If you lived in the northern part of Israel some 750 years before Jesus, you were living during the reign of King Jeroboam II. The economy is good, the neighboring countries are envious of your peace and prosperity – life is good. There is only one problem: the rabble rouser Amos. Have you heard his doom and gloom so-called prophecy? You’d think the enemies were at the gate and the dreaded day of the Lord would be turned upon Israel instead of our enemies. Not sure what he thinks he accomplishes other than to disturb my peace.
He is forever going on about the poor. We’ve always had the poor and always will. Some people just make bad decisions, don’t work hard, and expect to be taken care of. …and yes, we enjoy fine wines and the good things available – and we work hard and, yes, we enjoy the good things from time to time.
Did you hear his rantings outside of the courtyard of the King? He threatened to crush the king and country like we were Pharaoh’s army or our enemies the Amorites. Someone needs to shut him up.
Such is generally the reaction when the prophet comes. In our day, it doesn’t take much to claim that one is speaking with a prophetic voice, to claim that they are speaking “truth to power.” And it is true that Amos was speaking to Jeroboam II, but it is also true that Amos was speaking to the people – the ones who recite the commands of God and profess the covenant – and yet seem to have forgotten God
“Consider this, you who forget God,
lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you.
Consider what? Consider the words of the prophets of Scripture as well as the one among us. We are called to discern the prophet’s voice. It is as the psalm says: “When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? …I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”
We live in a place where the economy is good, the neighboring countries are envious of our peace and prosperity – life is good. If only we could rid ourselves of that disturbing voice.
Image credit: Stained Glass Window, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain