Amos
3 reminds me of a mom we once knew. She was sweet and kind and did
not like the idea of harsh punishment for her kids. When they
misbehaved she would begin counting very slowly. I think the idea
was that at “three” something bad was supposed to happen. It
never did. Her kids did not respond to her warning, and even seemed
to mock her when she began to count. As a result she was frazzled
all the time, and her kids were really unpleasant to be around.
Great parents may disagree on the type of punishment, but without a
warning and follow-through of promised discipline, children do not
change behavior. In today’s chapter God makes it clear that His
rules have not changed, and He does not bluff nor make empty threats.
Amos begins, “Hear
this word, people of Israel, the word the Lord has spoken against
you…‘You
only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will
punish you for
all your sins.’”
He asks a series of questions to make it clear, “Do
two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?”
The Hebrew people accepted a covenant promise to walk with God in
the ways of righteousness. “Does
a lion roar in the thicket when it has no prey?”
Lions do not roar while they stalk their prey, only after they make
the kill. His point is, “Surely
the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His
servants the prophets“.
Will God’s people listen, or ignore the warning?
I
hear people ridicule the notion found in Proverbs 13:24, “Whoever
spares the rod hates their children“.
People equate it to violence and hateful beatings. But the second
half of the verse adds, “…but
the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them“.
Discipline involves coaching, teaching, encouragement and yes,
punishment when needed. It is the loving dad that disciplines. Each
of us has free will and all of us can choose to listen or ignore
discipline. The first verse of Proverbs 13 says, “A
wise son heeds his father’s instruction“.
Please understand that a father might have a harder edge, but all
good dads want their children to succeed. Do you know a wise father
that wants the best for you?
The
rest of the chapter predicts what will happen if God’s people do
not listen and react. “See
the great unrest within her and the oppression among her people…
They do not know how to do right“.
Amos paints a painful picture of a nation left in tatters after
consciously wandering away from God’s protection, “As
a shepherd rescues from the lion’s mouth only two leg bones or a
piece of an ear,
so
will
the
Israelites living in Samaria be rescued“.
The results of rebellion can be disturbing; leaving a life torn and
bloody. The chapter closes with a final promise that none are above
judgment. “On
the day I punish Israel for her sins, I will destroy the altars of
Bethel… the winter house along with the summer house…
and
the
mansions will be demolished.“
Excuse
makers today want to blame God when they fail to respond to
instruction. Roman chapter 2 makes it clear that each of us will be
held accountable for what we have been taught. “All
who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and
all who sin under the law will be judged by the law…
the
requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their
consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes
accusing“.
Friend, please don’t wait for a countdown, God the Father always
keeps His promises.