Explore: Finding Spiritual Fulfillment

This Explore the Bible lesson for Jan. 27 focuses on Amos 5:4-6, 18-20, 21-24; 6:4-7.

image_pdfimage_print

This Explore the Bible lesson for Jan. 27 focuses on Amos 5:4-6, 18-20, 21-24; 6:4-7.

One characteristic common to all humanity regardless of historical context, nationality or social/economic standing is a sense of a spiritual reality beyond this physical world. That sense includes the feeling that we are somewhat disconnected from that spiritual reality and real fulfillment in life only is possible when we resolve that disconnect.

It was this drive to reconnect with the spiritual realm that led humanity to develop various religions. Many of these efforts involved a commitment to a life of good works to earn the favor of the gods or deep meditation to get in touch with the divine within us.

While these efforts may have positive results, they cannot lead to true fulfillment. Even within the church, many seek to find fulfillment in good works or in ritual. They are locked into a routine of going and doing church the same way and leave each week telling themselves they have worshipped while all along they secretly know the nagging longing for genuine reconnection and fulfillment is not satisfied.

We all remember a time or maybe scattered moments during our life when we have sense that reconnection and wonder why it cannot happen more often or now. The problem may be in the way we are looking for spiritual fulfillment.

The people of Israel were no strangers to this feeling. They had heard all the old stories of how God had spoken to and acted directly on behalf of their ancestors. But in trying to manufacture that feeling, they missed reconnecting with God. Amos pointed out several things wrong in the way they were looking.

Looking in the wrong place (Amos 5:4-6)

It was a common belief throughout the ancient Near East that the gods resided in specific locations, most often on mountains. Since the gods rarely if ever left their homes, if one wanted to worship or pray to a particular god, he had to go to their sacred site.

While the ancient Israelites had a sense God was not tied to one location, there still were a number of sacred sites around Israel the people would go to in order to worship or communicate with God.


Sign up for our weekly edition and get all our headlines in your inbox on Thursdays


Gilgal was the location of a memorial to the first place the Israelites occupied after entering the land. Bethel, which means “house of God,” had been a sacred site for many years and was one of the two cites in which Jereboam set up shrines after the split in the kingdom following Solomon’s death. Beersheba was located in the extreme southern part of Israel and served as a memorial shrine to the patriarchs.

Thus while Amos’ words warn against confining the search for fulfillment to specific geographical locations, they may also warn against seeking that fulfillment in position as God’s people (Gilgal), idols (Bethel), people or events of our past (Beersheba). Each person only will find spiritual fulfillment by learning to reconnect with God in the present moment, location and circumstances.

Looking for the wrong time (Amos 5:18-20)

The people of Israel in Amos’ day certainly were aware of the significance of the coming “Day of the Lord.” They eagerly looked forward to this day as a time of great worship and celebration because it would be on this day that God would destroy all Israel’s enemies. This would be the day when the people would know true spiritual fulfillment as God would come to them and fully vindicate them as God’s chosen people.

Amos warns against waiting for or even anticipating this day as a day of worship since it would be a day of God’s judgment on the Israelites as well as the other nations.

It seems that today, in light of the continuous tragedies and difficulties of life, many have given up finding real fulfillment in this life and focus on the great future when Christ returns. They have bought their ticket and are waiting for the train to take them to the banquet. But the fullness of eternal life is not just for someday, but is for here and now.

Looking with the wrong actions (Amos 5:21-24)

The Israelites of Amos’ day were masters of religious ritual. The Torah spelled out the proper procedure for conducting various sacrifices and religious ceremonies and the priests strictly followed the letter of the Law. The reason for such attention to ritualistic detail was they had interpreted the prescribed rituals as being steps to becoming right before God. While God had given them the Torah, they had misunderstood the intent and determined the significance was in the specific acts rather than in their symbolic nature as representing the heart of the worshipper. Because these rituals had thus become empty of meaning, God tells the people to stop performing them.

This same attitude is alive and well today as many seem to believe that fulfillment in worship depends on doing the right things in the right way (which usually means “the same way we have always done it”). But the effectiveness is not in the specific ritual. It is in the attitude of the heart that truly hungers to see God.

Looking through the wrong focus (Amos 6:4-7)

God did truly bless the people of Israel. He had given them a land full of houses they did not build and orchards they did not plant. He had given them peace from their enemies and an abundance of other physical blessings. Yet the people believed true fulfillment was in the blessings rather than the Blesser. They focused more on what they had received than on why they had received it. God had not bestowed blessings to be the object of spiritual fulfillment, but so the blessings could be the path to fulfillment as the people shared the blessings with those around them.

God’s people should be deeply and continually grateful to God for all God’s blessings. But we never should allow those blessings to become the object through which we seek fulfillment. True spiritual fulfillment is found as we refuse to be reservoirs of God’s blessings and live as channels through which God blesses others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.

Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.

More from Baptist Standard