Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall;” vs. 4
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Amos wasn’t on a tour when he ventured north into Israel, so he was unimpressed by the stone fortresses of the capital Samaria and the trappings of wealth and prosperity. Like the rich of every time and place they spared no expense in furnishing their homes and they feasted on lamb chops and veal. But Amos had only one word for them. “Alas,” he said again. “Alas!” The good times would soon be coming to an end. There is no nation that can indulge the rich, steal from the poor and long endurance. That’s just not how it works, especially for a country that pays lip service to their faith and heaps abuse on those who God loves. Eventually Israel was overrun by the Assyrians, its cities were destroyed, and the people went into exile. Seldom will any nation listen to the voices of a prophet, especially when things are going well. We can see that in our own country as we face the challenges of climate change, immigration, and international turmoil. Rather than heeding the warnings of disasters voiced by a few, we have chosen to close our eyes to potential disasters in favor of massive short-term gain. Of course, no one likes to listen to prophets–their message is a downer. But soon there’ll only be one word for us. “Alas!” And then it will be too late!
Thought for the Day: What would repentance look like for our country?
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