Just Because I Believe It Doesn’t Make It So

Amos 6

¹“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes!

² Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory,

³ O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence?

⁴ “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall,

⁵ who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,

⁶ who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!

⁷ Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”

⁸ The Lord God has sworn by himself, declares the Lord, the God of hosts: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.”

⁹ And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die.

¹⁰ And when one’s relative, the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, “Is there still anyone with you?” he shall say, “No”; and he shall say, “Silence! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

¹¹ For behold, the Lord commands, and the great house shall be struck down into fragments, and the little house into bits.

¹² Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—

¹³ you who rejoice in Lo-debar, who say, “Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim for ourselves?”

¹⁴ “For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord, the God of hosts; “and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.”

Self-delusions have been a part of all 5 chapters that come before this one as Amos tries and tries to get his point across about the faith lives of his hearers. Just like small children, we often believe that just because we think something is true, it is. This was the problem faced by the nation of Israel in chapter 6 and is faced by us every day as well. This faulty thinking is in fact epidemic to our culture, just as it was for those in the Bible.

The god the people were worshiping (for indeed, they were practicing some form of worship) was one of their own making. That god was satisfied with their lazy, self-serving worship practices; that god looked away from their injustices and wicked practices when it came to those who had less than they did. That god didn’t care what went on in their hearts as long as offerings were brought to the temple and the proper rituals were observed. They had created this god and found him very comfortable to be around and to worship. The blessings that had been bestowed upon them were seen as tacit approval (or reward) of the shabby lives they were leading. This attitude brings the true God’s wrath and judgment.

Have you ever heard (or perhaps even said), “well, my God wouldn’t (or would) . . .“ You fill in the blank. Often those words are followed by something like, “let that child die.” Or “allow that kind of catastrophe to happen.” Or “let me suffer this way.” Whenever you heard (or think) something like that, red flags need to wave, for you are treading on shaky ground. In that moment you are defining God and telling Him how to be God. This is the path to idolatry. Suddenly, you are worshiping a god of your own making who is not really God at all. Suddenly, we can find ourselves right in the pages of Amos, living and thinking like those whom the Lord finds idolatrous and faithless.

The true God defines Himself quite clearly on the pages of Scripture. He is merciful, kind, loving, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. But He is also just, righteous, jealous, and fearful. He is also a God who would allow His only dear Son to die for a people who turn their back on Him and carry every evil in their hearts. He is a God who cares about your smallest detail while being able to focus on the grand picture of the salvation of the world. The god that we define – he is small and weak for he is made up of our finite thoughts and desire. The God of the Bible is huge and strong, able to conquer our every fear and provide for our every need. Instead of trying to box Him in with our small thoughts, let God be God and enjoy a relationship with Someone who is real.