The Prophetic Voice of Sarcasm: Amos 4:4-5

Coming to the altar isn’t about the show, it is about God and being humble before Him.  Is God impressed by our fancy bands, our smoke screens and stage performances, and the size of our projection screens?  Is God impressed by how entertaining the sermon is or how many times we repeat the chorus of a song?  Or is God impressed by the condition of our heart as we come into His presence?  Does God want a perfectly choreographed performance or broken people coming to Him for restoration?

If anyone believes God doesn’t understand sarcasm, they need to read these verses.  Come, offer your sacrifices.  Bring your tithes.  Give thanksgiving offerings and freewill offerings.  Great advice, right?  These are the actions of faithful people, no?

Is that why Amos accuses them of transgression?  He even says they multiply transgression by going to Gilgal and worshipping.  The peoples’ act of worship are sinful in God’s eyes.  When Amos invites them to offer their sacrifices, Amos employs sarcasm.

As Amos finishes inviting the people to play their religious games, Amos hints at the problem by saying, “for you love to do it.”  The people aren’t coming to worship because they are broken and in need of restoration, they come to be seen.  They want to be noticed when they give their offerings.  They want to be recognized as they move around the altars.  They want people to talk about how nice it was of them to come, how great their tithe was, and how necessary their contribution was to the overall worship.  The people come not for worship, but to feel important and to gain social standing.  Even their worship was about climbing the social ladder and being someone important.

Amos’ critique in these verses is one of hypocrisy.  Worship is supposed to be about God and humbling ourselves before God.  We are supposed to come before him with a contrite heart.  We are supposed to acknowledge our sins before Him and receive His forgiveness.  Worship is foremost about God.

What the people of Israel did was not worship.  Their hypocritical worship was about them.  They wanted to be seen in their regal attire, offering up massive sacrifices, putting more than their necessary tithe in the collection box.  That’s why Amos accuses them of loving it.  Worship was no longer about God; it was a place to get noticed and gain public acclaim.  Worship was no longer contrition before God; it was a show.

I continue to be reminded about Jesus.  During Holy Week, Jesus watched the elite bring huge tithes, but He called His disciples to Him only when a poor widow dropped in two insignificant coins.  Jesus overturned the moneychanger’s tables.  At other times He accused the people of honoring God with their lips but being far from Him in their hearts.  Coming to the altar isn’t about the show, it is about God and being humble before Him.