Seek Me, and You Will Live

This passage deals with how the people of Israel clung only to formal worship and religious ritual while exploiting the vulnerable and not fearing God. God warns that the sacrifices and praise they offer in holy places such as Bethel and Gilgal are worthless if they are not sincere, and instead he demands that they let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream. Their attitude of judging happiness by worldly wealth and power and worshiping idols shows that they had reached a state in which judgment could not be avoided.

The sermon clearly points out the difference between seeking God and being absorbed in the world. Even among a corrupt people, God opens the way of life to those who sincerely seek him and seek good. But judgment comes upon those who set up their own righteousness through formal faith, or who mistreat their neighbors while enjoying religious privilege. It emphasizes that true worship comes not from the sound of splendid instruments or ritual feasts, but from a life that fears God, loves one's neighbor, and is lived honestly.

We need to look back on whether we have become spiritually blind through formal church attendance and neglect of God's word. We must examine whether we are living by the world's standards rather than with a heart that longs for God. How should we receive this important truth, that a life that truly seeks God, seeks good, and practices righteousness can protect us on the day of judgment?