Israel's Worship To God - Brian Osburn 8/22/05

I advise your attention this morning back to the Old

Testament and the Book of Amos. This is one of the Twelve Minor

Prophets that we that we see here at the end of the Old

Testament. But there are some interesting

things that I like to point out here at the beginning of a of

the Book of Amos this morning. But by way of introduction in

Amos 5 beginning there in verse 21, the Lord speaks through his

Prophet Amos as he is talking to the to the northern, the

Northern Kingdom of Israel. As Israel is divided that this

time it says their Amos 5. Beginning in verse 21.

I hate I despise your feast days and I do not save your your

sacred assemblies though. You offer me?

We burnt offerings and your grain offerings.

I will not accept them nor will I regard your fetid peace

offerings take away from me, the noise of your songs.

Well, I will not hear The Melody of your string instruments.

This is quite an interesting passage and you may think, well,

these are quite harsh words. For the Lord, to be telling the

divided Kingdom, divided Kingdom of the northern, northern

kingdom of Israel to be telling them this.

But the question arises, which we're going to answer this

morning. What makes God's say this

through his prophet? Isaiah to the Northern Kingdom

of Israel? And so we're going to answer

that question and along the way we're going to start making some

applications that may be. We may be included in these

verses as well. Depending on upon our attitudes

this morning. And so, before we go into these

things this morning, what a great privilege and great Duty

that we have, as children of God, to go to God, an order

prayer. Let's do so at this time, The

Book of Amos says, we are studying from this morning is

one of the 12 books that we classify as a Minor Prophets.

And there are three books, which are actually called the Major

Prophets, which include Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Now, you may be wondering, why are they classified as a major

and minor prophets was not because the Minor Prophets are

less important than the Major Prophets because that's simply

not the case. The only difference is the Minor

Prophets are just shorter books That's all the difference and it

is to but, but let it be known but they each contain the same

amount of divinity. Since these individuals were

prophets of the almighty God, they spoke as God spoke to them.

Now, a prophet has a great Duty God, used him as the means by

which God would speak to the people, and also to the nation

as well. And we see, this is just the

case. In Hebrews chapter 1, beginning

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

in verse 1, where it says God, who, at various times and in

various ways spoke in times past to the father's, by the

prophets. And so this was a huge

responsibility for these individuals who were chosen to

be prophets. They were to speak to the people

get, this is how God spoke to them now, because of that,

though, a profit cannot just say anything that he wanted to, as

he was relaying a Divine message but rather First Peter chapter

are actually second Peter, chapter 1 tells us of how this

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

was done. Second, Peter 1, beginning in

verse 20 says this about how this was all done and said

knowing this first that no prophecy of scripture is of any

private interpretation for prophecy.

Never came by the will of man, but holy men of God.

Spoke as hell as they were moved by the Holy Spirit and so we

have the Holy Spirit here that help these prophets of old talk

as God would have them talk unto the peoples and to the nation as

well. Well since the profits are to

prophesy then by direction of the Holy Spirit then we find and

Deuteronomy chapter 18 that they are simply speaking.

Deuteronomy 18 · chapter mention

The words of God are not simply their own words, and listen to

the principle that Deuteronomy 18 gives hear about.

What about prophecy here? It says there, Deuteronomy 18,

beginning in verse number. 18 says this, I will raise up for

them a prophet, like, you from among their brother.

Now, this particular verse here, is talking about a Messianic

prophecy about Christ, but the principle is still the same.

I will raise up for them. A prophet, like, you from among

their Brethren. I will put my words in his mouth

and he shall speak to them all that I command.

Command him. That's the principal there.

And verse 19 says and it shall be, that whoever will not hear

my words, which he speaks, in my name, I will require it of him,

but the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name, which I

have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of

other gods that Prophet shall die.

And if you say in your heart how shall we know the word which the

Lord has not spoken when a prophet speaks in the name of

the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass?

That is the thing which the Lord has not spoken, the prophet has

spoken it presumptuously, and you shall not be afraid of him.

So, the principle is this Whatever God demanded that

Prophet to speak that Prophet, spoke it and it came to pass

every time. Unless there was repentance

involved, which God calls for repentance.

Every time he says there's going to be judgment.

He said you guys need to change but if you don't change, this is

going to happen and he said that time and time again.

But there were prophets of old back then who were false

prophets? Just as there are false profits

today that make all sorts of claims.

But yet, none of these things ever took place from these old

profits back then. And we see people making claims

today, that don't even come to pass.

They are not words of the Lord, if they do not come to pass,

that is a false prophets. And so these are the principles

by which a prophet speaks of when he's relaying these things

to the nation. They are not merely his words

but they are words of the Lord. Well, Amos was one of these men

who spoke the words of the Lord. He was a Prophet by God and had

been given a command by God, to prophesy to Israel, but we're

going to get to that message in just a few moments this morning,

but to serve as a background to our book, this morning, we find

that the nation of Israel was in a very dangerous, dangerous

State when Amos became a prophet of God.

Now, from the eyes of Israel, though, they thought things were

going great for them. They were wealthy, business was

booming and they lived a life of luxury.

He called me, economy was pretty good for Israel, but in the eyes

of God, though, Israel was heading for punishment their

wealth had led them to an attitude of smug complacency and

they thought they did not need God's help anymore.

They had become a nation that ruled simply God out and they

had become morally, they had become religious.

And they had become politically corrupt in their ways, but they

thought everything was going just fine in their own minds,

but God thought different. And so that's the background to

what Israel is in right now, as he's relaying, these words from

God to this, Northern Kingdom, of Israel.

And so, understanding the background here, we now turn our

attention to the message, which Amos has for Israel.

And so, So as this first as this book, first begins, and I

encourage you to turn over to chapter 1 of Amos as we go along

through here. But as this first book, first

opens, we find that God has a message.

And it's not a message to just some people.

But God has a message and once all the Northern Kingdom of

Israel to listen, in fact, I want you to listen to the words.

In the verse in chapter verse 2 of chapter 1.

Listen to listen to the picture that it gives your and he said

the Lord Wars from Zion. He Roars from Zion and utters

his voice from Jerusalem. The pastor's of the shepherd's

mourn at the top of caramel and the top of Carmel.

Withers and so he's got this great message and he says, the

Lord Roars this out, meaning everyone is to listen to what

Amos has to say as he is speaking, the words of the Lord.

And so he then begins to speak judgment upon surrounding

Nations that outline the nation of Israel and I have this

outline on you at to my best ability on the board here of

what the land was during this time where Israel was divided

here and we have all these different nations surrounding

Israel and I want you to listen to the Judgment.

That is brought upon the surrounding nations of Israel.

It says, first of all All he mentions Damascus and Damascus.

There is at the top right and he mentions Damascus as to mention

the entire nation of of Syria. But before we even get into

that, he opens every message to these nations by saying this, he

says four for three transgressions and 44 and he

says it's over and over and over and over to every one of these

nations. And so what does this?

Me for three transgressions and for, for, well, this is not a

literal term, but a misused, it in a figurative way of showing a

complete amount. Well, what's that?

Complete amount? Well, these nations are being

judged by God because of their wickedness, was to the extent.

That it was as if a cup were being overflowed already.

He had had enough, it was excessive and judgment was to be

upon these nations because of their excessive wickedness, but

getting back. Now to the nation of Syria, as

he mentions Damascus here, they are being punished because they

had thresh head God's people by going against Gilead, which is

the homeland of the half tribe of Manasseh.

Now because of this great wickedness, their punishment

would include God, bringing fire against Hazel, which is the

ruling family and would send them into Exile.

And I'm just going to briefly mention through these so that we

could get to the nation of Israel in just a few moments.

And so that is the that is what they were doing and that is the

punishment that God has for the nation of Syria.

But the second one that he mentions here in verse number 6,

here is out of Gaza which is a chief city of philistia down

here at the bottom left. Right?

On the Mediterranean Sea, they were being punished by God

because they had captured Hebrews and had sold them as

slaves to eat them. And because of this, God would

cause philistia The parish as a nation.

Not only that we met he mentions tired and this is the capital of

Phoenicia. As you see there at the top left

tire, is there along the Mediterranean Coast as well and

tired. There was a chief city of see

traffic and had been involved with slave traffic as well and

because of tires and difference and cruelty, they as verse 9

says, did not remember the Covenant of Brotherhood.

That's what they were guilty of. And because of this, the Lord

promised destruction to her walls and also to her palaces as

well. Not only that, we have the

fourth Nation that's mentioned, and that is Edom.

And Edom is a descendants of, Esau.

And you remember the story about Esau how he and his brother

were, will he came in from the field one day and he sold his

Birthright to Jacob for just one morsel of food?

Because of that they they resist there was a well, there was

tension between the two and so Edom are the descendants of that

man. Esau but though getting back to

this nation, they're being punished because of their

cruelty to their brethren. They're being punished because

of that who are the Israelites and because of this, God

promised a destroying fire against the chief cities of that

Nation. Moving on number 5 to the nation

of amand, am in along with the Samir syrians.

They had committed the same sin of Oppression God's people over

there in Gilead, and as they had done this with such cruelty as

well. And they were so cruel.

As Amos is Are these words from God?

It says there, in verse number 13, they were so cruel in war,

that it is said in verse 13. They ripped open the women with

child. Now, this is very, very

unnecessary in an act of War. You just don't do that in an act

of War. But this goes to show how cruel

these people were in that nation.

And so what was their punishment?

Well, their punishment was that rather than the capital of Ammon

would be destroyed and the King The princes will be taken

captive because of all that. Not only that, we get to Moab

which is, which is mixing, which is just south of Israel there

and just like the brother and the ammonites, the moabites were

also guilty of being cruel against Israel as well.

They had us as chapter 2 verse 1 says they had burned the bones

of the king of Edom to Lime They had done that.

They had done this in an act of hatred and resentment is what

they were guilty of. And so because of this court,

carry off is mentioned to include the entire nation of how

its palaces would be destroyed and their princes would also be

slain because of all this. And then we get to Judah as

Nation number seven. What had you done?

Well, Judah was a southern Kingdom of the divided Kingdom.

And They too had judgment coming upon them because verse four

dimensions to things that they were guilty of and that they

deserve punishment. For the first one is this, they

despise the law of the Lord. The second thing they did 2:4,

they did not keep God's Commandments.

This is what Judah was was guilty of and so they were to be

punished and it was promised that a fire will be sent to them

and the Palaces of Jerusalem would be destroyed.

Because they simply did not obey God.

Now, before we continue on, there is one thing.

I don't want you to notice. And I was puzzled at first by

this of why would Amos mentioned all of these nations.

After all his focus is to get this message to Israel, the

northern kingdom. So why mention all these other

surrounding Nations about their punishment?

When really they're putting his are the nation of the punishment

of these other nations have nothing to do with Israel.

Well, I believe the answer is this.

The message as Amos is proclaiming as God, is

proclaiming through Amos to of the Northern Kingdom of Israel,

is this. He said you see all these other

nations around you and you see what they've done and you see

the punishment that they're in for?

And the nation of Israel saying, yeah, we see it.

Let him have his job, they deserve such punishment for all

the things that they've done to other nations and all the things

that they've done to us. Let him have it.

But then the coin turns because the very next thing that Amos

says geared toward Israel. He says you bet all these

nations have been guilty of all these things and punishment is

to come upon them. But you is real, you followed

the punishment as well because of several things that you have

done. Now.

Amos list, several reasons, reasons why they're being

judged, just like these other nations.

He says a number of things for primarily is is number one.

They were guilty of social injustice by selling the

righteous for silver and for selling the poor for just a pair

of sandals. That was the one thing that they

have done. Second thing that they were

guilty of is that they were guilty of immorality.

And it is more detailed about that but that's just a brief

statement of how immoral these people were the third thing.

They were guilty of is that they were guilty of idolatry by

worshipping other gods. They made carved images and they

worship those carved images. And the fourth thing they were

guilty of was simply because they rebelled against God.

As Amos says here is what is why they are being punished now?

At throughout the prophet and through the prophet Amos, God

told Israel, all that he had done for them.

In fact, they were guilty of all these things, but God said,

look, I've done so many things for you.

How can you turn away from me? He's mentioned several things.

He said he cast out the amorites before them.

He had delivered them from the land of Egypt, he had gave them

prophets and mazarites, which they had even corrupted, you

see, they gave wine to nazarites, which was Play

against the Nazarite practice, they corrupted them and in

reference to the prophets, when God gave them prophets, they

simply told the prophets do not prophesy to was, they tried to

keep them quiet even though God provided them prophets.

So that they would hear the message of God through these

men. And after listing all these

things that they were guilty of and how God has been so good to

them. I want you to listen to what God

says to them next in 2:13. 2:13 says this behold, I am weighed

down by you. As a cart full of sees, is way

down. God said, I have had enough of

all this. I am put up with it.

You guys have gone too far. And now punishment is coming.

Punishment is coming. And because of their wickedness,

God promised that they would not be able to flee when destruction

comes upon them and that is the punishment for their sins.

That's the judgment. Now, through the rest of this

book, we find a more detail of Israel since and even more

detail of God's promise to punish the Northern Kingdom of

Israel. But there is something I want

you to notice over in chapter 4, as we are making our way to our

text in chapter 5. There is something interesting

to note here, Amos pensions Time After Time, where God had

punished them already yet. They simply did not repent

because of their punishment. In fact, beginning in Chapter 4

Verse 6, God speaks to, to Israel through Amos about the

fact that they have been punished before.

But they had simply not learned from their punishments.

In fact, he mentioned several things of what they had done

what the punishment was for. He says, that God sent a famine

to Israel and they still did not learn their lesson.

The second thing that happened was that God sent a drought to

them, but they still did not learn their lesson.

The third thing is that God sent pestilence throughout Israel.

The fourth thing is that God had sent a plane and sent Warda

Israel. Do you think that change their

minds? No.

It did not. And God had also overthrew

overthrown various Cities in his room and then after all these

things that Israel face, do the traditional obedience to God.

He says these after each one of these things that he mentioned

in verse 6, in verse 8, in verse 9, and verse 10 and 11.

After all these phrases of what God had punished them for he

says and I quote yet you have not returned to me.

You have not learned your lesson.

You did not repent after those things. and because of that, the

Lord says, in chapter 4, verse 12, Therefore thus will I do to

you o? Israel?

Because I will do this to you. Prepare to meet your God, o

Israel. Today, those some scary words.

Prepare to meet your God. Meaning judgment is coming.

Be ready for it. I've give you guys plenty of

opportunities. Be ready for punishment.

Well, I've said all that to help us understand the situation that

Israel was in and how God despised their Wicked Ways.

And this all brings us to chapter 5 where we find

something that is a bit closer to home.

And yet the Israelites were still being guilty of back then.

it says, once again, chapter 5 beginning of verse 21, Because

of all these things that Israel had done.

God. Responds by saying I hate I

despise your feast days and I do not save your sacred assemblies.

Do you offer? Me burn off rings and your grain

offerings? I will not accept them, nor will

I regard your fat piece for your fat and peace offerings, take

away from me, the noise of your songs for I will not hear The

Melody of your string instruments.

Now, what primary reason why God will not accept their worship is

because they had worshipped other gods as well.

But even with that aside, their worship would have been in vain

anyway, due to their lifestyle and do their attitude during

worship now, even though they went through the motions of

worship, God, still not accept their worship.

Hearing he just rejected it, they offered burnt offerings and

grain offerings, which they Had been even commanded to do, but

God still did not accept them. They're even there.

Peace, offerings. We're still not acceptable, to

God, either the songs that they sing and worship, or as Lads

noise to God as he says, and this was not because they were

using instrumental music. It was acceptable back then to

use instrumental music. There are some that would even

use this verse in the Lord's Church to say that God

disapproved of instrumental music under the old law but

that's not why that's not what it's teaching here.

It was acceptable under the old law but it's not acceptable

today. Simply because we do not have

any implicit or explicit authority to have instrumental

music in the Lord's Church were just told to sing and make

melody in our hearts. And that's simply it.

But that's beside the fact but even though they were going

through these things, God still did not accept these things.

Their their songs were as Noise unto him.

Now. This is the same situation as we

come over to Judah. Now Judah was in the same

situation that when they worship God, they did so in truth but

their heart simply were not in it and because of that God

rejected their forms of worship and this is found over in Isaiah

Isaiah 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1, speaking of Judah, when they worship God, beginning

of verse 11, Isaiah 1 verse 11 says, to what purpose is the

Isaiah 1:11

multitude of your sacrifices Spices to me.

Says the Lord. I have had enough of burnt

offerings of rams and the fat of fed camel.

I do not Delight in the blood of bulls or of lands or goats.

When you come to appear before me who has required this from

your hand to trample. My cords, bring no more futile.

Sacrifices incense is an Abomination to me the new moons,

the sabbats and the calling of assemblies I cannot endure

iniquity in the sacred meeting. Your new moons and your

appointed feasts. My soul hates.

They are a trouble to me, I am weary of bearing them when he

spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you.

Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear your

hands are full of blood. And so you see, even with the

practice of the name of Judah here, even their worship was

unacceptable, but God, simply because they were not their

hearts were not, Not in it. And they did not have the

correct lifestyle as well just as a comparative to the nation

of Israel during this time. And so what is the application

today? Can God hate our worship today.

Just as he did to Israel and to Judah.

Can he I believe he can. We don't want that to happen,

but I think it could happen. It can happen through various

ways from a certain from an individual.

For example, you remember how Israel claim to serve God yet

their ways and hearts were far from him and because of that,

their worship was in vain. This is similar situation to

what Jesus, addresses over a Matthew chapter 15, when he is

Matthew 15 · chapter mention

talking to the Pharisees, into the scribes there, and this is

just one occasion where Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees that

he really gets on to them for their, for their traditions.

Because their Traditions, he'll have override of The

Commandments of God. But I want you to listen to, in

this particular occasion, where Jesus is talking to the

Pharisees into the scribes over here. in a chapter 15 of Matthew

beginning there in verse number one, Says in the scribes and

Pharisees who were from Jerusalem, came to Jesus saying

and they presented this question.

Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders for?

They did not wash their hands when they eat bread.

So upon this question verse 3 says, he answered and said to

them, why do you also transgress the Commandment of God because

of your tradition for God commanded saying, honour, your

father, and your mother. And he who curses father or

mother, let him be put to death. But you say whoever says to his

father or mother, whatever Papa you have might be received.

From me has been dedicated to the apple is released from

honoring his father or mother. Thus, you have made the

Commandment of God of no effect by your tradition Hypocrites.

Well, did Isaiah prophesy about you saying these people draw

near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but

their heart is far from me. And in vain, they worship me

teaching as doctrines, the Commandments of men.

In vain, they worship me. Now, the Bible teaches here is

Jesus is relaying these to the Pharisees into the scribes here

that we are to honor our father and mother and if we disregard

them, we have sinned. And people were put to death

because of that. But these Pharisees had the

tradition is that the child gave their money as a gift, to the

temple. Then they are free in regard to

any obligation to his father or to his mother.

And so, that is how they were disobeyed, the Commandment of

God, because their tradition had overwrote, had a have become

more important than the Commandment of God through that

various act. Now they claim to be followers

of the followers of God, these Pharisees did, but their hearts

were far from God. And because of that, their

worship to God was in vain, as well.

You see, after all, why go worship God, if you are not, if

you were going to, if you're not Plea going to devote your life

to the Lord. Why worship Him?

If you have no care outside the assembly, why worship Him?

It is hypocritical and it makes no sense when you come down to

it, why go worship God for an hour or two or even three a week

and yet live a life outside of worship in the way that does not

even glorify. God.

You're just a different person outside of worship services.

Does it make any sense? No, it does not.

Well, the question is, how do you think God's going to react

to that when you live your life in such sin throughout this

week? And yet come to worship Him?

Do you think he's going to accept that worship?

Well, I believe the answer is no, he's going to have the same

attitude as he did to Israel and ever reject that individuals

worship, just as he had ejected rejected, Israel's worship as

well, they claim to serve God, but their hearts were far from

him. Just as these Pharisees were in

vain, they worship God and so it is vital that we live a life

devoted to God at all times those.

We fall into the same kind of judgment, that Israel fell into

do their disobedience, And we must live the life of a

Christian every day and not just when we come to worship, but is

an everyday is a habitual practice.

Well, what is another way that God can reject our worship?

Well, you'll remember that Israel worship God and the way

that God had designed it and aside from the fact that they

worshipped Gods other gods from that they took they they

worshiped him in truth though. But he rejected their worship,

simply because their hearts were not in it, they were simply

going through the motions of worship.

They were going through the motions even though it may have

been in truth aside from the fact that they were simply a

worshiping other gods as well. And so are we guilty of the same

thing that Israel was in? We may we may not be involved in

idolatry today. But could we be found guilty of

those people of Israel? But simply going through the

motions of worship. Let me ask you a few questions

this morning. To self-examine your life.

What was the message of the songs that we sang this morning?

Can we remember? Did we understand what we were

singing? Where we paying attention?

Or will we simply just going through the motion of just

singing? Let me ask you this.

What was prayed in the prayer this morning, that Shaw

headshot, he led where we listening to his prayer as he

prayed on behalf of the entire congregation to God.

It makes you think. It makes you think.

Has your mind been on other things during worship.

Well. Leading to the Lord's Supper.

when we approached the Lord's Supper this morning, What are

our minds going to be thinking about at that time?

Are we going to be focused upon the Lord?

Or are our minds going to be focused upon what we're going to

do this afternoon or what big plans we have for the week.

Makes you think. We need to have our minds

focused upon the Lord at all times during the worship.

After all. God is here in our presence.

This very hour. He is here.

And we come together to give him the glory.

We come to give him the honor, and we come to give him the

praise. And to do so without a whole

heart, how is he going to react to that type of worship?

I'll let you make the judgment to that question.

But it just makes it thank you. No, I'm not.

I'm guilty of the same things. I mean, there have been times

where I'd sing a song in and I just don't know what I just

saying or I may find myself wondering sometimes.

So I'm talking to myself this morning as I'm relaying, these

things to you so that we do not fall guilty.

Israel's punishment and Israel's judgment back then.

Now, it is a serious thing to fall into the Judgment of God,

and I hope that we do not find ourselves, just going through

the motions of worship. Well, our minds are somewhere

else. Less we Fallen best less.

We find that God will not accept our worship.

And that's being here has been in vain Well.

As we wrap these things up this morning, you'll remember that

Amos related to Israel that God had done so much for them.

He had delivered them from the Egyptian bondage.

He had given them victory over other nations.

And because of these things, Israel should have worshipped

God and he should have had been praised.

Well, the same is true about us today, you know, God has been so

good to us. He really has.

He has been so good to us. He has offered us salvation when

we didn't even deserve salvation, but Christ died on

that cross anyway. So that we can be free from our

sins and that's just one thing that God has been so good to us.

He has been he has been good to us and throughout the rest of

our lives. After we have obeyed that gospel

by giving us peace, he has given us, hope he has given us joy in

our lives. He has blessed us with so many

things in this life. And so because of that, he

deserves our utmost, praise and our devotion to him.

And he deserves great worship from us with our whole heart.

And so let us never find ourselves living a life.

That is hypocritical that we come to worship and yet live a

different life outside of worship services.

And let us never come to worship.

In a way that with an attitude that our minds just wondered

throughout the throughout the worship services.

Let us worship him with the whole heart.

Why? Because he deserves it.

That's why he's the father of all he is.

Lord Jehovah. And he deserves Our Praise.

So let us give that to him. every day, and every time we

come to worship, We thank you for listening to our podcast,

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Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and

Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

We would love for you to be our honored guest.