Justice and Righteousness (Amos 5:21-24)
One of RJ’s teachers was an erring Christian. She grew up in the congregation where I was preaching—two of her uncles were elders and her father was at every service. Tammy and I loved this woman, and one day, Tammy invited her to worship, and this sweet woman said, “I know my uncle, and as long as he is an elder in that church, I will not set foot in that building.”
Her uncle was, without a doubt, the most unqualified man I’ve ever seen as an elder. His example in the community harmed the church’s reputation. However, on Sunday, he led prayer and singing and oversaw the congregation.
Have you ever known someone faithful in worship but living sinfully? Have you seen an elder living in sin? What about a preacher whose sin destroyed someone’s faith? What about a song leader whose example was incongruent with his role? Maybe someone sat in a pew every week but lived immorally. Maybe you even once walked with the world while worshiping God on Sunday.
That was the Northern Kingdom. On the outside, their worship was right, but they lived in sin. God told them, “God hates right worship without right living.”
Scripture (Amos 5:21-24)
verses 21-23:
God despised the Israelites’ “feasts” and “solemn assemblies.” Moses commanded these feasts in the Law, and the Jews gathered for assemblies during those feasts.
Burnt offerings were general offerings for sin. Grain offerings recognized Yahweh’s goodness and provision. Peace offerings were given voluntarily to Yahweh for thanksgiving or to fulfill a vow.
Yahweh commanded the Israelites to remove from him the noise of their songs. God had condemned the Israelites’ actions in the previous two verses; here Yahweh condemned their speech. The Israelites said the right things in worship, but their hearts were far from God. The Israelites played melody on their harps, but God refused to listen to their music.
verse 24:
God desired that “justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Rolling waters and ever-flowing streams are abundant and never ending, like God desires justice and righteousness to be.
In the Old Testament, “justice” meant the administration of government, and the word came to mean doing right to others.
In Hebrew, the word “righteousness” denoted being straight, and it came to mean conformity to an ethical standard. Righteousness means doing the right thing, i.e., obeying God.
Application
“God hates right worship without right living.” The Israelites’ worship conformed to the right externals. However, their mistreatment of others and their disobedience to Yahweh made that worship null and void.
God has always desired right worship to be an extension of right living. “Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly” (Is 1:13). Jesus quoted Isaiah and said, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me” (Matt 15:8-9).
How can you both worship properly and live properly? Make justice—caring about other people—and righteousness—obeying God—the cornerstones of your life.
Jesus said as much when asked about the greatest command: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt 22:37-40). Every command of God boils down to loving God and loving your neighbor.
What must you do?
One: You do Justice.
Justice—loving your neighbor as yourself—is a bedrock of our faith. Romans 13:8-10.
What does loving your neighbor mean? A lawyer wanted that question answered, and Jesus told him the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37). You remember the neighbor—that Samaritan who went out of his way and served someone radically different from himself.
How much do you love your neighbor? How much do you do Justice? You have ample opportunities here at the Deer Park church. You can make guests feel welcome. You can help stock the pantry. You can buy gift cards for Arms of Hope.
Every day you have an opportunity to do Justice. How do you treat the checkout girl at the grocery store? What do you say to the waiter when your meal is too slow? Do you let someone in traffic ahead of you? Do you help the young mother who is struggling to make ends meet? Do you take food to the bereaved?
Jesus summed up Justice in the Sermon on the Mount: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matt 7:12). Do you do Justice?
Two: You do Righteousness.
Righteousness—obeying God—is a bedrock of our faith. Samuel said to Saul, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15:22). “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21).
How Righteous are you? Are you obeying God? Do you obey God when you’re alone? Do you obey God in your prayer life? Do you obey God in worship attendance? Do you obey God in your Bible study? Do you obey God in giving? Do you obey God by loving your neighbor as yourself? Do you obey God in every single facet of your life?
Are you doing Justice? Are you doing Righteousness? If not, begin right now as we stand and sing.
This sermon was originally preached by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.