’s Law
There are many ways that God describes sin, and there are many reasons that we sin. Perhaps the worst reason for sin is an absolute hatred for God’s commands. It was not just that the children of Judah did not keep God’s commands, they hated them. God address the real heart of the issue. The problem was not simple disobedience; the problem was much deeper. The people of Judah hated God’s law.
Disobeying God’s Law
This hatred for the Law of God came from their disobedience. The people of Judah totally disregarded every law God had given. They made idols, broke the Sabbath, and then engaged in all sorts of debauchery, deception, murder, and theft. When confronted with their disobedience they were faced with a choice: despise God’s Law or repent.
Following Lies
The reason they were not following God’s Law was that they were instead following lies that they believed. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25). They believed that God would not judge them. They believed that false idols were real gods. They believed that God’s Law could be disregarded without judgment. They believed lying prophets.
Following Vain Traditions
The source of these lies was the traditions they had received from their ancestors. Instead of believing God, they blindly followed the religion of their parents and grandparents. They never investigated God’s Word to find out the truth. They just assumed that the tradition they received was correct.
Back to the Bible
We live in a similar day. Many “Christians” despise what God has commanded in His Word. We despise it because it goes contrary to the way we are living our lives. Instead of repenting many people rail against God’s Word. The sin of our day is caused by an exchange of God’s truth for a lie. We believe things to be good that God has declared evil, and we believe things to be evil that God has declared good. What is the source of these errant beliefs? Many of us had godly parents and mentors, but all human beings are flawed. Without studying God’s Word we can assume that our parents were right. We must reject tradition and search the Scripture for ourselves. We must challenge our presuppositions and teach our children to love God’s Law.
Application
Will you study God’s Word for yourself? Will you teach the next generation to study God’s Word? Will you repent?
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