Today, we turn to the prophet Amos, one of the so-called "minor prophets" of the Old Testament, but significantly although minor in tradition, Amos is first in many other ways.  Amos was the first of the prophet who called out Israel and prophesied that God would exile the people of God from the Promised Land.  For a people who were always written as the people of God’s promise, this was a shocking new turn of events. As you can guess, the book of Amos is not the most complimentary or happy of books.

Amos, was from Judah, the southern state of Israel. He was a shepherd and also worked in an orchard. He was not a priest or a professional prophet like Samuel or Moses, but unlike many of his prophetic colleagues we don’t hear much about his calling, or even how he felt about it. 

The Book of Amos gets right to the point.

The Book begins with God calling out several nations for a multitude of sins; such as “selling whole communities of captives…disregarding a treaty of brotherhood”, ”casting off all pity”, they have “ripped open pregnant women in Gilead in order to enlarge their territory”.  Israel itself was enjoying a prosperous time of wealth and security, but they used that time to benefit the rich and oppress the poor.

This is the theme of Amos, God’s righteous anger against the nations.  God is depicted as a just warrior, rightfully angered against the people for their disregard of his laws.  For the horrific way that the leaders have treated their people and throughout Amos, God not only lists the horrible sins of the nations, but the incredible ways that God will punish the nations for their sins.  Justly because it is clear that the people knew God’s law, but refused to follow what they had been taught, and it’s clear God has had enough.

“Seek the Lord and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, …The one who made the Pleiades and Orion and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the water of the sea and pours it out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name.

For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe and push aside the needy in the gate.

Seek good and not evil, that you may live, and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,  just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate”

 

In a time when the people of Israel were living in a period of relative prosperity, with their political power and religious institutions flourishing; Amos confronted them with the truth: their wealth and power were built on the oppression of the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable.

We live in a similar world today. We live in a world where the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen. Where racism, sexism, and other forms of systemic oppression continue to take a front row seat. We live in a world where climate change is ignored and  so called ‘natural disasters’ devastate the most vulnerable countries.

In these circumstances, Amos’s cry for justice challenges us, it begs the question of what Amos would be called to say if he were here now.  In Amos’ time it was understood that tragedy and devastation was a direct consequence of our own actions or inactions.  We now believe that God is not sending hurricanes as a result of his displeasure, but are we really without blame?  Our actions however small add to the cumulative toll of humanity on this earth, God’s creation, and it is our historical and contemporary self interest that impact the climate so negatively.  Conversely, it could be our positive impact that reverses the damage.  We know what God calls us to do.

 Amos not only prophesies against the people and political leadership he also calls out the hypocrisy of the religious establishments as well.  Any and all who knew the lord, but refused to live out the Lord’s commands.  We read…

"I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals, I will not look upon."

 

The people of Israel were just going through the motions.  Faking worship, offering sacrifices, celebrating festivals, and paying lip service to God, while at the same time exploiting the poor and ignoring the cries of the oppressed. God’s judgment, according to Amos, is not on the outward forms of worship but on the inward corruption of the people’s hearts and the way they neglected the justice God required.

Which begs the question, how do we measure up to Amos. Are our prayers and praise, our hymns and liturgies, truly honoring God, or are they mere rituals, empty and disconnected from the way we live our lives? Do we acknowledge the injustice around us, or do we turn a blind eye and just “go through the motions” of our faith?

Jesus, too, reminds us that loving God and loving our neighbor are not separate commands. True worship is not confined to the church building; it is in how we live our lives in the world, wherever and when ever.  Without integrity, our worship is empty and meaningless.  After all, God doesn’t need worship to bolster his own ego, but rather it strengthens us and teaches us to live out God’s words in our daily life.

Amos also makes it clear that this isn’t a prophesy that affects just the political and priestly leadership, but all of us who are privileged and able to help, but chose self over others.

Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and lounge on their couches and eat lambs from the flock
    and calves from the stall,  who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David improvise on instruments of music,  who drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils
    but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!   Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,
    and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.

 

 We are the privileged in many ways and those who do have the luxuries of health, house, food and security have a God ordained responsibility.  Amos reminds us that the people of Israel and indeed we should know better.  One of the few passages we normally hear in the regular lectionary is that of Amos and his plumb line.

This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel;
    I will spare them no longer; 9 the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
    and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

The people knew what the standard was.  The Lord’s law was the plumb line, by which they had a measure of what was the ‘straight and narrow way’.  Yet, even with the law, the covenant, the promise the people did not obey.

Amos becan the first prophet that told the people that they would be exiled form the promised land because of their sins.  They had broken the covenant so terribly that God was going to break everything down the ground and the people would have to rebuild.  Literally and metaphorically, breaking down their sinful habits and being rebuilt as a people of God once more. 

 

Despite the harsh messages of judgment throughout the book, there is also a message of hope. God promises to restore the fallen house of David, to rebuild the ruins. This is not merely a promise to Israel in Amos's time; it is a promise that echoes through the whole of Scripture. In Christ, we see the fulfillment of God's promise to restore justice, to rebuild the world as it should be, where peace reigns and all people have enough.

As Christians, we are invited to work with God in the work of reconciliation, renewal, and restoration. That’s what it means to be Christian to work for justice here and now, to bring healing to broken relationships, to stand against oppression, and to share our resources with the poor.

The book of Amos is important for all it’s harshness because it challenges us to live out our faith not just in words, but in action. It calls us to confront injustice, whether in our own hearts or in the structures of society. It calls us to bring our faith into the streets, to listen to the cries of the poor and oppressed, and to stand with them in solidarity.

Let us pray

 

O God of justice,
You who called the prophets to speak truth to power, we hear your call today. Open our eyes to the injustice in the world around us, and open our hearts to those who suffer. Help us to be faithful in our worship, not only through song and prayer, but in our actions for justice. May your justice roll down like waters, and may righteousness flow through us like an ever-flowing stream. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.