All Pleasure, No Grief

Amos 6:1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
3 Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7 Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS

Men seek pleasures for various reasons, but sometimes they simply desire to escape sorrows and grief. In the days of Amos, the people were at ease in their “beds of ivory,” feasting upon “the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall,” listening with anticipation to their new “instruments of musick,” and indulging themselves by drinking “wine in bowls.” In other words, they pampered their flesh “with the chief ointments.” In the midst of all these pleasures, the people of God had no heart to grieve for others who were suffering. Similar to Israel, the church spends so much of its time seeking pleasure that it devotes no time to grieve for their fellow brethren in suffering.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

(For children):It is natural for us to want someone to care when we need help. But when things are going well, do we truly care for others during their times of need (Luke 6:31)? God was not pleased with how the pastors were treating His people who needed help (Ezekiel 34:1-4).

(For everyone):What forms of pleasure do men seek out today that are comparable to those sought for in the days of Amos? Do any of these pleasures bring lasting joys?

(For everyone):What do you do in order to forget your sorrows? How does this keep you from being able to grieve for others and for yourself? What benefits could be found in being able to grieve?

PRAYER THOUGHTS

Ask the Lord to help you see when pleasures are hurting you.

Ask God to show you why you cannot grieve for others.

SONG

He Was Not Willing

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