WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 23

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more.” Amos 4:4

WAIT… WHAT?!

Did a prophet of God just tell people to:

GO AND SIN…

and while you’re at it…

SIN SOME MORE?!

Imagine opening your Bible for some wholesome morning encouragement and reading:

“Go to Bethel and sin.”

Modern Bible reader:

“Ummm… Amos?

I FEEL LIKE WE’RE MISSING SOME IMPORTANT CONTEXT HERE.”

We are.

Because Amos isn’t actually encouraging anybody to sin.

HE’S BEING SARCASTIC.

The people were continuing to visit their religious centres.

They were bringing sacrifices.

Giving offerings.

Performing all the outward religious activities…

while continuing to live in rebellion against God.

So Amos essentially says:

“Fine then!

Go to Bethel.

Keep doing your religious stuff.

Keep piling sin upon sin.”

In other words:

“HOW’S THAT WORKING OUT FOR YOU?”

Apparently prophetic sarcasm was alive and well thousands of years before social media.

Context REALLY matters with this one!

Amos wasn’t giving Israel permission to sin.

He was exposing the absurdity of thinking they could continue religious activity while their hearts and lives remained far from God.

Their sacrifices didn’t impress God when they weren’t accompanied by genuine obedience.

And underneath the sarcasm is a challenging truth for us too:

God isn’t looking for religious performance.

He wants our hearts.

But still…

You have to feel for the person who opens their Bible for the first time, lands randomly on Amos 4:4 and reads:

“GO… AND SIN YET MORE.”

PLEASE KEEP READING.

Sometimes the verses that make you say:

“WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE?!”

are exactly the verses that prove why…

CONTEXT STILL MATTERS!