The Israelites of the Old Testament times were sinning against the Lord deliberately and habitually. And so God was warning them of a judgement of God to come against them. And their sin wasn’t just about all the evil that they did, but it was about the hypocrisy that they performed, as well.
Religious Hypocrites
Amos 4:4-5 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
“4Go to Bethel and transgress;
rebel even more at Gilgal!
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three days.
5Offer leavened bread as a thank offering,
and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings.
For that is what you children of Israel love to do,”
declares the Lord GOD.
So, today, this might be like those who profess faith in
Jesus Christ, who regularly attend what are considered by most to be “church
services,” who sit through the weekly services, sing the songs, listen to the
sermons, put their offerings in the collection plate (or however it is being
done today), and who volunteer for various projects or social activities or
ministries. But then they live for themselves, for their sinful pleasures,
doing what pleases the flesh but not what pleases God. And the next week they
repeat the same.
But it isn’t just that they are religious hypocrites, but
that they brag about their religiosity, i.e. they boast loudly about their
offerings or their other “good works” that they believe that they did, because
they want the applause of other humans. They want human approval. Privately (or
publicly) they are sinning against God habitually, but then they put on a show
of righteousness, and they act as though they are godly because of the
religious rituals which they perform. But they do so hypocritically.
They Did Not Return
Then, in verses 6-11 we read how God had cast judgments
against them, and against their cities. He afflicted them with lack of bread.
And He withheld rain from them. People staggered from city to city for water to
drink, but they were not satisfied. And He struck their gardens with blight and
mildew, and the locust devoured their trees. And He sent plagues among them.
And He killed their young men and their horses, and He overthrew some, yet in
all of this they did not return to the Lord.
God Will Judge
Amos 4:12-13 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
“12Therefore, that is what I will do
to you, O Israel,
and since I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!
13For behold, He who forms the mountains,
who creates the wind
and reveals His thoughts to man,
who turns the dawn to darkness
and strides on the heights of the earth—
the LORD, the God of Hosts, is His name.”
God was letting the people know then, and He is still
letting all who profess His name today, but not in truth, and not in
righteousness, know that judgment is what awaits them. God is going to judge
them for their lies, their adulteries, their deceptions, their hypocrisies, and
their false worship of God. He will judge them for their idolatrous worship of
false gods and for their loyalty and devotion to hypocritical liars who portend
to be righteous. Religious performances mean nothing to Him. He requires our
obedience.
For Jesus Christ taught that to come to Him we must deny
self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) Him. For if
we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity.
But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience
to our Lord and to His commands, in His power, then we have eternal life with
God. For not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew
7:21-23).
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts
26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans
8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1
Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians
5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14;
Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24;
1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation
3:1-22]
Prepare to Meet The Lord
An Original Work / August 27, 2026
Christ’s
Free Servant, Sue J Love
In Harmony
Based off Romans 12:9-21; 1 Peter
3:8-17
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Love each other
truly. Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is
evil. Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with
fervor. Joyful in hope be;
Patient in
affliction; Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Share with all God’s
people who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show
compassion in humility.
Keep your tongue
from evil. Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God sees who are
righteous; listens to their prayers.
But He’s against
evil – is His to avenge.
Do not fear what
they fear. Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make
Christ Lord. Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
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