(By Rich Gregory)
Lessons from Amos
Nearly every preacher has secretly wondered the dreadful question, “Are they getting it?” The tendency after having proclaimed God’s message on a Sunday morning or any other time can often be to look for results in the lives of the hearers. When that preacher comes up dry, and no “results” are readily apparent, discouragement can easily set in. In times like this, where does the preacher get the motivation to get up and proclaim the message the very next week?
Enter the prophet Amos. It was a time that seemed to hold great hope for the future. The Assyrian empire was on the decline, the borders of the kingdom of Israel were rapidly expanding, and wealth began to pour into the kingdom once more. They had never been more secure since the time of the great king Solomon over 170 years previous. Society was content with who and where they were as a people. Power, prestige, prosperity, and peace were within the nation’s grasp.
This seeming solid reality however, was only the sheerest of facades. The truth of the matter was that the religious observance of the people was nothing more than hypocritical observance, and the vast bulk of the population of the land was oppressed and burdened down at the expense of the wealthy and powerful nobles within the governmental structure. According to 1 Kings 14:27, the only reason that God did not immediately judge the nation was because He had not let them know that He was on the verge of blotting their name out from under heaven. What the people didn’t know was that final judgment was a mere 38 years away.
Amos enters his pulpit and delivers God’s case against the self-righteous, contented people of his day. In Amos 3, Amos states God’s case against the people and reveals to them the rock solid nature of God’s verdict. Essentially, their election as God’s chosen people formed the foundation for their condemnation. God’s verdict against their sin was clear and it was compelling. The people would be judged for their iniquity. When Amos first proclaimed his message, he must have been hoping for some kind of repentance from the hard-hearted people. After all, he had probably heard about the amazing results of Jonah’s proclamation far north in Ninevah only a couple of years previously. If the Assyrians could repent, then surely Israel, God’s own people would do the same.
Amos proclaims his message, and yet the people don’t get it. From the text, it seems apparent that they questioned Amos, and failed to believe him, because Amos is forced to launch into a rhetorical progression that proves their guilt. They wanted proof. Their response proves God’s point. Amos gives them their evidence and concludes by stating, “The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?” The reason that the people could know that the judgment of God was coming, was because the prophet of God was standing before them, and the blaring roar of the all-powerful Lion was still ringing in that prophet’s ears. Because Amos had heard that roar, he had a responsibility before God to proclaim the message that he had received.
The situation is not much changed in our day. We live in a world and society where people are content to live out their lives unaware of the fact that they are bound to the harsh and toxic reality of their sinfulness. All of the persuasion in the world seems to be incapable of moving them. They are dead in their trespasses and sins, and therefore do not hear the roar of the lion in their condition. Those people – our neighbors, co-workers, friends, and oftentimes congregants – need a messenger. We, as the people of God, who have come to a saving knowledge of the Life-giver, are to be that messenger. We are the ones in Amos’s place, and we are called to proclaim the good news of God’s gospel.
The Lion of Judah has come, and He has roared with a voice that continues to echo through the corridors of time even 2,000 years later! Have you heard that roar, and do your ears ring from it’s blast? If you’ve heard it, then you have a responsibility to proclaim the message of life to a dying world that is under the irrepressible judgment of God, regardless of their reaction to it. Much like Amos’ day, God’s judgment is rushing down upon mankind for “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
Our world is lost, dying, and in bondage. God’s case against their sin is irrefutable, and His sentence is overwhelming. Because we have heard the roar of God’s voice in the person of Christ, we have been entrusted with the message of reconciliation. As Paul explained in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We are to implore our world on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God!” We are to be the mouthpiece for the roaring message of God. There is no greater honor, duty, or joy! This is why we preach, even if the people listening don’t seem to “get it.” If you’ve heard that roar, then you, as the messenger of God are called to joyfully listen, bow, and proclaim!