Seek Not Bethel

In Amos 5:5 we read, "Seek Me and live; but do not seek Bethel." This seems odd because Bethel means "house of God." Why would God be against Bethel? Bethel had become filled with idols--counterfeits--substitutes for the true God.

 

Two weeks ago I was listening to Chip Ingram's "How to Get God's Best for your Life, Part 1."

 

His insights fit quite nicely with what I have been studying in I and II Kings. If you were to study the books of the Kings, you would find an emphasis on "the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin." The fact that this phrase is repeated more than twenty times is significant. Jeroboam provided a substitute--a short cut, if you will--for the people to worship God. He provided a counterfeit god to serve as an easier means to enter God's presence without sacrifice or toil. Fearing that he would lose control if his people traveled to Judah to experience God's presence, Jeroboam tightened the reigns and provided this substitute, which lasted throughout the entire history of the kings.

 

 

Today we seek counterfeits in much the same way. Fear and insecurity are powerful factors when it comes to worshipping false gods. When we are fearful, our faith is restricted; without faith our resistance is lowered and we become susceptible to the false gods that live in lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

 

 

Ingram's insights on counterfeit gods are unforgettable golden nuggets. According to Ingram, the three counterfeits, "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," can be best understood in the following terms:

 

1. The lust of the flesh is our desire to "feel". We replace God with our desire to feel good through food or sex. This addiction to be satisfied through our feelings is known as hedonism.

 

2. The lust of the eyes is our desire to "have". This involves our  possessions. It is a compulsion to fill the void with things.

 

3. The pride of life is our desire to "be." This desire for status 

 

involves our ego. We choose to live by sight or status because exercising humility and living by faith is too risky. These three counterfeits, "pleasure," "possessions," and "position," keep us from seeking God and experiencing life! That is why God says, "SEEK ME AND LIVE!" He has come to give us life and life more abundantly. But DO NOT SEEK BETHEL. Do not seek the counterfeit gods that temporarily fill your longings but require more and more from you. These gods are thieves--they do not have your best interest in mind. Seek the LORD and live!  Amos 5:6

 

Mark Hamby