God’s call to “seek me and live” in Amos 5:4 is an invitation to pursue an intimate relationship with Him that leads to true life. In context, it comes after a series of warnings and calls to repentance for Israel’s sins and injustices. God wanted their obedience and desire for Him to flow from inside, not just external religious motions.
To properly understand this verse, we must examine it in its context and look at some key points:
1. Seeking God is contrasted with seeking false gods and idols
Earlier in Amos, God condemned Israel’s idolatry and seeking after false gods rather than the true God:
“But you have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god—which you made for yourselves.” (Amos 5:26)
Israel was going through the outward motions of worshipping Yahweh in the temple, but their hearts were far from Him as they worshipped idols and followed pagan practices. God wanted them to truly seek after Him alone.
2. Seeking God flows from a heart desiring Him
God cared more about Israel’s heart motivation than just external religious observances. Earlier He said:
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.” (Amos 5:21-23)
Their worship was hollow because their hearts were far from God. True seeking after God must flow from a heart that hungers for Him. It’s living for His glory and presence, not just religious rituals.
3. Seeking God leads to life
As sinners, we are all under God’s judgment apart from Christ. But God promises that seeking after Him leads to life, while rejecting Him leads to death:
“Seek the LORD and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel.” (Amos 5:6)
Through Jesus, God offers salvation by grace to all who repent and believe (Eph 2:8-9). When we seek God sincerely, we find life in Christ. But rejecting His offer of life leads to judgment (John 3:36).
4. Seeking God must lead to justice and righteousness
Right after calling Israel to seek God and live, Amos denounced their injustices:
“Ah, you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth!” (Amos 5:7)
True seeking after God will be evidenced by changed living. Seeking God’s face must lead to seeking righteousness and justice in our lives, families, churches and society. If not, our “seeking” is false.
5. Seeking God requires determination and passion
Seeking God involves diligent pursuit, not casual interest. The Hebrew word translated “seek” means to “seek with care, attention, interest and diligence; strive after” (Strong’s).
Jesus said the kingdom of God must be sought urgently like a hidden treasure (Matt 13:44-46). Seeking God pays the greatest dividends but requires persistence, passion and determination.
6. Seeking God in repentance leads to restoration
In Amos, God’s call to seek Him came after warnings of impending judgment. But it was an invitation to repentance and the promise of life for a remnant:
“Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” (Amos 5:14–15)
Even in the midst of deserved judgment, God held out hope that if Israel turned back to truly seek Him, He would be gracious and restore them.
7. Seeking God is the wise response to His approaching judgment
Amos warned that the “day of the Lord” was coming in judgment, darkness and distress (Amos 5:18-20). But for the wise, this moved them to urgent seeking after God (Amos 5:4-6).
God’s impending judgment should motivate unbelievers to seek Him in repentance and faith. And for believers, it spurs us to purify our hearts and live for Him wholeheartedly.
8. Seeking God flows from regeneration
Because of human sinfulness and hardness of heart, no one seeks after God apart from His prior work in our hearts (Rom 3:11). We love darkness rather than light (John 3:19).
So the Holy Spirit first must give spiritual life and a new heart that hungers for God. Seeking after God flows from the work of regeneration (being “born again,” John 3:3), not the other way around.
9. Seeking God means seeking His face
The Hebrew expression “seek God” in Amos often refers to seeking God’s face or presence, wanting to know Him intimately and live constantly aware of Him. The Psalms reflect this heart cry to “seek God’s face” (Psalms 24:6, 27:8).
True seeking goes beyond just believing facts about God to passionately seeking His very presence and intimate fellowship. It’s a cry to know Him deeply and walk with Him always.
10. We seek God ultimately through Jesus Christ
As sinners, the only way we can approach God’s presence is through the mediation of Jesus Christ, our great high priest (Heb 4:14-16). Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
So seeking God means coming to Him on His terms, through repentance and faith in Christ. There is no true seeking God apart from seeking Him through the Son.
In summary, God’s call to “seek me and live” is a gracious invitation to turn from idols to pursue an intimate, transforming relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. It requires seeking Him wholeheartedly, leading to righteousness and justice in our lives. This passionate seeking flows from spiritual rebirth and the gift of new life in Christ.