SPECIAL TOPIC: Seek the Lord (OT; three roots)

  1. "Seeking YHWH" implies a desire to know Him, obey Him, and follow Him. It denotes a sense of spiritual need as well as YHWH's desire to be found by humans made in His image and likeness. There are three Semitic roots translated "seek."
    1. בקשׁ (BDB 134, KB 152)
      1. Exod. 33:7 ‒ the "tent of meeting," outside the camp for those seeking YHWH
      2. Deut. 4:29; Jer. 29:13 (both roots BDB 134 and BDB 205) ‒ "seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul"
      3. Psalms ‒ 105:3-4 uses roots #1 and #2
      4. Isa. 51:1 ‒ "you who pursue righteousness, who seek the Lord"
      5. Jer. 50:4; Zeph. 2:3 ‒ returning exiles will seek the Lord
      6. Hosea 3:5 ‒ returnees will seek the Lord
      7. Zech. 8:21-23 ‒ many peoples will seek the Lord
    2. דרשׁ (BDB 205, KB 233)
      1. Deut. 4:29 and Jer. 29:13 used both #1 and #2 roots
      2. 1 Chr. 28:8-9 (also note Ps. 119:2,10) ‒ "seek YHWH" parallel to "seek His commandments"
      3. Ps. 10:4; 14:2 ‒ wicked do not seek Him
      4. Ps. 34:4,10 ‒ the benefits of seeking Him
      5. Isa. 11:10 ‒ Gentiles will seek Him
      6. Isa. 55:6-7 ‒ seek Him while He may be found
      7. Isa. 58:2; Jer. 10:21 ‒ seeking but with wrong motives
      8. Amos 5:4,6 ‒ seek the Lord that you may live (see D. below)
    3. שׁחר (BDB 1007, KB 1465)
      1. Job 7:21; Ps. 63:1; Prov. 1:28; 8:17 ‒ seek Him in the morning
      2. Job 8:5; Isa. 26:9 ‒ seek Him in the evening

  2. YHWH is seeking fellowship with His human creation (i.e. Gen. 1:26-27; 3:8). The story of the Bible from Genesis 3 ‒ Revelation 20 is this story of redemption and restoration (see SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN).
     But, there is a divine mandated human response (see SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT). As we "seek" Him, He makes Himself known (i.e. Zech. 1:3; Mal. 3:7).

  3. Seeking YHWH involves
    1. repentance (see SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE [OT])
    2. faith (see SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH AND FAITHFULNESS)
    3. faithful living (see SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP)
    4. worship (see SPECIAL TOPIC: WORSHIP)
    5. perseverance (see SPECIAL TOPIC: PERSEVERANCE)

  4. I have included my exegetical notes from Amos 5:4.

Amos 5:4 "seek Me" The Hebrew VERB (BDB 205, KB 233) is a Qal IMPERATIVE (cf. Amos 5:6,14-15). The connotation of the Hebrew phrase "to seek" involved going to a sanctuary, however, the context of Amos 5:5 demands that we must seek God on an individual, as well as corporate, basis (cf. Deut. 4:29), not just in religious ritual. Our attitudes, motives, and lifestyle faith are crucial. Basically this is a call to repentance to those who already knew (covenantal aspect) YHWH (cf. Rev. 3:20). Fellowship with YHWH demands an ethical life.

In Amos 5:4 Amos says, "Seek the Lord." This same VERB is also found in Amos 5:14, "seek good and not evil." These three are somewhat parallel. YHWH is said several times to be good (e.g., Ps. 86:5; 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 118:1,29). Therefore, seeking "Me" and seeking "good" may refer to YHWH (notice the second line of Amos 5:14). This same symbolism can be seen in Hosea 8:2-3.

The Hebrew term "seek" has several meanings.

  1. inquire of
  2. seek a deity in prayer and worship
  3. investigate (to know the heart)
  4. ask or demand

In this context #2 fits best (cf. Deut. 4:29; Hosea 10:12; Isa. 9:13; 31:1; 55:6; 65:10).

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