The Prophet - Amos

Amos was not a professional Prophet.  He wanted folk to know that.  He saw how the professional Prophets used their position for self gain at the expense of the truth of God - the role of the prophet.  You see, telling the future is NOT the role of the Prophet of God (Nabi).  That is a "seer".  A Prophet tells what God's will is and what the benefits are of following God's will and what the consequences are for not following the will of God.

Amos offered angry words because God was angry.
Amos offered a warning to ALL the nations around Israel and Judah, including God's people in that  kingdom, because God is the God of ALL nations and peoples, and God expected them ALL to act differently than they were in the world - THIS PART of God's Kingdom.  God warned the nations through Amos, and the threat of Assyria was looming to be the hand of God in teaching the nations, including God's chosen and delivered people, the consequences of mistreating each other.

It was a time of relative prosperity, peace and military might with Israel and Judah.  The people were gaining in affluence and quite content.  But how they got that and what they did with it were not pleasing to God. Amos had been kicked out of the royal sanctuary at Bethel because of his conflict with the priest Amaziah and others who did not tell what God wanted, but rather taught that prosperity and strength was a sign of God's favor.

He was forced to give a harsh word in a pleasant climate to people who had benefitted from corruption  and had gotten their power and wealth on the backs of other nations and those within their own nation (the real reason for their prosperity and power).  They were ruthless and oppressive toward others, and that did not please God.

And so, he started with oracles against Israel's neighbors and addressed their abuses of other nations around them.
Then he turned on Israel for her sins of exploitation and injustice with her own people.
Finally, he shared God's vision of coming doom as a consequence of God's people not living within the Law God provided for them - to love God and love Neighbor as self.

It was for their greed and lust for power that Israel and Judah were to pay the price.
Amos did not mince words, even called them derogatory names - Cows of Bashan - and quite clearly laid out what God was displeased about -
      their exploitation and oppression of the poor and keeping them down for their own benefit (4:1-3)
      personal gain on the backs of the poor, ignoring the needs of the poor they exploited (5:10-13)
      daring to worship and sacrifice as if they could be pleasing to God, while doing injustice
            (5:21-27)
      those with opulent wealth who live lives of luxury while others in the nation suffer (6:4-7)
      those who set the system to benefit the wealthy at the expense of the poor, in an attempt to
              "own" them, and cheating those who have no power for personal again (8:4-7)

Things would change.  They would be conquered, all of them and sent into exile, which meant that they would lose everything.  The nation had collectively sinned.  The priests, the false prophets, the king, the wealthy who controlled the wealth and power had all hurt those most vulnerable, and they would have to pay the price for it.

We can believe that we are the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth, and that because of our "exceptionalism" we are entitled to gain more off the backs of other nations and those who live within our own nation.  We can be the most ruthless in the world, but claim to be "Christian" and therefore that we are blessed because of our worship and praise.  We can mistreat the most vulnerable here and abroad for our own gain.  If we do, we are NOT living what God wills.

How we treat others is ALL about our relationship with God.  Our worship and praise, even tithes (sacrifices) are meaningless if we ignore the needs of the most vulnerable or exploit others for our own gain at their expense.  God is the God of ALL nations and peoples.  God will use as God's right hand, whatever and whomever GOD chooses to bring the people of God into the Love of God and Neighbor that God wills.  It is not about purity and holiness, worship, praise or tithes.  It is clearly about how we treat others who God loves.

Read Amos.  Look at our nation and its practices through military might and economic influence.  This is America's Prophet, here and now.

Pastor Jamie

next week: The Prophet - Jesus