The Wayside Pulpit No.34
The Lesson of Amos
I
have today received a communication of a most ominous nature, a prophetic
message to the effect that the western coast of North America is WITHIN DAYS to
receive an earthquake, the size of which will be sufficient to cause the whole
coastal plain to slide into the ocean.
Of
course, there are many who will just laugh it off, saying that this type of
junk message has been heard a million times before. And they will be waiting to
poke fun at the author of the message as soon as the time passes without a
seismic murmur.
There
will be others who are rather more sensitive, and will treat the message
seriously, and hope it doesn't happen. They will be watching, and waiting, and
will heave a sigh of relief if
But
there will be some who, having received the message, will give themselves to
prayer. This is what the prophet requested, that the Lord will see sufficient
repentance from the American people to cancel the event. Does the Bible give us
a clear directive? I think it does, in the person of Amos.
In
Amos chapter 7 the prophet was shown three visions, each one of terrible
judgment. The first vision was of the Lord actually forming millions of
locusts, ready to eat up the vegetation of the land. Amos prayed. "Oh Lord
God, forgive, I beseech You . . ." And the Lord changed His mind,
and told Amos that it would not be.
In
the next vision Amos saw the Lord about to visit the earth with a swathe of
fire, destroying everything in sight. Amos prayed yet again. "Oh Lord God,
cease, I beseech You . . ." And the Lord changed His mind, and told
Amos that this would not be.
In
the third vision, Amos saw the Lord standing on a well made wall, holding a
plumb-line in His hand. Before Amos could utter a prayer, the Lord said that He
would not pass by His people any more, but would judge them for their
wrong-doings, hence the symbol of the plumb-line.
The
prophet Joel has also seen a massive swarm of locusts, ready to devour the
whole land. But he also had the mind of the Lord, and wrote it down for all to
read. "Thus says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart, with fasting,
weeping, and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and turn to the
Lord your God, for He is gracious, and merciful, and of a great kindness, and
changes His mind over the (predicted) calamity." (Joel 2:12-14)
There
are many Christian books on the market that seem to take a ghoulish delight in
writing about the great plague of locusts in the Book of Revelation, and the
other great disasters predicted to strike the earth in these last days. The
authors don't seem to have digested the message of Amos, that the calamities
are meant to bring God's people to their knees in repentance.
We
don't need to emulate the behaviour of Jonah, who wanted to see
Moses
was told by the Lord that He would destroy the whole house of
Yes,
there are some judgments that can be averted by prayer, but there will always
be a plumb-line, by which God will judge His people. Whatsoever we sow, that
shall we also reap, and there is no respect of persons with God.
The
Apostle Paul likewise had the true spirit of Christ within him when he uttered
those amazing words, saying, "I have great heaviness and continual sorrow
in my heart, for I could wish myself accursed from Christ for my brethren, my
kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites." (Romans 9:2-3) How
many of us have the sacrificial love for others that would match that?
Personally, I shrink from the very thought, which is to my shame.
Brethren,
during the last month the world has seen many large-scale tragedies, most of
which are called "acts of God" by the insurance companies. Others,
like the train crash in