It was I

Now that Summer Series is over at Rossville, class starts on Wednesday nights, so I've decided to keep in theme with the Minor Prophets and get into Amos.

 

Amos was a shepherd from a small town called Tekoa 6 miles SE of Bethlehem. He doesn't make much money shepherding, so he supplements his income by being a migrant farmer harvesting figs. This poor shepherd/migrant farmer from Judah has the gall to stand up to Moab, the Ammorites, Edom, and other surrounding nations before finally turning his eyes toward the split kingdoms of Judah and Israel in Amos chapter 2. 

This is a time in Israel's history where the combined powers of Judah and Israel were nearly as powerful and influential as they were under Solomon, but comfort led them to indifference. Judah has turned its back on the law, and therefore God. They have turned toward idols.  Israel is accused of selling the righteous and the poor presumably into slavery. They have bowed before idols and committed sexual sins that embarrass God because they are HIS people. Meanwhile, they felt no remorse when coming before the altar of the LORD. Israel and Judah's behavior shows a complete rejection of God, disregard for his law, and disregard for what he created in his image, mankind. They've become just like the world around them. 

God wants to remind them who it was that gave them what they have in Amos 2:9-12.

“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,

  whose height was like the height of the cedars

  and who was as strong as the oaks;

I destroyed his fruit above

  and his roots beneath.

Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt

  and led you forty years in the wilderness,

  to possess the land of the Amorite.

And I raised up some of your sons for prophets,

  and some of your young men for Nazirites.

  Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?”

Despite the wars that are continuously raging around the world, we live in times of comfort and peace at home just like the Israelites did. In times of comfort it is easy forget who to thank for what we have. It is easy to regard the poor as below our station and not deserving of our respect. It is easy to fall into the immorality that permeated Israelite society then walk into worship like nothing happened.

When God's people did this, God reminded them of who he was. Instead of crediting the world for the things that we are blessed with, let's find comfort in the loving arms of our father who is the source of all of these blessings. 

Thanks for reading!
Jeff Griffith