Live As Ye Have Spoken
Amos 5:14 - “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.”
Amos was a prophet who hailed from the southern kingdom of Judah. However, he was called upon to deliver his divine message against the northern kingdom of Israel and the surrounding nations. This led to some resistance from the prideful Israelites, unwilling to accept Amos' warnings and prophecies.
During Jeroboam's reign, the northern kingdom enjoyed material prosperity. However, the moral decay that had set in had counteracted any progress or growth, rendering the kingdom vulnerable to divine punishment.
God used Amos to deliver His message to the privileged Israelites, who lacked love for their neighbors and exploited them while being self-centered. He holds the Israelites responsible for their mistreatment of others. Amos repeatedly highlights the failure of the people to embrace God's concept of justice.
Needy individuals were being traded for goods, exploiting those who were helpless, oppressing those who were poor, and engaging in immoral behavior with women. The people had abandoned the idea of looking out for each other, and Amos admonished them for this, as he saw it as proof that Israel had forgotten about God.
Even though they appeared successful on the outside, their inner selves were consumed by moral decay. Instead of striving to do what is right, show compassion, and act humbly, they indulged in their pride, worship of material possessions, and self-righteousness.
Amos conveyed God's complete rejection of the hypocritical lives of His people. The prophecy ends with only a brief restoration, which is directed towards Judah instead of Israel's northern kingdom (9:11–15). This message is still relevant to us today.
As Christians, we sometimes overlook the suffering of others in favor of what we view as more significant work, such as praying, preaching, and teaching. Our tendency towards self-righteousness and judgemental attitudes can lead us to neglect to show care and God's love in our actions.
Injustice is a pervasive problem in our world, yet we must strive to prioritize compassion and empathy in our interactions with those around us. Amos reminds us that those works, while unquestionably central to a believer’s life, ring hollow when we don’t love and serve others in our own lives.
Do you find yourself falling into that trap at times—prioritizing prayer over service? The prophecy of Amos should make us realize that both are essential. God has called Christians not only to be in a relationship with Him but also relationships with others.
For Christians whose tendency has been to focus more on the invisible God than on His visible creation, Amos pulls us back toward the center, where both the physical and the spiritual needs of people matter in God’s scheme of justice.
Our Prayer for today:
Dear Lord, please forgive us for too often we hide under the cloak of righteousness that we fail to be strong in grace and exercise Your love for others. Help us, dear Lord, to show compassion in real time and not only promise eternity. Amen.