Amos 1

Good morning! As we read through the book of Amos, I want to start with this warning- it will be a hard read. For those not used to the minor prophets (the shorter prophets from Hosea to Malachi), they often deal with more uncomfortable aspects of God. God's wrath and anger, for example, take center stage for the next few chapters. And Amos is rehearsing God's anger at several kingdoms. Now, we can take this opportunity to learn something valuable about God. After all, when our anger is aroused, it is because something important to us has been challenged. For God it is similar. While God experiences anger and other emotions in a different way than human beings (that is, God is never overwhelmed with emotion to the point of doing something God would regret), God's anger reveals some of the things that God really cares about.

And in chapter one of Amos, we learn that God deeply cares about how these kingdoms treated one another. Damascus violently destroyed its opponents (an example is 2 Kings 8:7-15), especially God's people. And by treating God's people horribly, they will lose their kingdom. Gaza and Tyre were greedy kingdoms that betrayed their allies, broke their promises and engaged in the awful practice of slave trading. Edom not only bought those slaves, but stifled compassion and let anger be their decision-making tool. Ammon committed horrible crimes against humanity (to use a modern legal term)to expand its territory.

We learn from this chapter that unchecked greed, violence, fury and slave trading are against God's will. And all of those things are just as powerful today, if not more so. There are more slaves being traded today than ever in human history, and our country contributes to that directly and indirectly. As for greed, violence and fury, we live in a world of genocides and spousal abuse. I am struck by compassion being "stifled." So for today, I challenge us to let our compassion flow freely. Allow for at least one day the ability to hurt with the victims of violence. Hurt with the victims of slavery. Because only when God-given compassion is allowed to soften our heart can we stand, like Amos, against the tide.