Series: Dog Daze
Amos 4:1-2 ESV
Amos 5:5-7 ESV
Those of us who lived in the same place growing up who went to the same school and who didn’t travel a lot can be unaware of how other people live and survive.
In addition to that even though we might have had a television or a radio growing up, programming and even the news was nothing like it is today.
I don’t remember ever watching a news story about people halfway around the world even when it was covered by Walter Cronkite.
Many of us were not aware what real poverty looks like.
Even when I was older and I became aware of people who didn’t know where their next meal was coming from, those stories were about people who lived in what we called third world countries.
I think that’s why when I read Biblical accounts of the poor I still didn’t associate it with modern day needs.
The Prophet Amos who prophesied from 760 to 755 BCE had a clear message about the poor and needy, but it was from a ‘Big Picture’ perspective.
Amos didn’t prophesy that Israel needed to open a soup kitchen, collect clothing for the poor, or help the poor with housing needs.
The perspective God brought to Amos regarding Israel didn’t focus on providing provisions.
I suppose that’s because of our modern day perspective of determining the basic needs and providing for those needs.
Instead, God had a very different message for Amos.
In Amos 4:1-2 we are told, “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria,who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’
The Lord God has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you,when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks.”
Notice ‘say to your husbands’ as God directs Amos’ attention to the women ‘cows’ who oppress the poor and crush the needy.
Once we understand God’s target audience of the prophecy we can visually see why Yahweh God is moved to anger.
Not only did these hefty ‘cowish’ women hoard what they had, they intentionally oppressed the poor.
Once again, in earlier Biblical times (say Deuteronomy) the word justice did not refer to passing out soup or providing clothing. It referred to protecting the poor. God abhorred the fact that the poor were being treated unfairly for the purpose of using them for gain.
Centuries later God was giving Amos a picture of women who had everything they could desire and even stockpile and they still took advantage of the poor and treated them worse than dogs. In light of that, the prophet Amos was warning that God had sworn a day was coming when they will be captured (thus the hook) and taken away.
We notice the Prophet did not say if they don’t turn around they will be captured. The prophet simply stated they will be captured.
In my mind the warning issued to Israel from the prophet Amos did not only refer to the women who were abusing the poor for their own gain.
It referred to Israel.
That is a frightening thought. Does it not reek of the thought that if you see it and do nothing you are a cohort?
However, even though the Prophet Amos issued such a stark warning, God did give Amos a solution.
In Amos 5:5-7 the Prophet wrote,
“For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:
“Seek me and live;
but do not seek Bethel,and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba;for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.”
Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,
O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth!”
God clearly gave Amos the answer…the solution.
Seek the Lord.
Seek God, turn to God and you will live.
Notice this wasn’t a ‘one off’ solution. God didn’t say all of those who seek me come stand under the tree and you will live.
God issued a solution to the whole of Israel.
Turn to me and you shall live.
He told them if they ‘get it together and turn to God’ they will live. The last line in today’s scripture has the phrase, “turn justice to wormwood” which referred to revamping the entire legal system.
In other words the problem was widespread and required a cultural shift.
Spiritual Practice: Today?
Could your country accomplish such a turn around today?
In God, Deborah
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