The Omaha guide., 1947-08-09
GOD IN NATIONAL AFFAIRS

GOD IN NATIONAL AFFAIRS
LESSON TExT-Amos 5:6-i5. z1-z4-
MEMORY SELECTON-Seek good
snd not evil. that 70 may uve.-Amos
s:14.
Social Justice. though much spo
ken about In recent'times. has been
the concern Of right thinking msr
ave since sin entered the world and
started mans inhumanity toward
man. In the prophet Amos we hnd
the eloquent and plain-spoksn voice
Of one crying out against such con-
ditions almost 800 years before
Christ
This lesson L. one which II Of ut
most importance. because In our
pressnt-day struggle with social In.
Justice We have come 30 assume
that It Ii primarily q political OF
economic question
The book Of Amos and all other
scripture rightly gets ~ s'ths focus
Of Infection" which 10 sin. Sin Ia the
heart leads 10 sinful aetens. and
these Inevitably involve others. and
thus bring about social problems.
L. God In Great aAA yust wv. go.
: From the little village OF Tskea
and out Of the wilderness In which
he had been q hsrdsman came
Amos. the mar Of God. % hurl his
prophecy Of disaster upon the heads
Of the compliment people o6 Israel
and to take up q lamentation over
those In Israel living In luxury and
prosperity.
It was true that the common peo-
pie 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 a real prosperity at
all When In addition It encourages
the "haves" to Cypress the have
nots" it becomes a grave danger.
a real cause for lamentation.
Over against the social sin and
orrow of his day Amos placed the
almighty and righteous God. The
people we're urged to seek him and
his righteousness. Would they do it7
The answer came quickly.
III. Men Are Small and Wicked
(vv. 1913.
Thank God that It Is not true Of
all men. but those Of Amos day
land many are Hike them In our
day. turned away In hatred Of the
one who dared to rebuke their wick
edness.
Sin Is always a horrible thing. but
when men who have fallen into sin
are responsive to correction and
ready to repent and forsaks their
sin. there Is hope. The thing which
made Isarel's state 80 serious In the
sight Of God and Of his prophet was
that they had only hatred for those
who were bold enough to reprovs
them or to live among them accord
ing to Gods standards wv. 10, 13).
They who will endure no criti.
cism have slammed the door In the
face Of truth. When we get to the
place where we cannot endure hav.
ing u faults pointed out, we are
on the way to moral collapse"
<Douglass,.
III. Men Should Hate Evil wv.
IA. 80.
God loves the sinner, even when
he is In his sin. God wants to help
him. and so pleads with him to hate
the evil enough to forsake Il, and
love the good enough to turn to God
In repentance.
Gods Word condemns sin, but It
also 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 ASST.
duty. and to be equally Jealous
about doing good. In the hope that
ait may be that the Lord God Of
hosts will be gracious" ". l5).
How favored we are to be per
mitted not only to urge people tc
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 cere.
monies to satisfy an offended God.
The prophet therefore declares that
~. God Hates Hypocrisy wv. q.
e4).
God had 40 pleasure In their re.
Ngious ~observances and rites, be.
cause they were presented with I'm.
repentant hearts and by hand,
which were soiled by the oppression
Of their fellow man
Mark It well, God has no delight
En- the attendance upon church serv.
ices, beautiful though they may be:
he does not listen 10 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 build.
ings and beautiful church services
with money gotten by crooked deal.
ings and social injustice.
God L. righteous. and Gods Word
always cuts right through the by.
pocrisy Of men. Let US heed the plea
Of Amos. that righteousness should
run through our personal and ma.
tional Life 'as a mighty stream"
and then we shall be ready both az
individuals and>as a people to wor.
ship him Alright
CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD
24i2 Parker Street c. w. r. r.
Rev. S. x. Nichols, Pastor