Today's reading covers the first four chapters of Amos, which records the prophecies of a humble shepherd sent primarily to share God's words with Israel. As the introduction notes, Israel had become prosperous and complacent during the reign of Jeroboam II, whose military successes had created a self-confident culture. While his focus is not exclusively on Israel, his harshest criticism falls there, urging the people to prepare for a coming "Day of the Lord," much in the way that Joel had and other prophets will. The commentator explains that Amos did not attack the people's idolatrous worship so much as their ritualized and "dead" worship, which did not call them away from their mistreatment of the poor and oppressed.
Amos rebukes Judah, for whom God will not wilhold his wrath:
"Because they have rejected the law of the LORD
and have not kept his decrees,
Because they have been led astray by false gods,
the gods their ancestors followed,
I will send fire upon Judah
that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem." (2:4,5)
Interestingly, the NIV notes point out that "false gods" may also be translated "lies." Instead of cherishing the Truth that God had revealed through Moses and the prophets, the people had chosen to live according to lies. The lies promised short-term comfort, but they were ultimately powerless. Even after seeing or hearing the clear demonstration of God's power through Elijah and his triumph over the Baal worshippers, the idolatry continued. The preceding nations receive condemnation largely because of their violence, but Judah will endure judgment because of its wayward heart.
Throughout his complaint against Israel, God highlights His interaction with the people. Their relationship has been a close one, and God implies that His hand and actions should have been eminently clear to the people. What charges does God have against the people?
1. "They sell the righteous for silver,/ and the needy for a pair of sandals."
2. "They trample on the heads of the poor/ as upon the dust of the ground/ and deny justice to the oppressed."
3. "Father and son use the same girl/ and so profane my holy name."
4. "They lie down beside every altar/ on garmens taken in pledge."
5. "In the house of their god/ they drink wine taken as fines."
6. "They do not know how to do right,... who hoard plunder and loot in their fortresses."
Despite God's intervention for Israel against the Amorites and Egyptians and His sending of prophets and Nazirites, the people have not listened. God will now send an "enemy" over the land, and only a remnant will escape. There will be a board captivity of the people with fishooks! This vow of destruction comes most harshly against the wealthy and self-satisfied, who have both winter and summer houses.
The people's religious formalism had taught them a liturgical plan, but it had only cemented pride in their hearts. They "boast" about their fulfillment of these actions, but their hearts remain unchanged. Even after receiving signs of God's displeasure -- through hunger, a withholding of rain, locusts, plagues, and military defeat -- the people were unreceptive to God's voice. They must now "prepare to meet your God, O Israel."
Why does this "Day of the Lord" come? Some might claim that God appears fickle, but He is rightly acting upon His holiness. He wishes to reveal His character to the people, and the religious and civil leaders have obscured this Truth behind their faulty thinking and actions. This judgment will ultimately be about exalting God's character:
"He who forms the mountains,
creates the wind,
and reveals his thoughts to man,
he who turns dawn to darkness
and treads the high places of the earth --
the LORD God Almighty is his name."
QUESTIONS
1. What areas of complacency do you have in your life? What could you do to reverse course?
2. Please reflect on a time in which God's discipline helped you to grow. What happened, and how did you benefit from the correction?
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