Sunday, June 7, 2015

Don't let religion be a mockery of the real thing

Amos 4:1-13
Warning to you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, 'Bring, that we may drink!"
Yet you did not return to me. even God has poured many disasters to them.
Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you.
For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth - the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name.
Why?
The luxury-loving women of Samaria who have 'fattened' themselves (like the well-fed cows of fertile Bashan), at the expense of the poor, will be led away with hooks, (The Assyrians actually did this to their captives.)
At the same time as they were crushing the helpless (those for whom God had special care, protected under God's law), the people still kept up the religious facade(表面). But 'insurance policy' religion is a mockery(蔑視) of the real thing.
How?
Don't let religion be a mockery of the real thing.

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