Oracle Against Israel

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Amos's Call 

Amos 1:1-2,3:12-15 The Message

1 The Message of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa, that he received on behalf of Israel. It came to him in visions during the time that Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II son of Joash was king of Israel, two years before the big earthquake.

Swallowing the Same Old Lies

2 The Message:
God roars from Zion,
    shouts from Jerusalem!
The thunderclap voice withers the pastures tended by shepherds,
    shrivels Mount Carmel’s proud peak.
12 God’s Message:
“In the same way that a shepherd
    trying to save a lamb from a lion
Manages to recover
    just a pair of legs or the scrap of an ear,
So will little be saved of the Israelites
    who live in Samaria—
A couple of old chairs at most,
    the broken leg of a table.
13-15 “Listen and bring witness against Jacob’s family”—
    this is God’s Word, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
“Note well! The day I make Israel pay for its sins,
    pay for the sin-altars of worship at Bethel,
The horned altars will all be dehorned
    and scattered around.
I’ll tear down the winter palace,
    smash the summer palace—all your fancy buildings.
The luxury homes will be demolished,
    all those pretentious houses.”
        God’s Decree.

For Reflection

Again God's people have turned against him.  Because of their disobedience and idolatry, they have sealed their fate.  Of what good is their power and wealth? It will not save them from the fruits of their folly.

How much do you depend upon your personal power? How much do you depend on God?

Pray

Pray that you will be dependent upon God.  Pray that your need to build security is based upon your trust in God. Pray that you will have the courage and wisdom to follow in the footsteps of Christ.