Sabbath, June 2, 2007
Amos 5:20-25
Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? (ESV)
by Leota Stevens
To obey is better than sacrifice. What a concept! This theme runs throughout the Old and New Testaments. This admonition is repeated due to our spiritual stubbornness.
Like the children of Israel, we are reminded that religious observances, stirring melodies, and monetary offerings given as perfunctory ritual have no positive impact on God. His heart yearns for our obedience and fellowship and to see justice and righteousness flow across our land like mighty streams of life-giving water. Parched souls blossom when their thirst is quenched by the Spirit of the Lord.
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
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