This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel:
“Seek Me and live” Amos 5:4
This passage comes at the end of an indignant tirade on behalf of God. Amos, up to this point, has been describing the deep sin that Israel has been involved in, and also includes the iniquities of the surrounding regions. Israel had fallen into pleasing themselves, and bowing down to idols and God was teaching them a very important lesson. It was a lesson brought on by their refusal to seek God’s will, and fashion their own empty truths.
One can read the book of Amos and sense the anger that was spoken through the prophet. God had given Israel a strict warning that there would be hell to pay if they turned their backs on Him. Many would interpret this series as “God taking back His love.” This is because God is describing the destruction that will be coming their way as a result of their actions. In all reality, it is quite the opposite. God had warned Israel of consequences from the very beginning. Israel shouldn’t have been surprised at the coming punishment. In the midst of this angry rant, God is also reminding them of all He has done for them. This situation became an essential teachable moment for God’s chosen people, and later we see true tenderness, and concern for a nation in real trouble.
The book of Amos balances on this one verse, “Seek Me and Live.” God asks Israel to turn back to Him and experience life. The fact is, we can experience true life when we seek God. Many are lost and drowning in a world that seeks to desensitize them to the calling of the Spirit, but God is constantly wooing us back to a relationship with Him. God doesn’t desire to fight us, and destroy us if not obeyed……He simply lets us know what life is like without Him. It is empty, destructive, cold, and useless. Only He can change that. Seek Him and live!
This post is written by Rev DeCrastos. For the original post, go to: http://otherwordsdotnet.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/seek-him-and-live/
