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Pastor's Blog July 4, 2019

"The Expectation of Holiness"

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For the past half-year, we have encountered several passages that speak about the awesomeness of God's holiness.  Some of these passages were a little overwhelming in how they spoke about God's mighty creative power and amazing ability to save his people. 

In Amos 4:2, however, we face a side of holiness that can be frightening when it confronts our sinfulness.  Amos 4:2 says, "The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness: 'The time will surely come when you will be taken away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks'" (NIV). 

Two features of this verse suggest that God is promising the Northern Kingdom of Israel that they will be exiled from their homes.  First, the picture is a graphic one; the image of being taken away by hooks and fishhooks suggests coercion, violence, and even captivity (v. 3 only deepens this suggestion).  Second, the word-pictures paint an image of Phoenicia (one of Israel's traditional sea-faring enemies who was skilled at angling gigantic fish) and Assyria (a nation known for leading conquered peoples away from their homelands by fixing hooks into their noses and cheeks).  But God swears that he will let this happen "by his holiness."  Why?  How could the holiness of God condone the brutal conquest and exile of his people? 

God swears the defeat and overthrow of Israel because of how they live.  The people of the Northern Kingdom regularly oppress the poor and needy (v. 1); offer sacrifices at Bethel and Gilgal instead of Jerusalem, though they only sporadically give their tithes (v. 4); and brag about their free will offerings rather than use them to give thanks to God (v. 5).  God continually used natural disasters like plague, famine, and drought to wake them up from their sinful spiritual condition - disasters which they apparently knew were from God - but they refused to return to him (vv. 6-11).  They lived lives in direct contradiction to God's holiness, so in his holiness God allowed their enemies to take away their nationhood. 

Apparently, holiness among God's people is not an elective, it's an expectation.  And it's expected by God because it's a reflection of who he is.  As we worship God today, lets remember that the way we live is just as connected to God's holiness as how we worship him.