IN the previous verses, through the prophet Amos, God complained of the life and living of Israel, how they went on in their evil ways, resented and despised reproof, and were insensitive to reproof, believing they were safe, and that God did not care about the world, and that God's threat of judgement was not real. In spite of this God speaks advice through Amos which if followed would bring blessing and a turning away of the wrath of God, though still warning of the awful consequences if God's advice is rejected. It is this advice which we are considering in this sermon.

GOOD ADVICE.

In the first place we can see how good this advice is. If we read verses 14 and 15 with attention, we immediately understand how good this advice is.

The advice is to seek good, but this is followed by the declaration that if the advice is acted upon then it brings life – 'Seek good, and not evil, that you may live.' Straight away we can see the truth that the gift of life is dependent on the way we live, and if that living is good – that is pleasing to God, - then the gift of life follows. The deduction is plain, and that is that if the life led is evil, then death is the inevitable consequence of such living. We learn also that God loves goodness, and hates evil. God responds favourably to good living, but reacts in powerful displeasure to evil living.

As we proceed through these two verses, the next thing we hear is that God's presence, blessing and protection comes upon those who seek good and not evil. The relevant words are in verses 14 – 'Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you.' There can be no greater privilege and blessing than to have God on our side, watching over us, guarding us, keeping us, protecting us, and much more. All this blessing is bound up in the expression 'will be with you'. Paul expresses this in Romans 8: 31b "If God is for us, who can be against us." This truth means that to have God with us then means we are under the protection and blessing of the all powerful Lord God, and have invincible wisdom directing our life, omnipotent power protecting us, perfect holiness enveloping us, and perfect love comforting us. This great blessing is only found by those who seek good, which is another way of saying 'who seek God', because God is the sum of all goodness and righteousness.

Not content with this we are told that if we love good, and by this we understand that goodness is what we pursue in life above all else, then there is the hope of the blessing of God being poured out upon us.

This leads us forward in the understanding of the ways of God and the nature of God, and our standing in his sight. It is our blessing and our duty always to seek good, and love good, for this is what God requires of us. But it is also true that all the time we fall short of the perfection that God is looking for, the good that is the goodness which is in God, and which he demands in his creatures. We must seek that which is good; and we must make it our hearts delight to love good. We must turn away from evil, and we must hate evil. This action and attitude in life must be evident in the way we live, and think, and speak. But the very best we can do always has something of sin about it, and therefore always is deserving of the wrath of God, and the displeasure of God against it. For this reason our own goodness, being imperfect, can never on its own bring acceptance with God. This means that we are dependent of God's mercy all the time, and in our seeking of good we have to acknowledge our need of mercy, and always confess how far short we fall from the holiness and goodness that God requires of us.

The truth we must get hold of is that the mercy of God only comes, and is poured out, on those who seek good and not evil, and love good and hate evil. The blessing is that God is gracious and merciful, and always ready to be merciful when there are genuine signs of repentance in a persons life, and so responds with mercy when he sees genuine seeking of what is good, and loving good and not evil. This has been made possible only and through the meritorious and complete work of atonement Jesus made when he died. Because he died we can receive mercy, even the forgiveness of all our sins,

How good this advice is, for it points to the only way by which there is an escape from the righteous and just wrath of God, which is threatened in verses 16 to 17. It is the evil lie of Satan that he makes people react in the wrong way to the revelation of the wrath of God against sin. The trouble is that good advice is something our corrupt affections resist and turn away from. This was the reaction which God complained of in Israel in the previous sermon. How we need to humble ourselves before God, and humbly ask God to give us a good response to his advice. This leads us in the next point derived from these verses.

PRACTICAL ADVICE.

This advice given by God through Amos is marked by its practical nature. It is not lost in philosophical obscurity. It is not just advice to be approved by the mind, and delighted in intellectually. It is advice which calls for a response. We find this response demonstrated in God pointing directly to action that would demonstrate obedience to this advice. God placed his finger on a particular evil in Israel's society. He calls attention to it, and calls for correction of this evil.

The evil is that of injustice in the law courts of Israel. Judges and witnesses both were so mismanaging the law that injustice was the result. The evil God highlights is that this injustice was deliberate. It was done in order to further the prosperity and well-being of those in authority. Those who turned to the law to obtain justice found that the law did quite the reverse, and favoured those who committed offences. God indicates that this is an evil he hates, because he calls for the good of maintaining justice, and so the ceasing of all moves to pervert the course of justice.

The advice to seek good and love good; to not seek evil and to hate evil is not something we just approve of with our mind and understanding; but if we are truly seeking good, this must be given evidence to by the way we live. The fact of the matter is that repentance that is real is not just tears before the Lord, but positive action to put away evil and promote good in godly living and action. There is no real repentance unless it produces action which shows that repentance to be genuine. John the Baptist, preaching to the Pharisees and Sadducees, called them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. By this he meant that words were not enough. There must be a reformation of life and practice which showed the reality of the repentance. John's preaching brought conviction in the minds of the Pharisees and Sadducees, so that they came to listen to his preaching. They were brought to fear the consequence of falling under the wrath of God on account of their sins, and in the light of this made confession and promises of repentance. John tells them that all this, though commendable, was not enough. They had to show that their repentance was real, and they meant to act and so change their ways, and their teaching, and their actions towards their fellow Jews.

The truth is that the only evidence of truly seeking good, and not evil, is the evidence of a changed life.

REASONABLE ADVICE.

The third and last point which we may glean from these verses is that this advice to seek good, and to love God, is in that fact of how reasonable it is. It is reasonable in the first place because of the one with whom we have to do; and in the second place, with the consequences of rejected or neglecting this advice.

This advice to seek good is right and good because of the one from whom this advice comes. In verse 15 we are told who he is – he is the Lord God Almighty.

God is all wise. His thoughts are all wise, and the best advice possible. If this is so then it is the best thing to do to follow it. God is omnipotent so that no person can finally stand against his perfect will. So when God speaks his advice is not only the best, but it is advice which is folly to neglect or reject. God can and does carry out all his threats against those who do evil. Only those who follow his advice can escape the inevitable executing of judgement on all who do evil. Let us make no mistake -- we are all sinners under the wrath of God, for as Paul says in Romans 1: 18 "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth in their wickedness."

This advice is reasonable in the second place because of the consequences of rejecting it. This is brought out so vividly and directly in the verses that follow -- that is verses 16 and 17. Having given this good advice, God goes on to tell of the consequences of rejecting his advice. These consequences are forced home by the words "This is what the Lord God Almighty says". God tells Israel that if his advice is not followed then he will pass through the midst of Israel and bring disaster upon Israel. This disaster is described as wailing in the streets, anguish in every public square, of farmers summoned to weep and to mourn because of devastation brought upon their vineyards. The implication behind these words is that God will judge and punish those who go on in their evil ways by bring disaster upon them.

Again we see God speaking of the certainty and inevitability of punishment inflicted upon those who do evil. This is a continued emphasis in the Bible codified by Paul in Romans 6: 28 "For the wages of sin is death." How important it is to heed this advice and seek good and turn from evil. This certainty of punishment for sin may seem far away in this life, but it will be near enough in hell for all who refuse to believe in its reality and seek good and not evil.