ALL GOD WANTED
21 “I HATE, I DESPISE YOUR FEAST DAYS, AND I DO NOT SAVOR YOUR SACRED ASSEMBLIES.
22 THOUGH YOU OFFER ME BURNT OFFERINGS AND YOUR GRAIN OFFERINGS, I WILL NOT ACCEPT THEM, NOR WILL I REGARD YOUR FATTENED PEACE OFFERINGS.
23 TAKE AWAY FROM ME THE NOISE OF YOUR SONGS, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.
24 BUT LET JUSTICE RUN DOWN LIKE WATER, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE A MIGHTY STREAM."
Amos 5:21-24 (NKJV)
God expresses His dissatisfaction about the feast days of the Israelites (Amos 5:21). Their sacred assemblies, the burnt offerings and grain offerings offered by them, would not be accepted, and their fattened peace offerings would not be regarded (Amos 5:22). He said they should take away the noise of their songs, and the melody of their stringed instruments would He not hear (Amos 5:23).
All He wanted from them, the Israelites, is that they should let the justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream (Amos 5:24).
This shows us the priority of God. God is not a sacrifice monger or bargainer. He does not need the sacrifices brought to Him by anyone, as the obedience of the person or people (1 Samuel 15:22).
Some always think they can appease God with gifts, sacrifices, or offerings, after they had done wrongs. God might not accept someone's sacrifice If what is primarily needed is that the person should go and right his or her wrongs (Genesis 4:5-7).
Here in the case of the Israelites, God wanted not their sacrifices or feasts or festivals but their genuine repentance; they should let justice and righteousness reign (Amos 5:24). God is demanding the same from you as a believer in Christ Jesus. He wanted your uprightness, faithfulness in your walk with Him, and being practical in your Christian faith by living in line with the principles found in His Word, the Bible. You cannot appease or bribe God with whatever you claim to be doing for Him.
May be you are supporting a ministry with your money, your time is being used in your local church to do one thing or another, but you are still shady in your dealings—your business affairs. Such a thing will catch up with you, that shadiness would later show.
This brings to mind, the incident of a man who was being blessed materially, financially, because he was supporting a minister's work, ministry, but he was not thorough; he was shady, cutting corners, in his business affairs and dealings. He eventually died untimely, a gruesome death, even on the site where he was doing his work.
Now, God might be blessing you because of your financial support to the work or ministry of a minister of God, but that does not justify any unrighteousness or unfaithfulness, or any dirty and unwholesome thing you are getting yourself into, in a bid to make money or profit.
When the devil comes to accuse you to God, If any skeleton is found in your cupboard, you may not escape it. Jesus said: " . . . FOR THE RULER OF THE WORLD (Satan) IS COMING. AND HE HAS NO CLAIM ON ME [no power over Me nor anything that he can use against Me]" (John 14:30 Amps).
If the devil came, looking for what to use as an accusation against you, Would he find you clean without anything to accuse you of?
The devil is the accuser of the believers—he accuses the believers to God (Zechariah 3:1; Revelation 12:10). If the devil accuses you to God, would God be able to defend you? God was proud of Job and defended him when the devil wanted to play down or belittle the uprightness of Job (Job 1:7-12; 2:3); Would God be able to do that in your own case? Would your deeds or works not show that you are not clean?
Peace.
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