God Hates Deceptive Worship - Amos 5-9

Amos 5:21-24 (ESV)

21 “I hate, I despise your feasts,

and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,

I will not accept them;

and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,

I will not look upon them.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;

to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

As stated in the last post about Amos, it is a turn or burn message from God.   The prophet Amos (a lowly shepherd) is sent by God to correct the political, the religious and the economic and military leaders of the day.  He is to stand up to them and address the sins of Israel.  He is to pronounce the doom being sent onto the people and the land for their constant disobedience.  In the above passage we find the depth of God’s wrath for their disobedience.  You would think the one thing God would enjoy from His people would be their worship.    Yet, in the above passage we read that even the sound of worship has been corrupted.  God does not want to hear their songs or delight in their coming together under the banner of worship.   The reason for this is given in verse 24 of the above passage:

24. But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Their worship, although full of songs of praise, burnt offerings of lambs, and peace offerings of fat animals, were all being lifted up to God from wicked hearts.   If you read the rest of the chapters around the above portion you read of injustice and corruption.  They might be coming together to sing songs of worship but just prior and immediately after they were corrupt and oppressive to their neighbors.   They were drunk with injustice and then came to worship a just God.   This does not work with God.  They had the form of worship but not the heart of worship.  It was the nation’s habit to treat their neighbors with disdain and then show up to worship in song.   God calls them out for this.   God wants our worship to be justice and righteous. We worship Him every minute of the day, not just in a formal context in a church on a Sunday morning.  If we are treating others unjust Monday - Saturday we can’t get dressed up on Sunday and claim to be holy worshippers.  No matter how great the worship band, the multitude of ministries and eloquent the teacher, God demands a heart of worship over a habit of worship.    God hates worship that comes out of a mouth connected to a deceptive heart.