God is Just
Amos never claimed to an eloquent or politically correct man. He was a simple herdsman and he spoke like a simple man. Perhaps that is one of the appeals of this book. There is no flowery stroking of egos. Amos told the truth in no uncertain words. In fact, in our passage today, Amos calls the women of Bashan ‘fat cows’ – hardly an endearing term. The area of Bashan was known for its fat and healthy cows, so the analogy was not without a historical tie. However, I doubt the women of Bashan would have found it a favorable nickname. The image Amos paints is one of opulence, indulgence, and greed. In fact, Amos tells us that these women oppressed the poor and crushed the needy. The reference to them demanding more wine from their husbands could show us how their husbands participated in the abuse of others. To ensure their women lived in the highest luxury, they too swindled and cheated in their search for more.
One of the greatest messages of the book of Amos is the fact that nothing slips beyond God’s sight. There truly is no such thing as a secret sin. All our iniquities are laid bare before the Lord, and He is not fooled by our excuses. God tailors His judgment and discipline to fit the person and the sin. It is the same with any good parent. A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to discipline simply does not work. I remember my mother feeling very frustrated when her favorite punishment failed to work on me as it did so perfectly on my older brother. My brother needed to be with others. To make him stand in the corner for 5 minutes was absolute torture. Whatever attitude problem he had before the corner was gone when he was allowed to step away. I handled it much differently. My mom said I enjoyed the corner – and being grounded to my room. I would simply sing or make up stories and talk to my imaginary friends. Having me write out platitudes or remorse failed with me as well because I loved to write almost as much as I loved singing in the corner. Instead, my mother discovered I hated to dust and would simply hand me a rag and point to a room she wanted cleaned. That punishment would never have worked for my OCD brother who relished any opportunity to clean and organize.
Throughout Amos’ pronouncements of God’s judgments, we have seen how God took each offense and paired it with an equal judgment. As much as we wish to never experience the discipline or judgment of the Lord, we can have the hope that our punishment will never exceed our crime. God is just. He does not punish without mercy or without fairness. For these women of Bashan, that meant that they were treated the way they had treated the poor of their society. During the height of their sins, they took from lower classes. They denied them basic human dignity so they themselves could live in luxury. Today’s reading foreshadowed when the Assyrians would come and conquer the land of Bashan. As was their practice, these ‘fat cows’ were stripped of their clothes and led away in chains through their conquered cities. God is just, and that justice should give us pause in our sins. There are always consequences, they are seldom pleasant, but they are always fair. As these women should have realized before the pronouncement of their doom, let us understand that God sees our sins. Let us turn from them, repent, and be washed clean. It is far better to experience revival than just conviction. Remember, God cares far more about the condition of our soul than the comfort of our flesh. He will use whatever means required to get our attention and pull us from our sin. How much better it would be for us if we allowed His word to convict us before His discipline is required.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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