Rev. Luke Zimmerman, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 5:21-27.
Amos’ shocking preaching turns once again to the w...
Rev. Luke Zimmerman, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 5:21-27.
Amos’ shocking preaching turns once again to the worship life of Israel. The LORD declares that He hates what His people offer as worship, refusing to accept it or take any delight in it at all. The reason is twofold. First, their worship has deviated from the true form that the LORD commanded in His Law, as they worship the LORD alongside idols in places that the LORD has not commanded. Second, their worship is faithless. The people of Israel think that if they only do the ritual by the book, the LORD will be pleased, regardless of what they believe about Him or the way they treat their neighbor. Amos’ preaching, therefore, connects right faith with right living. The LORD does desire that His people worship Him as He has commanded, not as a way for us to earn something by going through the motions correctly, but rather as a way for Him to deliver His forgiveness freely. His gifts of justice and righteousness flow freely to us and then freely from us in works of love toward our neighbor. Because Israel did not repent, the LORD led them into exile. However, for us, Amos’ words reach us at just the right time. God’s Word calls us to repent of any attitude that would go through the motions of worship without faith, and instead to cling to Christ’s forgiveness in true faith so that justice and righteousness flow forth from us freely.
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