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"Establish justice in the gate"

Text: Amos 5:15

FULFILLING CONDITIONS

Many desire the Lord’s blessings, but few have understood that they need to consider fulfilling Divinely determined conditions.

“Hate evil, love good;
Establish justice in the gate.
It may be that the LORD God of hosts
Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
Amos 5:15

1. Three basic conditions that must be fulfilled

a) Hate evil

i) Evil must not be merely tolerated.

ii) It must be resisted.

iii) It must be rejected.

iv) Evil must be hated… no less!

b) Love good

i) “Good” is now portrayed as the antithesis of “evil”.

ii) Good must not be held at arm’s length.

iii) Good must be embraced.

iv) Good must be loved even as evil is hated.

c) Establish justice in the gate

i) Justice must be upheld.

ii) When one enters into the city gate, the presence of justice ought to be obvious and felt.

iii) Justice must be pursued.

iv) It must be established.

v) The love for good and the desire to establish justice go together in perfect harmony.

2. “It may be”

a) Amos could not guarantee what God would do if the people sought to practise righteousness and uphold justice.

b) God’s actions are contemplated and executed as His divine sovereign right.

3. That the LORD God of hosts will be gracious to you

The LORD God of hosts may well suspend the impending judgment that was given as a prophetic word of judgment! Though it was just and righteous to pronounce severe judgments, He also may grant much grace!