1. Amos 5:14 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What does Amos mean with the phrase "seek good, and not evil, that you may live"?

Amos 5:14 (ESV)

14 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.

Seeking God and seeking good represent the two dimensions of true religion, not rituals and forms but relationship with God and with other people.1 The good that is to be sought does not necessarily refer to a new legal system, but responsible and considerate social conduct warmed by a generosity akin to God’s.2