Amos 5:15 (ESV) – 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.

God always preserves a remnant. Who is the remnant? It is the group of people that God preserves in the land that continue to follow and obey Him despite the surroundings. The surroundings today contain godlessness and wickedness at every turn. Sexual perversions abound. Pride, greed, and folly abound. Most have turned their eyes away from the LORD and have declared themselves masters of their own lives. But the remnant stands apart. The remnant lives for God despite the culture and opposition that comes with it. 

Our text today reminds us of God’s willingness to be gracious to the remnant. We read in Amos 5:15, “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.”

God tells His people to hate evil and love the good. It is not enough to cease from doing evil. We are to hate it. We must have hearts that long for the good to exist and hate the evil that battles against it. He tells us to establish justice in the gate. The city should be marked by justice in our dealings. The righteous should be rewarded and the wicked punished. Justice looks like governing and ruling in a way that honors God and dignifies His creation and creatures. 

These exhortations are followed with a promise. Amos reminds them that “it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” The remnant of Joseph are His people. These are the children of Israel. God Almighty may demonstrate His abundance of grace to those who live this way in the world.

When we are surrounded by injustice and those who love evil and hate the good, we should be faithful. When the faithful remnant strive to honor God in the land of rebellion, God is inclined to give grace to them. He prospers them. He favors them. 

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Are you a part of the remnant today? The answer to that depends on two things: 1. Are you in Christ, walking with Him? And 2. Are you obeying the Lord in how you live your life? The faithful remnant trust Jesus and obey Scripture. The remnant do those things. It is the remnant that can ask for God’s grace and favor. The LORD sees and knows who are the remnant on the earth. May He look upon our lives today and count us among them.

Reflection & Journal:
- Who are the remnant today?
- What evidence do we have of who the remnant are in the world?
- How does God’s promise to the remnant spur us on in the crazy world we have today?

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