No More Passover

Amos 7:7-17

Wow! Amos sure is a bundle of fire. The images of Israel being made desolate and laid waste we find in today's passage is just a tip of the iceberg Amos paints for the people of Jerusalem.

Amos prophesied at a time when the people of high society and those in power were making their socio-economic gains at the expense of the poor. It was a time when the gap between the haves and the have-nots were growing wider. Although the words spoken by Amos took place almost 5000 years ago, the truth of those words ring just as loud today.

There is a line which Amos speaksin today's passage that grabbed a hold of me today. Verse 8 says, "See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by;" I wondered just what Amos might be saying with those words, so I did some research. What Amos is saying is that Israel has time and time again ignored God's guidance for the people of Israel to live with justice towards all people. Yet, time and time again God has been a good God and rescued them.

Not so this time. God has measured them and found them to be unjust and will no longer lead them out of their troubles. Instead, God will watch as their temples and leaders fall. 

In response to Amos the High priest of Bethel says to go away from them and to "Earn your bread elsewhere." Amaziah is accusing Amos of preaching for profit. As any decent preacher will tell you there's no such thing as preaching for profit. Amos' response was to remind the priest that he is only a herdsman, one of the poor, and that God sent him to that place to say the words he does. The conversation concludes with Amos bringing more of his doom and gloom message to Israel.

All of this adds to my thoughts from yesterday. Amos lived in a time when people were being oppressed by the rules and regulations of politics and religion. Those in power had forgotten, or maybe ignored, the words of God which consistently invited them to live as one people under one love. It would seem as though God didn't want to be quiet anymore, so he sent prophets which would shake up the norm and speak out against the oppression which was coming from within.

The time for Christian Quietism is coming to an end. I can feel this in my heart. I sense that the true love of God - complete, unconditional acceptance - is what God is guiding us to talk about and live in our everyday lives. I'm just not sure we'll have to be as forward or damning as the prophets of old. At least I hope not.