Series: Shepherds Roar
Message: Mean People
Preacher: Japhet De Oliveira
Reflection: Nathan Brown
Live Wonder: Zan Long
Live Adventure: Jess Lee
Live Beyond: Art Preuss
Live Purpose: Kyle Smith
Editor: Becky De Oliveira
Refresh: Begin with prayer. Ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to new understanding and for God’s character to be revealed.
Read: Amos 7-8 in the International Children’s Bible (ICB). Note 1–3 insights or questions.
Reflect: A quick glance over the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:1–17) shows that the fourth commandment—the Sabbath commandment (Verses 8–11)—is the longest and most detailed. It begins and ends with God, setting out the Sabbath pattern to our days and the rationale of God as the creator who rested on and blessed this “holy” day. But in the center of the commandment is a focus on the “others” who should share the Sabbath rest, including family, employees, animals, and foreigners. Sabbath was intended as a day that would change those who practice it, but also bring benefits to those around them.
In stark contrast, Amos described the Sabbath-keeping people of his day as those who “rob the poor and trample down the needy” (Amos 8:4, NLT). He depicted their anxiousness to be done with worship in the form of Sabbath and the New Moon festivals, so they could reopen the market and get back to their dishonest trade, to “enslave poor people for one piece of silver or a pair of sandals” (Amos 8:6). Why bother with this form of religion—this kind of Sabbath “keeping”—Amos asked these merchants and businessmen of ancient Israel, if it only hindered the exploitation and profit that was their real priority?
Walter Brueggemann summarises this prophetic protest in a way that must catch the attention of people concerned with the dangers of false worship and false Sabbaths: “Worship that does not lead to neighbourly compassion and justice cannot be faithful worship of [Yahweh]. The offer is a phony Sabbath!” (Sabbath As Resistance, p. 65). In the prophets’ estimation, true Sabbath keeping is linked closely to the practice of justice and true Sabbath-keepers are people of justice (compare Isaiah 58).
Sabbath must not be merely a day of rest, a pause in our otherwise busy consumerist lives. It is a day that recalibrates our God-created humanity, our relationships with others, and our work across all the other days of the week. If we do not allow it to change all our lives, it is not Sabbath.
Recalibrate: How does your Sabbath keeping benefit people around you? How do we need to change our understanding or practice of Sabbath so it might be more of a benefit to others?
Respond: Pray these words: “God, thank you for the gift of Sabbath, as well as the call it gives us each week to live differently in all our lives.”
Research: Read The Lost Meaning of the Seventh Day by Sigve Tonstad or Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Brueggemann—or both.
Remember: “The Lord used his name, the Pride of Jacob, to make a promise. He said, ‘I will never forget what these people did’” (Amos 8:7, ICB).
Nathan Brown is a writer and book editor at Signs Publishing Company, near Melbourne, Australia. Nathan is author/editor of 16 books, including two this year—Of Falafels and Following Jesus and For the Least of These.
Play a game of musical chairs with your little one. Put on their favorite music, and when the music stops find a seat. Introduce your child’s favorite toys and add a seat for each toy. When the music stops you and your child can help put all the toys on their seats and then sit down yourself. If you have played musical chairs before you will notice that we have changed how we play the game so everyone gets a seat. This is what Sabbath is about. Sabbath changes how we play. We play to invite everyone to the game rather than playing to have the last seat for ourselves. Be a game changer — show your little one how to be one too!
Have you ever been called a slowpoke or a baby? It does not feel very nice, does it? It can really hurt when people call us names or are mean to us. Sometimes we might say something like “sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.” This sounds good, but when people call us names it does hurt us. Sometimes, even though we know it’s not the right thing to do, we can be mean to other people and they can be mean to us. God wants us to live with Him in our hearts so that we share His love with others by being kind to them.
When God talks about “falsifying scales” in Amos 8:5, He is referring to the way the poor have been oppressed. Jesus takes this issue very seriously. So much so that He overthrew the temple’s merchant tables because one of the things these merchants did was falsify scales. As a result of this kind of behavior, God decided to turn His back on the people. The root of these issues is selfishness.
Let’s get real: How have you reacted selfishly to others and to God?
As I look at Amos 8, one of the things I see God frustrated with is the pride of His people. Pride is a deadly sin that is often overlooked or brushed aside. Do you know someone who is prideful? The danger of pride is that it prevents you from seeing what is wrong and what needs change in your life. Pride has many forms and affects each of us differently. Pride can make us feel like we are always right, the best at everything, and do not need to listen to others. Is there any pride in your heart? Where have you seen pride show its ugly head in your life? If you are struggling with pride, be patient with yourself. Point out the areas and times you see yourself getting prideful and ask God to change you. It will teach you to be humble by yielding your power over to God and asking Him to do the work in your heart. We can’t fix ourselves, but we are blessed because we serve a God who loves to heal us!
Zan Long is GRC director for faith development for ages 0-17. She lives in Sydney, Australia, and serves at her local church in nearby Kellyville.
Jess Lee is an education consultant for the New South Wales Adventist education system. She lives in Sydney, Australia, and attends Kellyville Church.
Art Preuss pastors in Massachusetts at the Springfield, Florence, and Warren Adventist churches and serves in the U. S. Air Force Reserve as a chaplain.
Kyle Smith is the associate pastor of youth and family ministries at New Haven Adventist Church in Overland Park, Kansas.