I don't know about you, but when I read from verses 11 through the end of the chapter, I got chills. A famine of hearing the words of the Lord, a famine of God's presence in many ways. What I find most fascinating about this chapter, though, is that it directly follows a passage where a priest (a designated representative of the people in matters of God) rejects the words of the Lord. Sometimes it is true that a person does not appreciate what is there until it is gone.
As Israel went into exile, their cry became to never ignore the words of the prophets again. Ezra has an extended prayer service after the exile to return to God. Nehemiah, before beginning his work to rebuild fallen Jerusalem, prays and confesses that this particular generation ignored the words of the prophets. Times got so desperate that people were willing to listen to just about anyone. In fact, when Jesus arrived on the scene, people were already talking about other "Messiahs" who had been defeated (Barabbas, Theudas, Judas the Galilean- Acts 5:36-37).
So I read this passage and wonder sometimes where my hunger for God's Word is. I read about people wandering all directions looking for God wherever they can, and perhaps I am spoiled. After all, if I want God's Word, I have several editions and versions of the Bible on my bookshelves, in my car, in my computer case. But I pray for me as well as for all of us that we would experience this hunger for God's Word and that we would find that it truly does satisfy. Amen.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Amos 7:10-17
It is a rare occasion in Amos where we actually get to see how people responded to him. In this case, we see the priest of Bethel who is in a lot of danger from Amos. After all, Amos is telling people that worship at Bethel is generating sinful practices. Amaziah, however, thinks that Amos is just trying to stir up trouble in Israel so that people will move to Judah (Amos is from Judah). So he tries to throw Amos out on charges of espionage and treason.
But that's not what Amos is about. He's not a hired professional. In fact, Amos isn't a professional at all. He grew fig trees and took care of sheep. He was never trained to be a prophet, he didn't inherit that job from his family, he was just a simple guy trying to obey God.
Following God is never about being a professional Christian. It doesn't require all sorts of titles and degrees. It's not about social status or any of those things. Following God is simply offering yourself and being obedient to God's call. Sometimes we think we aren't qualified as Christians, that we don't know enough or have the right skills. But those aren't the things that God looks at. God looks at a heart that is dedicated and a spirit that is humble and a voice that declares that Jesus is Lord. Amen.
But that's not what Amos is about. He's not a hired professional. In fact, Amos isn't a professional at all. He grew fig trees and took care of sheep. He was never trained to be a prophet, he didn't inherit that job from his family, he was just a simple guy trying to obey God.
Following God is never about being a professional Christian. It doesn't require all sorts of titles and degrees. It's not about social status or any of those things. Following God is simply offering yourself and being obedient to God's call. Sometimes we think we aren't qualified as Christians, that we don't know enough or have the right skills. But those aren't the things that God looks at. God looks at a heart that is dedicated and a spirit that is humble and a voice that declares that Jesus is Lord. Amen.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Amos 7:1-9
A woman went to her confessor in the early morning. And she came weeping not for herself, but for her son. Her son, who was a young man probably nearing his twenties, and and lived a very loose life. He used people, gave into every temptation that came before him, he was living the life of the prodigal son. But he was successful at the same time and saw no reason why he should ever give up his lifestyle. And his mother confessed all of his sins to her confessor (or priest), and he turned to her and said "Go home with God's blessing. For it is not possible that the son of all these tears should perish." She did. And shortly after that, a young man named Augustine gave his life to Christ and became one of the most foundational Christian writers in history, while Rome still stood as the Empire.
Now, we know that there are many who weep and intercede for people who never do turn toward Jesus. But let's consider Augustine's story for a moment and consider the power of intercession. Amos 7 gives us a clear picture of intercession. Disaster is coming toward the Israelite people in the form of locusts and fire, but Amos cries out on their behalf and God relents. Now, what is going on theologically I cannot fully explain. But what I can say is that God clearly listens to prayer. May this story in Amos inspire us to deeply pray and intercede for our community- that all might come to know Jesus Christ. Amen.
Now, we know that there are many who weep and intercede for people who never do turn toward Jesus. But let's consider Augustine's story for a moment and consider the power of intercession. Amos 7 gives us a clear picture of intercession. Disaster is coming toward the Israelite people in the form of locusts and fire, but Amos cries out on their behalf and God relents. Now, what is going on theologically I cannot fully explain. But what I can say is that God clearly listens to prayer. May this story in Amos inspire us to deeply pray and intercede for our community- that all might come to know Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Amos 6
Sometimes Scripture functions to comfort the upset and to upset the comfortable. Amos 6 is one of those passages. In the list of the 7 Deadly Sins, near the top are sloth and pride- the two sins being talked about in this passage. In an earlier post I quotes George Bernard Shaw- "indifference is the essence of inhumanity." And it works right here too. This passage starts with the complacent; specifically, the powerful. They are the ones "to whom the people of Israel come" (Amos 6:1). They are the heroes, the ones who have the power to affect change. But they just sit and ignore the world around (and below) them, cheerfully distracting themselves with parties and lots and lots of alcohol. And the comfortable couches and drunken parties have kept them from seeing that Israel is collapsing. All of their neighbors are more powerful and are still about to be brought into exile by the Assyrian Empire. But as long as the distractions keep coming, they will be fine. It is similar to the days of the Roman Empire, when the empire was collapsing, the rulers would throw festival after festival in the Colosseum, hoping to distract their people into ignoring the disaster they were in. Or perhaps it is like an entire society watching talking heads screaming at each other on the television, ignoring the problems of the people around them. Who knows?
Amos also brings up pride, and this is a place where we see the sarcasm of the prophets. Amos brings up the conquest of "Lo Debar" in verse 13. Before you scramble to a map to find Lo Debar, don't. It literally means nothing. Lo means no, debar generally speaking means thing or word. The pride of the people is misplaced. They have conquered nothing. They believe that they have taken strength by strength, pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and made it happen. But the Biblical stories and the prophets make it clear- that is not how the story really goes. But pride is a unique poison. It blinds, deafens and paralyzes. It rewrites history to favor us, and re-casts our opponents as vicious villains (all defeated, of course).
Pride and sloth are dangerous, yes, deadly sins. They invite disaster and welcome the oppressor. After all, their is no easier opponent to face than one who is lazy but thinks they are unbeatable. And so we are reaching the climax of Amos, the fact that the exile of Israel is coming. The Assyrian army will waltz into Samaria and take the nobles and all the people into captivity. But we will talk about that another day.
Amos also brings up pride, and this is a place where we see the sarcasm of the prophets. Amos brings up the conquest of "Lo Debar" in verse 13. Before you scramble to a map to find Lo Debar, don't. It literally means nothing. Lo means no, debar generally speaking means thing or word. The pride of the people is misplaced. They have conquered nothing. They believe that they have taken strength by strength, pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and made it happen. But the Biblical stories and the prophets make it clear- that is not how the story really goes. But pride is a unique poison. It blinds, deafens and paralyzes. It rewrites history to favor us, and re-casts our opponents as vicious villains (all defeated, of course).
Pride and sloth are dangerous, yes, deadly sins. They invite disaster and welcome the oppressor. After all, their is no easier opponent to face than one who is lazy but thinks they are unbeatable. And so we are reaching the climax of Amos, the fact that the exile of Israel is coming. The Assyrian army will waltz into Samaria and take the nobles and all the people into captivity. But we will talk about that another day.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Amos 5:19-27
For all that Amos has been tough to read, the opening to this passage has at least traces of dark humor to it. I can imagine a person running away from a lion, getting away and stopping to rest, leaning against a big furry pillar. Then they look up, and it's a bear! It's almost something out of a Scooby-Doo cartoon. Except that this image isn't meant just to be laughed at, it says something pretty significant to the Israelite people.
They are waiting for the "Day of the Lord," a prophesied day when God will appear and set things right. We as Christians are waiting for a similar day in the return of the Lord Jesus. But the Day of the Lord is not simply an "end of the world" vision, but a kind of reset button so that life can continue. And the Israelites celebrate the coming of this day in their worship services and pray for it every night. They assume that God will come and destroy their enemies and justify their own injustices. Amos (and by extension, God) is not so impressed. God realizes that to justify the Israelite people would be to ignore the oppression and harm they do to people. And so God rejects the sacrifices they bring because they are using them as a bribe for God to turn a blind eye to downright evil actions.
God is concerned with the oppressed in the world. God cares for the marginalized, the despised and the left-out. And when God's people don't reflect that attitude, that's a problem. Everything else may be right, but if our attitude does not reflect God's, then we have a problem. It's a gut check for all of us today (and the gut check we have had every day we have been in Amos). How do we consider the people around us? What is our attitude toward the marginalized, the despised and the left-out? Let our prayer be that God would open our eyes to suffering and open our hands to reach out in the midst of it. Amen.
They are waiting for the "Day of the Lord," a prophesied day when God will appear and set things right. We as Christians are waiting for a similar day in the return of the Lord Jesus. But the Day of the Lord is not simply an "end of the world" vision, but a kind of reset button so that life can continue. And the Israelites celebrate the coming of this day in their worship services and pray for it every night. They assume that God will come and destroy their enemies and justify their own injustices. Amos (and by extension, God) is not so impressed. God realizes that to justify the Israelite people would be to ignore the oppression and harm they do to people. And so God rejects the sacrifices they bring because they are using them as a bribe for God to turn a blind eye to downright evil actions.
God is concerned with the oppressed in the world. God cares for the marginalized, the despised and the left-out. And when God's people don't reflect that attitude, that's a problem. Everything else may be right, but if our attitude does not reflect God's, then we have a problem. It's a gut check for all of us today (and the gut check we have had every day we have been in Amos). How do we consider the people around us? What is our attitude toward the marginalized, the despised and the left-out? Let our prayer be that God would open our eyes to suffering and open our hands to reach out in the midst of it. Amen.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Amos 5:1-18
This passage is yet another heart-wrenching section of a book bathed in human sorrow. If you came to this blog expecting a devotional on the five simple ways to be happy all the time, you may want to check your search engine. This is not it. The opening of this chapter is a lament cry from the depths of Amos. As Amos sees all that is supposed to happen, a gutteral cry burst out of him that basically says "Israel is doomed forever!" And in the midst of all this pain, God comforts Amos. And God does not comfort with simple platitudes like "it will be all right" and "just don't worry, it'll all work out in the end." No, God's comfort is a tetanus booster full of grace in a needle made of reality. Sure, it still hurts, but there is healing there.
"Seek me and live" says God in Amos 5:4 and "Seek good, not evil, that you may live" in Amos 5:14. I wish I could wake up to those words every morning. Now, God's reality is not that I would seek God and be guaranteed a long life. God's meaning of life in light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is far more than that- life in eternity. But that is not to ignore what God says about the here and now. There are things in our lives that give life and things that take life away. Israel has been caught up in a lot of life-denying activity. They oppress people to make their houses. They make and take bribes in order to get their way in the courts. In that way, the words justice and righteousness are trampled until they are hardly recognizable for what they are.
But when we are seeking God, trampling the poor to build our stone mansions (Amos 5:11) does not seem to be an option. In fact, when we seek God, we seek the restoration and life for all people. Not just the ones who can give us some kind of benefit, all people. The words of Amos, although harsh, do not sound all too different from the words of Jesus, Paul and James at times when they remind us that following God has a horizontal and a vertical component. So let us go in God's grace to live just and God-seeking lives. Amen.
"Seek me and live" says God in Amos 5:4 and "Seek good, not evil, that you may live" in Amos 5:14. I wish I could wake up to those words every morning. Now, God's reality is not that I would seek God and be guaranteed a long life. God's meaning of life in light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is far more than that- life in eternity. But that is not to ignore what God says about the here and now. There are things in our lives that give life and things that take life away. Israel has been caught up in a lot of life-denying activity. They oppress people to make their houses. They make and take bribes in order to get their way in the courts. In that way, the words justice and righteousness are trampled until they are hardly recognizable for what they are.
But when we are seeking God, trampling the poor to build our stone mansions (Amos 5:11) does not seem to be an option. In fact, when we seek God, we seek the restoration and life for all people. Not just the ones who can give us some kind of benefit, all people. The words of Amos, although harsh, do not sound all too different from the words of Jesus, Paul and James at times when they remind us that following God has a horizontal and a vertical component. So let us go in God's grace to live just and God-seeking lives. Amen.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Amos 4
"Go to Bethel and sin... bring your sacrifices every morning" (Amos 4:4). Bethel was an important place of worship for Israelites after Israel and Judah divided. Jerusalem was the capital city of Judah, so Israelites were often forbidden from going there to worship in fear that they would stay. So they went to worship at this shrines in Bethel and Gilgal.
Unfortunately, those shrines would be populated with idols and people would go to worship there after committing the same injustices that Amos describes in the previous chapters. They would sell their neighbors and children into slavery and go offer the money at their shrines, boasting about their religious fervor. God sees right through it, though, and prepares a "meeting" with Israel (Amos 4:12).
It's important for us to know that God sees through our masks and disguises. And that's good news. Really? Yes, really. It's good news. We don't need to approach God hiding our baggage. We don't need to pretend to have it all together before God. The Psalms tell us that a broken and contrite spirit will not be rejected by God. So let's come to God with authenticity, seeking to see God as He is as God sees us as we are. Amen.
Unfortunately, those shrines would be populated with idols and people would go to worship there after committing the same injustices that Amos describes in the previous chapters. They would sell their neighbors and children into slavery and go offer the money at their shrines, boasting about their religious fervor. God sees right through it, though, and prepares a "meeting" with Israel (Amos 4:12).
It's important for us to know that God sees through our masks and disguises. And that's good news. Really? Yes, really. It's good news. We don't need to approach God hiding our baggage. We don't need to pretend to have it all together before God. The Psalms tell us that a broken and contrite spirit will not be rejected by God. So let's come to God with authenticity, seeking to see God as He is as God sees us as we are. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)