The Lord showed me a vision of the locusts, the vision of the fire, and the vision of the plumb line.  My prayers were answered according to the Lord’s sovereignty.  My third vision of concerned a plumb line.  A plumb line is used by builders and masons to determine how straight a wall is.  God’s plumb line is His word, and He uses it for measuring spiritual and moral uprightness.  In this case, the people of Israel was being measured.  Were they found to be upright?  How straight is our own wall?

In comparison to the other cities like Calneh, Hamath and Gath, Israel was by far much “better off”.  However, rather than putting their trust in the One who blessed them with such material possessions, the Israelites looked for security in the things they owned.  Worst still, they showed no concern over the ruin that was soon to overtake them.  Because of their misplaced affections, God will soon remove both his people and their possessions. 

The grace of God was extended to the Israelites.  The word of God pleaded with the people to “seek God and live”.  God had warned the Israelites not to go to Bethel, Gilgal and Beersheba.  Such places had become centres of idolatory worship.  Gilgal was the place that Israel had entered the land under Joshua, it was there that the people will go out in captivity.  Bethel was known as the “house of God”, but under Jeroboam I, the “house of God” had become an idolatrous shrine.  Beersheba was way south in the kingdom of Judah, but the Israelites were making their way past the true temple in Jerusalem and making pilgrimages to the idolatrous shrine in Beersheba. 

Following the judgement on Israel’s sin of idolatory, the Lord had asked me to pronounce judgement against the injustice committed by the Israelites.  The theme of injustice was repeatedly highlighted in my pronouncement of judgement upon Israel, signifying the heart of God towards the poor and needy. 

Idolatory and injustice will be judged.  Seek God and seek good. 

Be it good times or bad times, the Israelites had turned away from God.

In good times, the Israelites committed acts of injustice and oppression.  The God who prospered them had expected them to show concern for the poor and needy.  Outwardly, although they seemed pious and had the forms of worship; inwardly, they were corrupt. 

Even though the Israelites are living in good times now, there were times that they suffered under the chatisement of God.  Yet they have not returned to God. 

The Israelites were clearly not prepared to meet their God, but little would they know that God would meet them soon, not in a face-to-face sense, but as God intervenes in history to effect their destruction.  Some 40 years later, the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians and the people were literally led out with fishooks.

Are we prepared to meet our God, anytime?

Perhaps it has been a while.  The people of Israel seemed to have forgotten how the Lord delivered them from the hands of the Egyptian masters and how the Lord showed kindness by raising up prophets from among the people.  But the Israelites have turned away.  The punishment of God is certain, but it was certainly not without reason (Amos 3:3-6) or warning (Amos 3:7). 

The chatisement of God in our life is not without reason, and often comes with prior warnings through the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  Are we heeding these warnings?

Following the prophecies against Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom and Ammon, I went on to prophesy against Moab, Judah and Israel.  Moab had a deep spirit of revenge which went as far as desecrating the tomb of the Edomite king. 

Judah turned away from the law of God and committed religious apostasy.

And Israel committed social injustice.  By then, the wrath of God was impending. Even the bravest warrior cannot withstand the wrath of God. 

 The Lord will not be silent.   

Hi, I am Amos.  I live in Tekoa, a place not very far from Bethlehem.  Some bible scholars call me a prophet.  That’s only half true, because for the large part of my life, I am a shepherd.  I am what some of you modern day Christians would term as a marketplace minister.  But little did I expect that God would call me to be the prophetic voice in my generation.  In the next series of blog entries, I am going to share with you my story.

In around the time that I live, the roar of the Lord was evident.  From Mt Carmel in the North to the green pastures in the South, the Lord was ready to mete out his judgments – on Israel’s neighbours and on Israel.

For three sins … even for four … [adding up to seven] speaks of the fullness of sin committed by Israel’s neighbours.  Damascus was guilty of brutality, Gaza was guilty of enslaving its captives, Tyre was guilty of breaking a covenant of brotherhood, Edom was guilty of its angry pursuit of their Jewish brothers, and Ammon was guilty of brutal extermination of the helpless for the purpose of expansion. 

Should the Lord be silent?