RE Verse reading–Amos 4:1-13 (day one) “There is no faithfulness, no love, no knowledge of God in the land” (vs 1) The place where our sin is most obvious is what we are not! The laws that we break are only part of God’s charge against us. Our failure to become like Him is even larger. Hosea 4:1-13 is a clear statement of this controversy from God against His people. The word “charge” in vs 1 means dispute or controvery. It is a legal word. A marriage ending up in court. Never good. In chapter 1-3, God compares their behavior to spiritual adultery. In chapter 4, He presents the most damning evidence of all. Faithfulness, love and knowledge of God are ABSENT in the land. Interesting. It is not what we have DONE that breaks God’s heart. The greatest sin is what we have NOT DONE, what we have NOT BECOME. “For all have sinned and fallen short.” Lord, make us hungry for righteousness!
I am glad I am not alone in hearing His upward call…. in fact I have been hearing it so loudly lately that this morning the first thought on my mind was God, “I feel like I am out of balance…I want only to know you more today and do your will”….I feel like zeal for His Kingdom is consuming me. Interesting truth that it is actually zeal for the “other stuff” that usually consumes me….why not change and have zeal for something eternal instead? My dilemma did not seem to bother my Father. Instead, He encouraged me in it.
I know I often seem argumentative or just plain wrong and maybe I am….I am just a lay person, but the point you made today is exactly why I at least try to speak up even in the face of the possibility that I am wrong. I feel so strongly that we are called to more….and our world needs us….sure, it does not know it, but we do.
I am in no way equipped to do any deep speaking on Hebrews, but Hebrews 10:9 says, …”He takes away the first in order to establish the second.” I guess what I so desire for my own life and those I love is that we not miss the second (covenant) because we are still so stuck in the first. Hebrews 6:1 says, “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.” Apparently, he thinks maturity is possible… and it is not found in just going over again what we already know.
I was listening to someone speak about all the religious training/instruction in the Law the Jews would have received in Biblical days… and Paul boasted that he was a Hebrew of Hebrews…so when he said, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”… it seems to me that what was behind for him was the old covenant (and lots of it)… and he seems to be indicating that we must “move on” if we want to fully embrace the new one. {Yes, I am aware of the scripture that says “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Obviously, that is not what I am trying to say. The new covenant is laid on the foundation of the old….it is better! (Heb 8:6)}
The beauty is that, as far as I can tell, it is all just one giant story/picture and so all of the Word is to be cherished… I (and it sounds like along with you) am just pressing forward, but am not sure it is truly possibly if we do not fully understand/believe in what Jesus did for us… “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Romans 8:2)
Father, we so desire to know You, love You, serve You and serve others. We give you all we have and submit to your training/teaching that this might be possible…. that we might be truly led by You into everything you have planned for us. In the name of Jesus we pray…Amen.