Everyone likes for things to go well in their lives, in their neighborhoods, and with their country. Nobody likes to see trouble looming ahead. Nobody wants to go through trials and problems. However, the more at ease one’s life is, the easier it is to forget God and grow complacent. This was one of the problems that the Prophet Amos sought to address with the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Let’s take a look at our brief passage from Scripture today.
The prophet Amos preached his messages from the Lord to the nation of Israel during the mid-8th century BC. The two kingdoms of Israel and Judah had split from one another during the early years of King Rehoboam, son of King Solomon, about two hundred years earlier. The northern Kingdom of Israel was a rather prosperous country, with the vast, fertile fields of the area of Galilee. Very soon after the split of the two countries, the majority of the people of Israel fell into idolatry, and forsook the rightful worship of Yahweh. What did they need Yahweh for, they felt. Their fields were producing, their businesses were going well, they were prosperous, and becoming very wealthy. They had nice houses, fancy clothes and jewels, their dinner tables held the choicest of meals, and their children had the best of everything. They had no need for God in their life, as everything was going fine without Him.
We see a lot of that today. When everything is going fine in one’s life, they quickly forget God. When one’s job is going well, the paychecks keep rolling in, and often with increases in salary, they have a nice house or two or three, several nice cars, the best clothes, the best food, etc. they feel there is no need for God. Even if they get sick, they can afford the top doctors and hospitals in the country. That is the condition of countless people today, very content, complacent, and careless. That was the condition of the nation of Israel when Amos preached to them between 765-755 BC. However, God had a warning for them, as He does for us today.
Great wealth and comfortable life-styles may make people think they are secure, but God is not pleased if we turn away from Him and from other’s needs, as the Israelites did. Amos warned that if they did not return to the Lord God, they would face His judgment, and the kingdom would soon fall. God had destroyed other kingdoms and cities in the past because of their pride. What happened to them would happen to Israel, and then even later to their sister country of Judah in the south. They were filled with pride, but God warned them that they were no better than the countries He had already destroyed.
The Israelites were so caught up with their prosperity that they had completely written Yahweh out of their lives. They were prideful in their affluence and military victories, they believed they didn’t need Him anymore. They could just go home and stretch out on their beds inlaid with ivory, eat their elegant meals, and listen to their fine music. No need for them to worry about anything, or so they thought.
When called to repent, Israel refused. They were not willing to give up their wealth and ease for God, and it ended up costing them everything. In just a few short decades the Assyrian Empire would come in and destroy their nation. All of their wealth, their homes, beds inlaid with ivory and gold, their jewels, chariots, would all be in the hands of the Assyrians. If they weren’t brutally killed, they were taken captive. Where did what they trust in get them? God had promised to love and care for those who were faithful to Him, but they had, instead, turned their backs on Him.
What about people today? Most of the world seeks to accumulate riches and wealth just like the people of Israel did in the days of Amos. They feel they have no need for God, just like those folks did. And most preachers today, instead of faithfully preaching God’s Word, instead preach a feel-good or prosperity message. No matter what they preach today, the Day of Judgment is coming. It came for Israel. Amos and other prophets and preachers sounded a warning, and few listened. What about us? We are no better. We need to examine our life, rid ourselves of any spiritual complacency, and turn to the Lord Jesus and His Word.
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