The Time Is Surely Coming

Over the last few weeks, we have been engaging the prophetic words of Amos.

Amos was God’s messenger sent to warn a people enjoying peace and prosperity on their own terms. Many of the people were comfortable and even complacent in their own version of ‘pleasantville’ but riddled with pervasive sin. The poor were trampled and abused by common practices, bought and sold with indifference. They had normalized injustice and become blind to insidious harm. God is never blind or indifference.

To the people of Israel, Amos’ words may have been unexpected…out of the blue. He may have been a curious character from the south speaking to his northern cousins. How dare an outsider come and say such things?…even if it’s true.

I can imagine the commentary,

“Who does he think he is?”; “I can’t believe he said that”;

“Oh, that was hard to hear, but true”;

“Hmmm, did somebody tell him that I...?

From chapter 7, we know Amos was not intimidated by the king and was an irritant to the chief priest.

Through Amos, God warned King Jereboam II that God would end his reign (administration). The king’s sanctuary in Israel was not the Temple sanctioned by God, which was in Judah.

Amos’ message was intended to cause the people to think about their choices— what was done or left undone; to see the sin nibbling away at their moral fiber; and to consider God’s pending judgment for their accountability.

Afraid that Amos’ repeated messages would stir conspiracy among the people, Amaziah with his authority as the king’s chief priest, forbid Amos to speak anymore and commanded Amos to go back to Judah and prophesy there!(Am 7:12)

Amos’ response to Amaziah was that a greater Authority had commanded him to prophesy in Israel. He was not a prophet, nor trained as a prophet and had been satisfied tending with his flocks and sycamore fig trees in Judah. But a greater Authority charged him to “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”

Amaziah stepped way over the line as he forbid Amos to speak God’s message as commanded and redirect Amos’ efforts.

People still do this today. They want to shoot or dismiss the messenger when the message strikes a nerve. When a message strikes a nerve, perhaps the first question to ask is, “why”. Why am I reacting this way? Is there more I need know? Do I need to did deeper or dialogue with the deliverer/Deliverer?

Note that God’s messages through Amos speak to people of all walks--rich and poor, priests and kings, people within the religious community and beyond; different peoples and nations.

God was neither blind nor indifferent to any of us. We are all accountable, some even more than others.

Those who should know more are held to an even higher standard.

Because of the chief priest’s rejection of God’s word, Amos swiftly delivered the message of the destruction that would come from the priests disobedience.

Amos 7:17 (NRSV)

Therefore thus says the Lord:

‘Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city,

and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,

and your land shall be parceled out by line;

you yourself shall die in an unclean land,

and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’ ”

Amos continued to speak boldly denouncing sin and uplifting God’s requirements of truth and goodness, of justice and righteousness.

Many of the conditions of Amos’ day are present today. We need Amos’ courage to stand up and speak out as the Holy Spirit leads and where ever the Spirit leads.

I was a commercial property manager based in Georgia when God called me to do something different. God repeatedly told me, “You will leave your father’s home.” I finally said, “Yes, I heard you!”, then asked “Where am I going?” There was silence. Then the call came first to Denver; then to Utah.

Just as God took average Amos from tending herds and trees to deliver God’s message, God can use any of us to spread God’s word of wisdom and warning, comfort and challenge.

Amos’ is ripe with warning and challenge. Plainly, it is a hard text to chew on and even harder to swallow as we allow the Spirit to open the depth of its wisdom.

Going through the book of Amos can feel convicting when we think of all the ways we (and the wider Church)

have fallen short of what God desires of us

and have overlooked and even mistreated the people around us, just like Israel.

It may be challenging to know that coming to church or participating in ceremonies or rituals means nothing if your whole heart isn’t in it. God is not blind or indifferent to anything we do.

It may be convicting to realize that you may be more satisfied with yourself than God is. God is not blind or indifferent to anything about us. In fact, God has greater plans for you; desires more for you and of you.

The challenge or conviction we feel is the spark of something within.

When we acknowledge that Spirit-stirred conviction in our heart, head, or gut, that is a beginning of what Wesley referred to as spiritual respiration. The Holy Spirit and our spirit are engaged we will never be the same.

The Spirit stirs and nurtures God’s righteous conviction within us.

But that righteous conviction means nothing until it is converted to conduct that let’s justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream;

Righteous conviction within means nothing until it is lived out loud doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8).

We can take comfort that there’s always HOPE. The hope we have in our relationship with God is this:

Big Idea of the Message: Despite the selfishness of God’s people, God’s mind never changed about sending salvation through Jesus.

Through Amos, God was providing opportunity for the people to realign, to return to their relationship with God and following God’s ways. The people did not listen and God fulfilled the judgment.

But God was not done. God had something greater in mind.

We are challenging creatures entrusted to make choice with various consequences.

We will go through what feels like the darkest valley with a sense of exile or isolation. At some point in our lives, we will face challenges and challengers.

There are bullies on the playground, in the board room, in the zoom room, on social media platforms, and even in the church rooms.

There are frenemies and saboteurs operating in a dark web of activity rather than being upfront and outright. That will be brought to light.

As the Lord says through Amos, “On that day, I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen...”

God is drawing attention to the covenant made centuries before. God promised there would be a Descendant of David who would reign forever. That Descendant is Christ, who came to reconcile and restore all people to God.

Who said to Israel, I have other flocks that are not part of this fold. I must bring them too. There will be one flock, one Shepherd.

The Lord says, I will raise up the Booth of David, repair, raise it, rebuild it in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom, which was also judged, and all the nations called by God’s name.

God will restore and expand the realm of the Davidic covering and covenant to include even those who were hostile toward God’s people.

God promises to restore the breaches, brokenness, and divisions among people and places through all nations. This is available to all. But we have a role in this.

Through Amos, God was calling the people in to restore relationship steeped in God’s ways. But the people did not listen and God fulfilled the judgment. But God was not done.

Where there is division, we can be the bridge.

Where there is friction, we can be the oil.

Where there is darkness churning, we can be the light.

Again, righteous conviction—the conviction to do what is right even when

Application Point: God’s incredible grace means God will never give up on God’s promises, and it is never too late to turn from our sin to his justice.