The Daily Guide-The Daily Devotional grow. pray. study. from The Resurrection United Methodist Church in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Monday, 26 October 2015 - "The prophets called for justice"
Daily Scripture: Isaiah 1:
11 “Why are all those sacrifices
offered to me?” asks Adonai.
“I’m fed up with burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fattened animals!
I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls, lambs and goats!
12 Yes, you come to appear in my presence;
but who asked you to do this, to trample through my courtyards?
13 Stop bringing worthless grain offerings!
They are like disgusting incense to me!
Rosh-Hodesh, Shabbat, calling convocations —
I can’t stand evil together with your assemblies!
14 Everything in me hates your Rosh-Hodesh
and your festivals; they are a burden to me —
I’m tired of putting up with them!
15 “When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; no matter how much you pray, I won’t be listening; because your hands are covered with blood.
16 “Wash yourselves clean!
Get your evil deeds out of my sight!
Stop doing evil, 17 learn to do good!
Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend orphans, plead for the widow.
18 “Come now,” says Adonai, “let’s talk this over together.
Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will be like wool.
Amos 5:
21 “I hate, I utterly loathe your festivals;
I take no pleasure in your solemn assemblies.
22 If you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; nor will I consider the peace offerings of your stall-fed cattle.
23 Spare me the noise of your songs!
I don’t want to hear the strumming of your lutes!
24 Instead, let justice well up like water,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Micah 6:6 “With what can I come before Adonai
Prophets like Isaiah, Amos and Micah lived in times when obvious religion and “conspicuous consumption” went on side-by-side in Israel. On God’s behalf, they urged those who profited by exploiting others to change course. Their phrases still echo powerfully: “Seek justice: help the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow.” “Let justice roll down like waters.” “Do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.”
O God, I want to live a life that honors and pleases you. Help me to offer you my heart, my inner being, before I offer you anything else. Guide me today and each day. Amen.Insights from Cathy Bien
to bow down before God on high?
Should I come before him with burnt offerings?
with calves in their first year?
7 Would Adonai take delight in thousands of rams with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Could I give my firstborn to pay for my crimes, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 Human being, you have already been told what is good, what Adonai demands of you — no more than to act justly, love grace and walk in purity with your God.
Reflection Questions:Prophets like Isaiah, Amos and Micah lived in times when obvious religion and “conspicuous consumption” went on side-by-side in Israel. On God’s behalf, they urged those who profited by exploiting others to change course. Their phrases still echo powerfully: “Seek justice: help the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow.” “Let justice roll down like waters.” “Do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.”
- Isaiah said on God’s behalf, “Stop bringing worthless offerings.” What does the rest of the passage suggest made their offerings “worthless”? Amos itemized God’s charges: “they have sold the innocent for silver, and those in need for a pair of sandals. They crush the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way.” (Amos 2:6-7). What failures of our culture might the prophets list today? How can you actively move your workplace, your family and yourself toward God’s ideal in words and actions?
- Using irony, Micah kept ratcheting up the proposed sacrifices in verses 6-7. He ended with child sacrifice, a ghastly practice among some of Israel’s neighbors. God didn’t want any of that. God calls us “to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.” What do these three requirements tell you about God? “To walk” was a Hebrew way of talking about a person’s lifestyle. In what ways does your lifestyle reflect your choice to live into what God asks?
O God, I want to live a life that honors and pleases you. Help me to offer you my heart, my inner being, before I offer you anything else. Guide me today and each day. Amen.Insights from Cathy Bien
Cathy Bien serves as the Director of Communications at Resurrection. She and her husband Rick have been members of the church for 20+ years and have four adult children.
The Old Testament prophets, Isaiah, Amos and Micah, sure didn’t sugarcoat it. They are pretty clear that the trappings of worship are not what pleases the Lord. Festivals, burnt offerings, public demonstrations – they mean nothing to a God who knows our true hearts and motives.
Amidst the prophets’ harsh condemnation is a very simple truth about what God expects:
“He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
So how do we do this? What does it look like?
The late John Wooden, UCLA basketball coach, is often quoted: “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
This could be a good test to apply to this verse. Are we demonstrating justice only when we have an audience? Do we talk about justice, but ignore the need right in front of us? How do we treat others when no one is looking? Is our worship for show or an expression of our love of God?
To walk humbly with God means that we are servants of God or as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, “a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.” God doesn’t want our burnt offerings, God wants our hearts.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
The Old Testament prophets, Isaiah, Amos and Micah, sure didn’t sugarcoat it. They are pretty clear that the trappings of worship are not what pleases the Lord. Festivals, burnt offerings, public demonstrations – they mean nothing to a God who knows our true hearts and motives.
Amidst the prophets’ harsh condemnation is a very simple truth about what God expects:
“He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
So how do we do this? What does it look like?
The late John Wooden, UCLA basketball coach, is often quoted: “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
This could be a good test to apply to this verse. Are we demonstrating justice only when we have an audience? Do we talk about justice, but ignore the need right in front of us? How do we treat others when no one is looking? Is our worship for show or an expression of our love of God?
To walk humbly with God means that we are servants of God or as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, “a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.” God doesn’t want our burnt offerings, God wants our hearts.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
913.897.0120
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