What does it mean to seek the LORD?

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What does it mean to seek the LORD? It does not mean attending liturgies. Amos says God hates our liturgies! Micah delivers a splendid answer.

 

 

GOD HATES OUR LITURGIES

 

The prophet Amos makes it clear:

Amos 5:21. I hate, I spurn your feasts, I take no pleasure in your solemnities. (NAB translation)

In this context, the word “feasts” is the same as our modern-day word “liturgies.”

We can paraphrase Amos like this:

I hate, I spurn your liturgies, I take no pleasure in your liturgies.

In those days, most people were fulfilling their religious obligations.

Yet their hearts were not in it. They were not in love with the LORD God.

And their lifestyles were not in keeping with their religious faith. They abused poor people. They profited from corruption.

And so God did not approve of their actions. He hated their liturgies.

 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEEK THE LORD GOD?

 

If liturgies are not the answer, what is?

The prophet Micah delivers a splendid answer:

Micah 6:8. He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

This verse is a handy summary of the whole spiritual life. The LORD God has already shown us what is required of us:

  • We are to act justly. Justice is required of us believers. Corruption has no place in the life of a believer.
  • We are to love mercy. We are to have a tender heart. Our heart is to overflow with compassion.
  • We are to walk humbly with our God. Humbly, yes. But we are to walk with God.

This is so simple. It is so freeing!

 

IN OUR DAY

 

In our day, many professing Christians take part in their church services. But they abuse poor people and profit from corruption.

Then on Sunday they piously attend the Mass and receive Holy Communion on their tongue. Should the LORD God be thrilled?

We imaging the LORD God saying, “I hate your liturgies!”

 

BIBLE VERSES

 

Deuteronomy 10:12. Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Proverbs 21:3. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Ecclesiastes 12:13. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. (NIV translation)

Isaiah 1:11. “What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?”, says the LORD. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed animals. I don’t delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats.

Jeremiah 6:20. To what purpose does frankincense from Sheba come to me, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.

Hosea 6:6. For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Amos 5:6. Seek the LORD, and you will live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.

Amos 5:21. I hate, I spurn your feasts, I take no pleasure in your solemnities. (NAB translation)

Micah 6:8. He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Sirach 35:20. Mercy is seasonable in the time of his afflicting them, As clouds of rain in the time of drought.

1 Timothy 1:5. but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith,

Hebrews 10:8. Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law),

 

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.