[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (JAC) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]
πΈπππ π:π
"The
words of Amos, who was among the π€πππ‘πππ£ππ€ of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days
of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of
Israel, two years before the earthquake”
π°ππππ πππ ππππππππ πππππππ:
There
are literary giants like Isaiah the prophet; the Psalmist the poet; Solomon,
the philosopher; Daniel, the prime minister; etc.
There
is also a room for ordinary people like Amos the shepherd. This guy is a farmer
(Amos 7:14).
Shepherds
are the lowest job in biblical times. They are considered sinners because of
their lack of 'church attendance' (Temple), tending their sheep. [However, I am
sure Amos was a committed and faithful 'church member'.]
The
point is God chose a man from such a profession to be His mouthpiece! Indeed,
God has the habit of choosing the lowest things of this world to show the
greatness of His mercy and grace, and to shame the vainglory of the world. He
even chose a prostitute Rahab to be the ancestress of Jesus. No matter where we
are, God can work wonders in our life.
BTW,
it does not mean that all professions are pleasing to God: clearly,
prostitution is not; skipping the temple is not; it just means God's grace is
vast. It reaches even the lowest hell. It reaches even the greatest sinner
(Saul the persecutor). It reaches even the greatest sin!
As
we read the book of Amos, may Amos the farmer, Amos the animal-man gives us
hope even in his proclamation of judgment!
πΈπππ π:π
"Thus
says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not
revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have
not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which
their fathers walked.’"
In
chapter 1, we see God's judgment about to come to the neighboring nations of
Judah and Israel. In chapter 2, Judah and Israel were not spared either.
In
fact, the indictment against Judah was not about wickedness as described
against other nations. The problem with Judah was that they had forsaken the
law of God and had walked away.
Sin
is not only doing "bad things,” but it's also not cherishing God. In fact,
all sins can trace back to not cherishing God. We love our sins more than God.
For example, we love to sleep more in the morning than to study God's word. π¬
πΈπππ π:π
"You
only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you
for all your iniquities."
Wow!
What a contrast!
If
God loves only the Israelites, it will be very appropriate to say, "I will
forgive all your sins and punish others." However, because of love, God
will punish His love. True love corrects people, disciplines people, and
exhorts people. It's because of this love, God punishes! And of course, His
punishment is not to damn us, but to save us.
πΈπππ π:π
"Hear
this word, you ππ π¨π€ of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who
oppress the poor, who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, ‘Bring now,
that we may drink!’"
I
have a friend who had a grudge against his pastor because one day the pastor visited
his hostel and rebuked them for unhygienic and disorderly living. Hmm! Boys'
Hostel!! He compared their hostel to a pigsty and their living to pigs. My
friend thought the pastor should not use such words or make such comparisons.
This
world is interesting. Even Christians are interesting. They know exactly what
the pastors should do and shouldn't do, but they don't know even how to make
their beds properly.
Two-thirds
of my life I've lived so far has been as a church member. I have heard and seen
all kinds of criticisms, accusations, and slander against pastors. Evidently,
they haven't read their Bible.
Amos
is calling these women, cows. Hmm! Feminists won't be happy! Paul called those
Christian who insisted on circumcision, dogs. John the Baptist called those who
seek to know his theology, Vipers. Jesus went further and called those
religious leaders, snakes, brood of Vipers, children of Satan, Blind, etc. Maybe,
I should also start enriching my vocabulary! Just kidding. π
Another
anecdote:
A
few years ago, while I happened to be in my village going to church for the
Sunday Evening service, we heard the news that 2 ZUF cadres (underground) had
molested 2 girls from a distant village. My village pastor was furious and said
that such people should be apprehended and chopped into pieces.
Wow!
Such a violent word. I thought it was very unbecoming of a pastor. I was
offended. I don't even remember what he preached that evening. Then a few years
later, I read from 1 Samuel 15, that the prophet Samuel chopped Agag into
pieces. Hmm! My pastor was definitely biblical in his thought. Definitely, he
wasn't saying they should be butchered into pieces. I am sure he was connecting the banality of
sin and evil to that of Agag. Was he wrong to say that? I thought so. I was
very offended. But now, I think he wasn't wrong. Actually, he was being
biblical.
What
about a person like me who got offended and didn't remember the rest of his
sermon? Well, that's not his fault. Even Jesus had offended a lot of people. In
fact, sometimes, Jesus refused to simplify His teachings. In John 6, He was
telling them to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Many (not some) went away
from Jesus. Jesus didn't back down. He even offered to His 12 chosen people to
go away if they wanted.
But
the 12 did the right thing. They asked what Jesus meant. I should have gone to
my village pastor and asked him what he meant instead of getting offended and
walking away like those many disciples of John 6.
In
this world, we can't live to please everyone. We won't be pleased with everyone
either.