Monday 13 May 2024

Psalm 133

Background

Many of our readings this week come from the book of the prophet Amos in the Old Testament. We know very little about him, except that he lived in the 8th century BC, he was apparently a shepherd or herdsman (Amos 1:1), and he came from Tekoa near Jerusalem in the southern kingdom of Judah but was sent to the northern kingdom of Israel to proclaim God’s word (Amos 7:1-15).

Amos often brought a very hard message for his listeners and had to tell them that unavoidable disaster was about to befall their kingdom, as it did when the Assyrians conquered the land and took many people away into exile.

Today’s passage is part of the hard message that Amos had to preach, using very harsh language. In its original Hebrew, it indeed begins with the word ‘Woe’. It speaks about the ‘Day of the Lord’, something about which other prophets would later speak (Ezekiel 30:1-4; Joel 2:1-2; Zephaniah 1:14-18) and which is referred to in the New Testament too (eg 1 Thessalonians 5:2). What this meant exactly is unclear but it was clearly something that the original hearers knew about and were positively looking forward to, perhaps a special festival. If this is the case, then Amos brings some shocking news!

In the second half of the passage, Amos reverses the traditional priestly announcement that someone’s sacrifice to God was acceptable. Instead, as had happened before on some dramatic occasions in the Old Testament, God rejects the worship that is being offered (see Genesis 4:4-5, Leviticus 10:1-2, Numbers 16:5). As God, speaking through the prophet Samuel, had said to King Saul: “Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22).

It may be interesting to read another, more contemporary and freer, translation of the last verses of this passage from The Message to help us appreciate the power of its challenging words:

“I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals.… Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.” The Message

To Ponder:

• How do you respond to the hard language that is used here? Is it necessary?
• What does it mean for God to refuse to accept sacrifices and worship from the Israelites here and elsewhere? What might make our worship unacceptable to God?
• How do the last verses of today’s reading challenge you today?

Bible notes author: The Revd Geoffrey Farrar
Geoffrey Farrar is the Superintendent Minister of the Richmond & Hounslow Circuit in south-west London. He has pastoral charge of Barnes, Putney and Roehampton churches. He is currently studying for a (very) part-time PhD at the nearby University of Roehampton, looking at the impact of the Maccabean Revolt on responses to Jesus. He lives in Putney with his partner and their adopted son.