Thursday - Amos 5 - Hide & Seek

  

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LAYING hide and seek starts very young. Perhaps it is the most basic of all games. But, how absurd would it be if the individual who is supposed to do the seeking didn't do any seeking? Or, how strange it would be if instead of seeking for the ones who have hidden, what if the seeker decided to search instead for something unrelated, like seashells or birds? How ridiculous! Yet, Israel was guilty of not seeking after God, though they knew that He was supposed to be the object of their affection. And, they instead, ran every rabbit trail they came across.

While there is no natural tendency in any of us to seek after God (Romans 3:11), He has affixed what we might call some "spiritually magnetic forces" that are effectual and that are intended to quicken our dead spirit, attract our attention and to draw us in. His word draws us (Isaiah 55:11 and Romans 10:17). His Son draws us (John 12:32). His Spirit draws us (John 6:44 & 16:7-8). But His initiation must receive reciprocation (Isaiah 55:6)

Here in Amos 5 we find an invitation and sound advice extended repeatedly – “Seek me & live..." (Amos 5:4, 6 & 8.  See also Amos 5:14 & Jeremiah 29:13).  See, God is hidden from the unregenerate.  Seeking God is where he must begin.  God has issued the call.  He now awaits a return call from the sinner.

Now, there were Jews who said that they were looking forward to the coming day of the Lord.  But did they even know what the day of the Lord entailed? Amos made it abundantly clear it would be a very dark day for those who abide in unbelief and rebellion (vs. 18-20). And, in vs. 7 & 24 we see the solution God offered. But, if they were disinterested in that, God had a plan already packaged up. Israel would be headed into captivity (vs. 27).