Perhaps even more than most prophets, Amos must have been surprised that he was chosen as God’s spokesman. He was a shepherd and arborist without any formal “training” to be a prophet of God. But God saw his character and chose him to speak a difficult message to the people of his day.
As is the case with all the prophets, they spoke and wrote not only to the people of their day, but also to us. I think you’ll find this text extremely relevant to today’s culture. Things haven’t changed all that much since it was first written! Amos chapter 1 describes God’s impending judgment on the nations surrounding Israel and Judea. There would have likely been a murmur of approval at this…God would judge the nation’s enemies!
But chapter 2 may have shocked them into silence. First, Amos turns his attention to the people of Judah:
This is what the Lord says: “The people of Judah have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They have rejected the instruction of the Lord, refusing to obey his decrees. They have been led astray by the same lies that deceived their ancestors. Amos 2:4 (NLT)
How had they disobeyed God? They rejected His instructions to them. What was the effect of their disobedience? They were led astray by the same old lies as the people who came before them.
Why did they disobey God? It was probably a combination of several things:
- Self-centeredness: They didn’t like His instructions.
- Pride: They didn’t think they needed His instructions.
- Ignorance: They hadn’t taken the time to know His instructions.
Why did God give us the book of Amos? Well, among other reasons, He knew that we would need the reminder that we are not all that different from the people that lived in Amos’ day. It is kind of like a mirror for us to look into…and see our own reflection. Like them, we reject God and His instruction, allowing ourselves to be led down the same old paths of sin. Like them, we do it out of self-centeredness, pride and ignorance. We would honestly rather do our own thing, or think we can dabble in sin without it effecting us. Or maybe we have just never taken the time to find out what He wants from us.
Whatever the reason, I pray that the book of Amos will clearly reflect our own lives so that we can see ourselves in it and respond to it.
For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. James 1:23-25 (NLT)
