Amos continues describing why God was displeased with His people and the judgment He planned to impose on them. The details about why He was displeased with them might give us a better understanding of God’s heart so that we can seek to be more like Him and thus seek to enjoy greater intimacy with Him. As you read about the people’s offenses, contemplate what image the descriptions convey. People today don’t recline on beds of ivory, but we do enjoy some ridiculous luxuries. We don’t anoint ourselves with the finest of oils, but we indulge ourselves plenty. See if you can find why God is offended by these.
The descriptions of God’s intended judgement remind us that God knows how to punish. People who think they can build strongholds or employ other security measures to protect themselves against God’s judgment, are wrong. Even if God didn’t have the power to sweep man’s strongholds all away as if they were chaff (which they are!), He can impose great suffering in ways we might not consider: terror, aloneness in frightening times, hopelessness, being unable to find God. We can’t know what the latter is like because God gives us the luxury of His continual presence. We just need to remember that we don’t want to suffer that loss.
God relented to Amos’ pleas to stop the devastating punishment of Israel. It’s as if God showed Amos the devastation so that he would pray for God’s mercy, so that He could relent. God seemed eager to show mercy! Is that the view you have of God? We hear much in prophecy about how God is angry with His people and how He intends to judge them, and we get the idea from that that God is angry and judgmental. Perhaps He wants the prophet to ask Him to show mercy so that He can show mercy. Can’t He show mercy without someone asking for it? That becomes nothing more than a failure to keep His word. So we fulfill an important role in God’s showing mercy on people deserving judgment. Are you fulfilling that role?
God doesn’t just want to punish, but He wants to accomplish something constructive through judgment. Make sure that you understand the final word in the book of Amos, and you will understand what God wants to accomplish through the judgment He brings. It’s a positive message. I don’t want to deprive you of the compelling lesson by spelling it out for you, but I want you to discover it for yourself. If you need some help contact me, but I don’t think it’s easy to miss. Think about what you see God’s ultimate intention is for judgment, and what that teaches you about Him.