July 12, 2024

Passage Read: Amos 3-6
Meditation Verses: 4:4-8

Thought

Here is God speaking sarcasm, to point out the deafness of His people. He encourages them to bring their tithes and offerings to their appointed holy places. But He calls out their sin. They offer sacrifices that God has not appointed or approved. They have decided how they will worship God: They have made golden calf idols and called them by God's name. They offer sacrifices with leaven in them, against the Lord's command. And God said, "Go for it!" Because that is what they love to do. They love to do things their way and expect God to be happy with them. They don't care what He wants, but think they can dictate to Him what He should be pleased by. He rebukes them in dozens of ways, but they don't listen; they don't think they're doing anything wrong. So He lets them do their thing, not that He accepts their worship, but because they won't listen, and He plans greater calamity against them.

Application

I deceive myself if I think God is pleased with worship that He has spoken against. God looks at the heart and recognizes those who fear and honor Him and those that don't. And anyone else who knows what God desires and sees me doing my own thing, expecting God to be pleased or impressed, they can see too exactly what's in my heart. I don't fool anyone else who actually knows God. But of course, I can fool all those who don't care to know God, who also want God to be happy with whatever they offer, even if it's in clear violation of His command. And the worst thing God or anyone can say to me is "Go for it! Do your thing!" That is all but giving me over to destruction.