Focus on the Truth
The listeners of Amos must have stood with a smirk on their faces as they listened to the judgment of their enemies. Then God turned His piercing justice towards His own people. How easy it is for us to see the faults in others while we pursue unclean pastimes and rebellious thoughts. Israel and Judah would not escape God’s righteous judgment, and neither shall we. It is good for us to remember that we too have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. When we deceive ourselves into believing we deserve God’s love and mercy, we are very short-sighted indeed. 2 Corinthians 13:5 commands us, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are holding to your faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” Also, we have verses like Lamentations 3:40 which says, “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!” We must pay attention to our own hearts and minds, lest we discover we have wandered far from the path God calls us to.
When we look at the specific judgements against God’s people, we see warnings for us today as well. The charge against Judah was that they “despised the law of the Lord.” We are also told they chased after their own lies. Amos could not have more perfectly described our society if he had been able to see into the future. Perhaps believing the convenient lie is easier than honoring the truth. When we turn from the laws of God, when we see them as outdated or burdensome, we replace those boundaries in our lives with lies. From the beginning, Satan has manipulated the truth to deceive God’s children. It has worked so well, he must see no need to change his ways. God’s law does not change simply because social expectations do. Following God may not earn us many accolades in public view, but it will keep us in God’s favor. It will keep us from earned judgment and discipline. What matters most is not the opinion of our friends, family, or co-workers. It does not mean anything if we ‘canceled’ by social media. We need to decide for ourselves whether we desire the approval of man or God, and then live like it.
Israel did not escape judgement either. We are told of the injustice prevalent in the land. Those who had resources exploited the poor and the weak. Not to sound too much like a comic book quote, but those who have been given more have more expected of them. We are the hands and feet of God. Those hands are meant to be open and those feet prepared to move. When we sit idle in the riches of our blessing without considering how we can share or add to the blessings of others, we taint the very message of mercy and love we preach.
Not only was Israel squandering their mercy and clouding their judgment by greed, they had also given themselves over to the perverse worship practices of their neighbors. Amos tells us, “a man and his father go in to the same maiden, so that my holy name is profaned; they lay themselves down beside every altar upon garments taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.” Adam Clarke explains this explicate practice as being one of pagan worship. He wrote, “They were licentious to the uttermost abomination; for in their idol feasts, where young women prostituted themselves publicly in honor of Astarte, the father and son entered into impure connections with the same female.” Temple prostitution was a common practice and one the Israelites adopted far too willingly.
What the world embraces tickles our natural lusts. We will always be tempted to be like the people around us. The more society screams the normality of their favorite sins, the harder it is to hear the whisper of God reminding us of the what is true and right. However, we can dampen the siren call of the world by filling our ears with the truth. Go back to the judgement against Judah. Their grave sin started because they rejected the law of God. Fall in love with scripture. Thirst for it with an unsatiable desire. When our desire is the Lord, we will never be denied. As Psalm 37:4 promises, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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