Author Archive: joe

Death and destruction was the message that Amos was going to have to carry in chapters 8 and 9. A message that probably wasn't the first thing that came to his mind to talk about. After all, who wants to be the "Bad News Bear?"

Even though Amos had been threatened for coming and telling people that they were not living right. A message that God loved them, but they were not living up to His standards. Amos made sure that he continued to say "I'm just telling you what God said and is saying."

His blast may have been "You got a problem with this message, then take it up with the One who gave it to me!"

One of the things that Amos proclaimed[more] was the even though all the problems that might come would be bad, the worst would be not hearing the word of the Lord. The image he brought to people's minds was that of no food or water, the missing word would be even worse. He said "You will want to hear the word of the Lord, but as hard as you look, you won't find it."

The message was that even though He comes to destroy this wicked nation – He will leave some who will return to rebuild the nation. Who were the wicked, and what was the punishment – you can read it for yourself. It was not a pretty picture! His word was that He would sift Israel like grain. It probably came as a shock then that no one escaped punishment for their sins. Even those who said "Nothing is going to happen to us."

But…

The story does not end at "death and destruction!" God has greater plans. From a down and out, destroyed nation, they will rebuild. Their regrowth will be in ways they cannot imagine. He says "You will have so many crops, that the harvesting crew won't be able to keep up with the planter." It will be like fast growing crops.

God would be faithful to His promise to restore David's people. He would see that the tent was repaired and it's ruins rebuilt.

He said it. He meant it. He did it!

They weren't new marching orders. What Amos got was a clear image of just how bad things were and he was to "go and tell." In chapter 7, God put a plumb line up against his people. He said to Amos "Here is the line, and the people are not meeting the rules. They are not living the way I told them to."

That was a clear picture for Amos – clear enough that he went out and began saying "You are not meeting God's requirements. You haven't been and don't want to play by the rules, so you don't get to play anymore."

Needless to say, that really got some people a little upset with Amos. In fact, one king told Amos he needed to stop telling people how they ought to live and go back to his country. Period![more]

It's more than a little interesting that even today, people don't want to hear how God expects us to live. We want to interpret what He has said in light of some cultural, environmental or historical perspective.

But God has not changed!

History stands as witness to what Amos said. Everything he said for God actually happened to the Isrealites. Still we don't want to know that. We don't want to hear "someone" telling us how to live our lives, or what the punishment might be for not living that way. We can't believe that God would use "tough love" on us – that he would actually punish people for not following His rules. After all, we live in a different age, and know more, and have so much more, and besides, "He is a loving God."

Listen to the words of Amos in chapter 8 as he condemns the people for "not counting accurately, cheating on the scales, hiking prices and putting the dirt in with the wheat. Remember those "plumped chickens" in that commercial?

Once upon a time, I kicked a student out of one of my classes. He just happened to be a very good semi-pro boxer (had me by about 75 pounds and 3-4 inches). He wanted to fight me over being kicked out, and I agreed, saying "Okay, I'll fight you but we'll use my rules." His immediate response was "You can't do that, there are rules to boxing." My response was "Well, there are rules to attending this class, and you chose not to follow those rules, so why should you expect me to follow your rules in boxing."

Needless to say, he did not want to fight me under my rules, which we never even talked about.

What's your measure for living? Your rules or His?

I remember watching those poker tournaments on TV and the movies, where they got to the point of making their last bet. They thought they had the cards to win, and so the slid all their money across the table as their bet and said "All In!" That meant they did not have anything else and that they were willing to risk all that they had because of what they believed at that moment.

On the TV tournaments, you can see the supposed anguish on the faces of the players (gamblers). Many turn away totally disappointed and saddened. It's interesting that somehow they manage to come back the next week or month with another pile of money.

That was not the case with our friend Job however. After being lambasted [more]and put down by his older friends, he should have had no fire left in his belly. His will should have been crushed and his mouth left to babble in total frustration.

Not so!

Job laid out a scenario in chapter 31 that probably put his friends in a box. In effect, Job put it "all in." He put a big light on his life.

Would you be willing to utter the words of Job. They were more to the effect "If I have done anything wrong, then give me the punishment on the list!"

At every turn in this chapter, Job declares "here's the way to live, and here's the way I lived. I followed the rules, so why is all this happening to me?" Job decided he was going to wait for God to answer, and that he was going to wait patiently for Him to do that.

Job's words should be our guide. His analogies are easy to follow. He only asked that his life be judged with accurate scales. Job says, "If I have sinned, then let the punishment come." How many of us would be willing to yell that out while standing in the middle of our friends. More than likely, we would whisper it in our car or bathroom, and then add "but not yet!"

There was no unturned stone – Job held a light on his life that spoke of lust, falsehoods and adultery. He portrayed treatment of slaves, orphans and the poor. And then there were the "things" that life is all about.

Would you – could you speak the words that Job said here? Job's response to his problems was not a "maybe", it was that everything he had and ever did could stand as a witness. A witness to his belief that he served a just God, and he would leave his life on that altar.

It was like "If I have done anything wrong, strike me dead!"