Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1940-04-04

LESSON TEXT-Amos ST.. lois. 2l-24.
GOLDEN TEXT-Hate the EVIL. ana
love the good. and establish judgment
In the gate.-Amos Sis.
Social justice. though much spo-
ken about In recent times. has been
the concern Of right thinking men
ever since sin entered the world and
started mans inhumanity toward
man. In the prophet Amos we find
the eloquent and plain-spcken voice
Of one crying out against such
conditions almost 800 years before
Christ.
This lesson is one which Is OF ut
most importance because in our
present-day struggle with social In
justice we have come to assume that
it is primarily a political or eco
nomic question. Amos and all other
Scripture rightly gets at 1.-The focus
of Infection" which is sin. Sin In
the heart leads to sinful actions. and
these inevitably involve others. and
thus bring about social problems.
Let US learn from Amos to cure our
social ills by bringing man to God.
1. LamentatiOn-in the Midst Of
Prosperity ". u.
From the little village Of Tekoa
and out Of the wilderness In which
he had been q herdsman came
Amos, the man Of God. to hurl his
prophecy Of disaster upon the heads
Of the complacent people Of Israel
and to take up q lamentation over
those in Israel living in luxury and
prosperity.
True 1t was that the common peo-
pie were being ground under the
heel Of cruel oppression. but who
cared about the poor as long as they
could be squeezed for taxes to sup
port the luxurious comforts and
pleasures Of the rich? A prosperity
which does not reach the homes Of
the poor Is not real prosperity at
all. When In addition thereto 1t en-
eourages the ''haves" to Cypress the
''have-nots'' It becomes q grave dam
ger. q real cause for lamentation.
ii. The Reason-Sin which Hates
Reproof WV. 1913.
Sin Is always q horrible thing, but
when men who have fallen into sin
are responsive to correction and
ready to repent and forsake their
sin, there Is hope. The thing which
made Israels state 50 serious In the
sight Of God and Of His prophet was
that they had only hatred for those
who were bold enough to reprove
them or to live among them accord
ing to Gods standards WV. 10. 80.
They who viii endure no criticism
have slammed the door in the face
Of truth. When we get to the place
where we cannot endure having our
faults pointed out, we are on the
way to moral collapse" (Douglass).
The sin which had thus hardened
their hearts showed itself In social
inequality and injustice which was
built upon greed. oppression. cor
ruption In the courts. etc. The shock
ing picture which Amos paints bears
a surprising similarity to conditions
in our world today. Let us face the
problem and seek its solution.
III. The Cure-Seek Good Not Evil
wv. IA. 80. .
Gods Word condemns sin, but 1t
always presents a remedy. In Christ
we have the perfect, final, and COM
plete answer to the sin question.
Amos, speaking centuries before
Christ admonished Israel to repent
and to turn away from the evil
which they had cultivated with such
assiduity and to be equally jealous
about doing good. In the hope that
''it may be that the Lord God Of
hosts viii be gracious" ". I'D. How
favored we are to be permitted not
only to urge people to turn from
evil to good. but to offer them the
One who Is the way. the truth, and
the life.
Israel did not repent. but in folly
depended on their religious ceremo-
MES to satisfy an offended God. The
prophet therefore declares that
Nv. Religion Is Not Substitute
for Justice wv. 21-24).
God had no pleasure In their re-
hgious cbservances and rites, be-
cause they were presented with I'M
repentant hearts and by hands which
were soiled by the oppression Of
their fellow man.
Mark 1t well. God has no delight
In the attendance upon church serv.
ices, beautiful though they may be,
does not listen to the sweet strains
Of sacred music. nor does He accept
the rich Offerings" of those who
live In unforsaken sin and who pay
for magnificent church buildings and
beautiful church services with mon
ey gotten by crooked dealings and
social injustice. God 10 righteous
and Gods Word always cuts right
through the hypocrisy of men. Let
US heed the plea Of Amos. that right
eousness should run through our per-
sonal and national life las q mighty
stream" and then We shall be ready
both as individuals and as q people
to worship Him Alright.