Saul, as King of Israel, won a battle but disobeyed God’s clear instructions. He performed a sacrifice, but the prophet Samuel had this to say to him regarding his sacrifice.
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obedience to the voice of the Lord?
Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice
and to heed than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)
In very clear terms, Amos echoed the message of Samuel to the Israelites in the 8th century B.C.
I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like water
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5.21-24)
Douglas Stuart captures the message of Amos perfectly in his commentary.
“No one can say, ‘I keep my marriage covenant. I commit adultery only every few days and the rest of the time I am completely faithful to my spouse.’
“Likewise, Israel couldn’t say, ‘I keep God’s covenant. I misuse and abuse others only some of the time and otherwise faithfully worship God.’
“A society truly in harmony with God’s will must practice justice and righteousness routinely, always and everywhere. It’s not the nature of a covenant that can be kept merely now and again.”
Grace and Guilt
When I read Dr. Stewart’s comment on this passage, I was pierced to the heart. I am guilty of thinking that occasional unfaithfulness to the Lord who loves me is somehow okay.
I completely relate to Paul’s confession in Romans 7.
“For the desire to do the good lies close at hand, but not the ability. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do” (Romans 7.18-19).
I must admit that, although I aspire to develop a character like God’s, consistent and steadfast like a spring-fed stream, I too often find myself falling short of actually achieving it.
I welcome Paul’s message of grace in Romans 8. Without it, I would be utterly lost.
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8.1).
There is a very real tension between guilt and grace. An excessive emphasis on how we have failed to live up to our relationship with God will lead us to despair.
On the other hand, if we take lightly God’s grace, we end up looking like the people Amos condemned in Israel.
One of the best ways to gain a better perspective on this situation is to prayerfully read and study Romans 8. I think that will help us get to the place we want to be about our guilt and God’s grace.
Syncretism
Syncretism involves merging two religions in a way that causes both to lose their unique characteristics. Amos once again strongly criticized the Israelites for their syncretistic practices.
Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
You shall take up Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god, your images, which you made for yourselves;
Therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts (Amos 5.25-27).
Not only did the Israelite practices permit the abuse of the poor and the vulnerable by the powerful, but it also included the blending of Canaanite worship with that of the one true God.
Sakkuth and Kaiwan were astral deities that were carried on poles. The idols were products of human creativity.
They may have been beautiful and lavishly decorated, but at their root, they were nothing more than the projection of human ability on a so-called god.
The primary feature of idol worship is its focus on fulfilling human needs, where idols provide what humans believe they need.
On the other hand, worshiping God involves humbly approaching Him to understand His will, which transcends our needs.
American materialism is a contemporary example of idol worship. Think about the sacrifices we make and the effort we exert to acquire money and possessions.
Instead of us owning money, it owns us.
Jesus presents a different view of money. He instructs us to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, assuring that our needs will be met (Matthew 6.33).
He also tells us that we cannot serve two masters, making clear the fact that it is impossible to serve both Him and money (Matthew 6.24).
Another trait common to both ancient and modern idolatry is its lack of a moral fabric. The Canaanite religion lacked a moral component, a trait shared by American materialism.
This form of idol worship, whether practiced by the Israelites or in American society, permits harm to others in the service of self-centered desires.
I believe the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and Romans 8 are excellent places to visit to learn how to live in a manner that puts the Lord first and demonstrates it in our lives.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 