Amo 5:4 | KingComments | STEP | This word opposes the irony of Amos 4 ( ). It is not about religion, but about God . The words “thus says the LORD to the house of Israel” sound here for the last time to Israel with an invitation to be saved. In the judgment is announced. Three times the call to seek comes ( ). ‘To seek’ means to turn to God with confidence and boldness. The word “seek” is in the imperative. It is not about continuing the ordinary life, but finding and obtaining the true life. Although in the Old Testament ‘life’ often means spiritual life, it does not seem to be the purpose here. Amos makes his call to seek God with the purpose that there will be a national restoration. After all, Israel is a fallen nation ( ). If they truly turn to the LORD with repentance for their deeds, there will be life for all their people. For only in God is life. Everything outside Him is dead. “He who does not have the Son of God does not have the life” ( ). Similarly, the prodigal son was also dead because he lived outside of fellowship with his father ( ; ; ). In order to live, man does not need religion, but a Savior. The cause of all misery is the wandering away from God. The blame always lies with man. God for His part has done everything and is doing everything to make man happy. But just as it has already happened in paradise, man is always so easily tempted to look at the attractive things around him. If he is carried away by this, it will result in death ( ). Israel experienced this first hand in its history. But just as the voice of God came to Adam with the question: “Where are you?” ( ), the invitation comes to the people of Israel, and to every single person who has lost God: “Seek Me that you may live.” When it is said that you must seek something, it means that you have lost it. You can lose a lot of things of value, even attach a reward for the finder, but if you have lost God, you have lost everything. The reward for those who find God is: life ( ).

‏ Amos 5:4

Seek Me That You May Live

This word opposes the irony of Amos 4 (Amos 4:4). It is not about religion, but about God. The words “thus says the LORD to the house of Israel” sound here for the last time to Israel with an invitation to be saved. In Amos 5:16 the judgment is announced. Three times the call to seek comes (Amos 5:4 ; 6 ; 14). ‘To seek’ means to turn to God with confidence and boldness. The word “seek” is in the imperative. It is not about continuing the ordinary life, but finding and obtaining the true life.

Although in the Old Testament ‘life’ often means spiritual life, it does not seem to be the purpose here. Amos makes his call to seek God with the purpose that there will be a national restoration. After all, Israel is a fallen nation (Amos 5:2). If they truly turn to the LORD with repentance for their deeds, there will be life for all their people. For only in God is life. Everything outside Him is dead. “He who does not have the Son of God does not have the life” (1Jn 5:12b). Similarly, the prodigal son was also dead because he lived outside of fellowship with his father (Lk 15:24 ; 32; Rev 3:1b; Eph 2:1).

In order to live, man does not need religion, but a Savior. The cause of all misery is the wandering away from God. The blame always lies with man. God for His part has done everything and is doing everything to make man happy. But just as it has already happened in paradise, man is always so easily tempted to look at the attractive things around him. If he is carried away by this, it will result in death (Jam 1:14). Israel experienced this first hand in its history. But just as the voice of God came to Adam with the question: “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9), the invitation comes to the people of Israel, and to every single person who has lost God: “Seek Me that you may live.”

When it is said that you must seek something, it means that you have lost it. You can lose a lot of things of value, even attach a reward for the finder, but if you have lost God, you have lost everything. The reward for those who find God is: life (Pro 8:35).