Amos

After a while, the judgement message gets a bit old. I wonder if what has been written in the messages of the prophets are only portions of the full message, highlights, if you would. Even if it isn't, it's amazing that God was so diligent in trying to get his people to turn back to him & that his people were so persistent in not turning back.

Amos was around before the exile and starts by announcing God's judgement on a bunch of countries, leading up to Judah and Israel. One country was Phoenicia. A few years ago we did a Mediterranean cruise. The first stop was Tunisia. In Tunisia, we toured the Phoenician ruins. Not much left to indicate there were people there - some floors, a few walls, and a skeleton. As a matter of fact, there is not much left of any of the countries Amos listed in the first chapter.

God says in 9:9, "At my command, all of you will be sifted like grain. Israelites who remain fatihful will be scattered among the nations." Today, there are Jewish people all over the world. They've existed without a country until a few decades ago, and they are all over the place.

Once I get past the repetitive message of judgement, I see glimmers of hope and promise. 5:4 - "Israel, turn back to me and you will live." 9:14 - "I'll make Israel prosper again."

I read this and I wonder "Why didn't they get it?" Then I'm reminded of other places where God says he hardened their hearts and has made his people unresponsive to his voice. Is that the case here? And then there's the piece that is common in almost every book - how they treated the poor and needy. Amos goes a bit further and speaks against those who got rich off the backs of the poor.

Money and sex. Those seem to be the two downfalls of Israel as I reflect back on what i've read so far. Sounds familiar.