Amos: the Roaring God and the Famine of the Word

Oct 25

Oct 25 Amos: the Roaring God and the Famine of the Word

A helpful definition of a Prophet is Covenant Enforcement Officer. Amos (and others), pushes the people back to the covenant, brings charges, and announces penalties. He also offers hope.

Amos wrote not too long before Isaiah and in both books, we detect an air of complacency in Israel and Judah. They are peaceful, economically secure, enjoying some degree of comfort, and religiously ticking the right boxes (in the south at least, Amos addresses both). However, one didn’t have to scratch too far below the surface to see some things were not right. There were in fact great injustices. Wealth was being made by exploitation and their comfort had led to decadence, some even of a sexual nature. Amos’ message highlights these. Specifically, he addresses Judah concerning their rejection of God’s law and idolatry 2:4. He addresses Israel concerning oppression, immorality, sacrilege 2:6-8, disdain for their heritage 2:9-10, and hatred of holiness 2:11-12. Once Amos has brought the charges, he pronounces judgment in the form of the covenant curses. Nature will work against them. But. right at the end of the prophecy, 9:11-15, there is hope as God, through David’s line restores his people and blesses them again.

One aspect I wanted to pick up on is God’s word in Amos. God roars! 1:2, “The LORD roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem…” Through Amos’ writing and preaching God’s message is not a whisper, not a mighty roar. It reminds us of CS Lewis comment about Aslan, "Course he isn't safe, but he is good. He is not a tame lion." He roars out of his goodness, but a roaring lion is neither safe nor tame. This should encourage our preaching and speaking about the Lord, as we do so he is roaring, through our spluttering.

However, the Lord’s roar is not always a welcome noise. Sometimes, not even for God’s people. In chapter 7, Amaziah the Priest accuses Amos of treason and advises him to leave, 7:13 “…never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom”. One old commentator called Amaziah, “the Archdeacon of Bethel”, he is saying, “I’m the king’s chaplain and this is his chapel, so just preach nice up building sermons please.”

As Evangelicals, we can be indignant about the selective hearing of some quarters of the Church (not concerned about doctrine or morality). However, before we start our rant, that is of course a charge levelled at us, are we concerned about all of God’s word?

How will the untamed roaring God respond? Funnily enough, not by roaring louder, but by silence. Usually silence is a sign of judgement, God gives the silent treatment. 8:11-13, he sends a famine of the word, people now have to travel extraordinary distances to receive it. There are many judgements mentioned in Amos, but this is perhaps the most chilling, a bit like Romans 1, God hands people over to their own desires and wilful ignorance.

That is something to ponder. That the scarcity of quality preaching is not just a matter of training and recruitment, but judgement. The solution then must be prayer and repentance.

Of course, Amos isn’t the last time God is seen as a lion in Scripture. In Revelation 5:5 Jesus is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” and seeing him is good news, “do not weep!” Like Amos, Jesus makes war with his words to defeat his enemies. But, when John turns to see the Lion of Judah, what does he see? In Revelation 5:6, “Then I saw a lamb, looking as if it had been slain”. The roaring lion is the lamb who was slain. The gospel message that thunders out, is that forgiveness for our sin is in the name of Jesus Christ. Pray that this message may feed and satisfy us and that we don’t have to travel from sea to sea for it.