1 LET JUSTICE ROLL! Amos In recent months we ... - Vital Christianity

1LET JUSTICE ROLL!AmosIn recent months we have become very familiar with economic exploitation madepossible by corruption, abuse, greed and self-seeking power in our nation. Amos faced the same inthe socio-political institutions of Israel. Even though Israel was booming with its boundariesexpanding, and things were looking good, below the surface greed and injustice were festeringwhile hypocritical religious attitudes and actions had replaced true worship. And Amos’sunflinching warnings about injustice and its effects were unpopular, to say the least. Although hespeaks about the prevalence of injustice in all nations, he focuses primarily on Israel.Amos is probably the most famous of the Minor Prophets. This is probably because hismessage is somewhat different from that of the rest of the prophets. Also, his language is veryvivid and terse with poetic flair and thus is memorable. So we have many expressions (quotes)that we use from his message.His message focuses on God’s justice and therefore the impartiality of God. God hasno favorites. Or it could be said that all people are His favorites. This means He does not makeany allowances for one person that He will not make for others as well. His blessings aredependent on our willingness to fulfill the conditions of His promises.The book of Amos makes it clear that God is not like us. He is always just and fair.This can be disheartening for those of us who think we are in a privileged position,especially with God.While this message is not welcome to those of us who think we are special, it is welcomenews to those of us who think that God doesn’t care for us at all. Maybe it is because of ourunderprivileged background. Possibly we were treated as less than others. This could be becauseof looks—physical beauty or prowess, intelligence, socio/economic status, race, religion, etc.THE BACKGROUND AND MESSAGE OF AMOSWhen the prophet Amos came to the northern kingdom of Israel he faced a people whodid not appreciate his message. The book opens with these words:“The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—what he saw concerningIsrael two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah andJeroboam son of Joash was king of Israel” (1:1).Amos prophesied in the days of Jeroboam II of Israel, while Uzziah was king of JudahThough his home was in Judah, Amos was sent to announce God’s judgment on the northernkingdom (Israel). Tekoa was a small town about six miles south of Bethlehem and eleven milesfrom Jerusalem. The prophet Amos was a contemporary of the prophet Hosea and also of Isaiahin the southern kingdom. He was one of the earliest of the prophetic writers (ca. 740 B.C.).

2Unlike Isaiah who was a man of the court and Jeremiah who was a priest, Amos earned his livingfrom the flock and the sycamore-fig grove (1:1; 7:14-15). This makes Amos different from all theother prophets. As a layman he was not trained as a prophet. He called himself both a “herdsman”(7:14), one who raises or tends cattle, and a “shepherd” (1:1). Whether this also made the peopleskeptical of him we are not sure, but we do know that his message was hardly acceptable to them.In chapter 7 we see their reaction to his message:“Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel:‘Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel; the landcannot bear all his words. For this is what Amos is saying, 'Jeroboam will dieby the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.'"(7:10-11)His name means “burden-bearer,” an appropriate name since the burden of the prophet'smessage was that God was bringing judgment to the nation Israel and the king.“So Amaziah the priest said to Amos to go back to where he came from. ‘Getout, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do yourprophesying there" (7:12).Not exactly a hearty welcome!Then, to make things worse, the priest adds this:"Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king's sanctuary andthe temple of the kingdom" (7:13).Amos is not deterred. He responds with characteristic bluntness that though he did notcome with the pedigree of a prophet, he had not been schooled as a prophet (7:14), neverthelessGod gave him his message. And before he delivers the message of doom and gloom, he remindsthem of what they said:“Do not prophesy against Israel and stop preaching against the house of Isaac” (7:16).It seems Amos is setting them up for disaster by reminding them of their own pride andarrogance.And this is the Lord’s message:“Your wife will become a prostitute in the city,and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.Your land will be measured and divided up,and you yourself will die in a pagan country.And Israel will certainly go into exile, away from their native land” (7:17).

3AMOS’S MESSAGE TO NEIGHBORING NATIONSAmos went around the boundaries of Israel in various directions, delivering a messageconcerning all the neighboring nations. Amos makes it clear that the God of Israel governs allnations, bringing them into being (9:7) and calling them to account (1:3-2:3).He begins with Damascus in the northeast section above Israel (1:3) and tells them thatGod has judged them for their sins in general and for cruelty specifically.Then he moves way down to Gaza on the west coast and once again reminds Israel thatGod has judged this land because the people have participated in an active slave trade (1:6).He then travels back up the coast on the northwest side of Israel to Tyre and points outthat God had judged this country because the people had sold slaves and broken their treaty (1:9).Edom, the ancient country of Esau, down to the far south of Israel, is Amos’s next placeto point out how God's judgment had fallen upon them because of their unforgiving spirit andtotal lack of compassion for Israel (1:11).Ammon, on the east side of Israel (now Jordan), was next on Amos’s list. Here Amosdeclares that God had judged them because of their incredible violence (“ripped open the pregnantwomen”) and greed for more land (1:13).On the south side of Israel we have Moab where Amos said that God had judged thembecause of their hatred for Israel by burning the bones of Edom’s king, thus depriving the king’sspirit of the rest that was widely believed to result from decent burial (2:1).Then the shepherd/prophet comes to Judah of the Southern Kingdom, and says that thejudgment of God had fallen on them because they have despised God's law (1:4).AMOS’S MESSAGE TO ISRAELFinally, Amos arrives at Israel of the Northern Kingdom, and prophesies that God isgoing to judge them for their corruption and injustice, their total disregard for the needy theiroppression of the poor:“They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the groundand deny justice to the oppressed.Father and son use the same girl and so profane My holy name.They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge.In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines” (1:6-8).

4As long as Amos was talking about the other nations their attitude was that they got whatwas coming to them. But it was a different story when this prophet zeroed in on them. Then, all ofa sudden, they got angry and said,"Why don't you go away and preach someplace else?"This is a typical response of people when preachers are faithful to God’s message.The rest of Amos’s message focuses on the Northern Kingdom of Israel.JUDGMENT BEGINS WITH “THE PEOPLE OF GOD”In chapter 3 Amos begins by pointing to the fact that they were “the people of God,” apeople who had a special, privileged position before God:“Hear this word the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel—against thewhole family I brought up out of the land of Egypt” (3:1).And he adds,"You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth . . ." (3:2).Did they like to hear this!“The chosen”!They—and only they--were the ones God Himself had said He had chosen “of all thefamilies of the earth.”But their pride and arrogance was quickly deflated as Amos follows up with the mostunreasonable and illogical statement:". . . therefore I will punish you for all your sins" (3:2).The very thing that led to their pride—their status with God as His special people--was thevery thing God says was the reason for His bringing judgment on them. Privilege bringscorresponding responsibility. After all, to whom much is given, much is required (Lk 12:48).Increasing light brings increasing responsibility (Ro 2:11-16).This theme is carried into the New Testament as well. Peter states bluntly,"For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God" (1 Pe 4:17).God always begins with His own people. We should know better. Therefore He expectsmore of us.

5Then Amos points to the special relationship His people had with God, that is, theywalked and talked together (3:3,7). It was for this reason, says the prophet, God is going to sendjudgment.Amos goes on and gives five examples of how God has always patiently tried to awakenthem and others before sending judgment (4:6-7,9-11). But after each example is the refrain:“. . . yet you did not return to Me" (4:6-7,9-11).Talk about repetition! Again and again God says this. Could it be that this is an indicationthat God often sends things into our lives to wake us up and shake us up? Could it be that God, inHis great patience, seeks to help us see things the way they really are?And then as the prophet moves on he puts his finger on the very thing that is wrong:“You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain,Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,you will not live in them;though you have planted lush vineyards,you will not drink their wine.For I know how many are your offenses,and how great your sins --You oppress the righteous and take bribesand you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such time,for the times are evil” (5:11-13).No wonder Amos is called “The Prophet of Social Justice”!Social justice is the indispensable expression of true piety.These thundering pronouncements against the social evils of Amos' day apply equally tous today! God hates social injustices.that:Then Amos tells his people not only to stop such injustice, but also how they are to do“This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel:‘Seek Me and live" (5:4).‘Seek the Lord and live,or He will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire” (5:6).

6Not only are they to clean up their life; they are to come back to God.This requires repentance. They are to turn around and come back to the Lord of theirsalvation. They are to come back into a relationship with the God who patiently loves with aneverlasting love.Woe to the Religious HypocritesSadly, the Israelites resisted Amos’s appeal. And so he says:“Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord!” (5:18).And to the other group, he says:"Woe to you who are complacent in Zion" (6:1).There were the “pious,” self-righteous hypocrites who were wringing their hands andgoing through all kinds of rituals and religious ceremonies and claiming to “long” for God’scoming. But it was a religious show.So Amos tells them that the day would come, but not as they expected, it would be a dayof “darkness, not light” (5:20), for her because she had not been faithful to God. Then he boldlycondemns their religiosity:"I hate, I despise your religious feasts, I cannot stand your assemblies . . .your burnt offerings . . . Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listento the music of your harps . . . But let justice roll on like a river, righteousnesslike an never-failing stream" (5:21-24).Verse 24 has been quoted by many through the centuries. This verse formed much of thebasis for Martin Luther King’s ministry. He often quoted it in the King James Version:“. . . let justice roll like water,and righteousness as a permanent torrent.”Justice and righteousness are not a desirable add-on to true worship, but its necessaryprecursor.The psalmist told us in various ways that God desires truth “in the inward parts” (Ps51:6). Outward conformity is not enough. God is repulsed by the sham and pretense of religiouspeople.

7Woe to the Wealthy who are ComplacentThe other group said that they were not concerned about these things. Their attitude was,“Let's eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” Life is short at best. Let's live it up while wecan.Amos has harsh words for the excesses of a wealthy class that wallows in its own luxurywhen social ills are obvious and widespread (4:1-3). Here is a vivid description of the luxuryenjoyed by the rich at the expense of the poor:"[Woe to those who] . . . lie on beds inlaid with ivory,and lounge on your couches,You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.You strum away on your harps like Davidand improvise on musical instruments" (6:4-5)."How can you be so complacent when the nation is so obviously hurting?“How can you be so content when people fail to find any justice in the courts and aresuffering in the streets?”THE RESTORATION OF ISRAELAmos is given a series of visions in which the nation is rapidly ripening for judgment. Inthe final scene--a scene of exquisite beauty, peace, and glory—is revealed what God desires and,therefore, why He is so angry with hypocrisy. Amos puts it this way:"In that day I will restoreDavid’s fallen tent.I will repair its broken places,restore its ruins,and build it as it used to be" (9:11).Good News!God will bring blessing after judgment and will not ultimately reject Israel.Then comes the final beautiful scene of Israel’s future glory:"’The days are coming,’ declares the Lord,when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman;and the planter by the one treading grapes.

New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.I will bring back My exiled people Israel;they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them;They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;they will make gardens and eat their fruit.I will plant Israel in their own land,never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,"says the Lord your God” (9:13-15).It is striking that almost every line in this last section of the book overturns a judgmentpronounced earlier.8This picture seems to refer to the millennial days when Israel will finally be restored to theland, never to be removed again.God’s anger is motivated by His love!CONCLUSIONHis love, righteousness and justice mean that He has a holy hatred for anything that iscontrary to love, righteousness and justice. Sin, in all its various manifestations, is contrary tolove and justice. And this is why God is relentless when He deals with man. There is no peacefulcoexistence with evil. There is no compromise with sin.The Book of Amos shows us in no uncertain terms that we are dealing with a God ofrighteousness who is unbending and inflexible in dealing with anything that is contrary toHis values and standards. God is zealous that His people experience the kind of life that isfulfilling and thus honoring to Him.Amos’s statement, “But let justice role down like waters, and righteousness like anever-flowing stream” (5:24) was often quoted by Martin Luther King Jr. as he lamented a churchthat had become complacent with the church and the world as it was. In the spring of 1963, Kingsat in solitary confinement in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, arrested for marching in ademonstration that local courts had deemed illegal. The goal of the marchers was to desegregatethe business sector of the city. King and others were criticized by local moderate white clergywho felt that the demonstration was asking for too much too fast. King wrote back to these clergyin what has come to be called “A Letter From Birmingham Jail.” In part of the letter, Kinglaments the lack of support of the white churches as they “remained silent behind theanesthetizing security of stained-glass windows.” He goes on to write this:

9“In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assuredthat my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment wherethere is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I otherwise? I am in therather unique position of being the son, the grandson, and the great-grandson ofpreachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But oh! How we haveblemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of beingnonconformists. There was a time when the church was very powerful–in the timewhen the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what theybelieved. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recordedthe ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformedthe mores of society.”Like the prophet Amos, Martin Luther King Jr. called on religion to be “a mighty flowingstream of righteousness instead of a stagnant pool of numbness.”APPLICATION1. We need to be thermostats that transform our society by condemning corruptionof any kind and promoting righteousness and justice. We cannot afford to hide silently behindour stained-glass windows and give in to the greed of judicial officials for wealth, the self-servingbias toward the powerful and outright bribery which Amos observed and condemned. Thecorruption of leadership, the failure of those in leadership in their responsibility to serve justiceand righteousness is no less to be condemned among us today as in the days of Amos.2. We must treat everyone justly and fairly irrespective of their looks—physical beautyor prowess, intelligence, socio/economic status, race, religion, etc. Every person is made in theimage and likeness of God and they are therefore equally precious in His sight.3. We need to look out for the needy since they are more vulnerable than the rest. Weare our brother’s keeper.4. We must loosen up our purse-strings and be rich in good deeds rather than selfishlywallow in our wealth.God has no favorites!Let justice roll!