From Amos 1:1-5, 13-2:8 (at the bottom of the post)
Amos's fiery speech is worthy of a political rally...especially one to "rally the base." Both sides of the political spectrum know what buttons to push to rile folks up, to play on their sense of entitlement and "rightness."
Amos plays the part. The visual is Oscar-worthy.
"The Lord roars...the pastures of the shepherds wither, and the top of Carmel dries up."
Go God!!!
"For three transgressions of Damascus and for four..."
Yeah!!! Those sinners in Damascus need to get what's coming to them!
"For three transgressions of the Ammonites and for four..."
Whoop! They are worse than Damascus. Bring your judgement! Straighten this world out!
"For three transgressions of Moab and for four..."
Oooh...the worst of the worst. No mercy! Bring it on!
"For three transgressions of Judah and for four..."
Yes! Wait...no. That's us.
"For three transgression of Israel and for four..."
..............silence...........In Advent, we are taught to look for the coming of our savior. Well, we look for the coming of a savior. Mostly for those other people. We are good. At least we try to be. And we are nothing like those people. They need God's judgment.
In the silence of the shocking announcement we learn that we, too, are in line for judgment...for rejecting the law of the Lord, for being led astray by lies, byy trampling the poor into the dust, pushing the afflicted out of the way, profiting from the suffering of others. Suddenly this becomes a rally day with far less enthusiasm.
The last thing the people at Amos's rally expected was to be confronted with their own guilt. Isn't that the last thing we expect? We keep ourselves safe from our guilt, looking at the other, chanting opinions that reinforce our own rightness, refusing to look at the realities of life together when our own security and convenience is so easy to see.
We don't want to be confronted with our guilt. We know psychologically that beginning with guilt is no way to have a conversation. Good thing I started here, huh?!
Maybe God knows different this season. If we refuse to acknowledge our guilt, will we recognize an offer of salvation/transformation when it comes?
May our waiting be a season of brutal honesty, an insistence on not being distracted by the shortcoming of the "other," and an embracing of our need for transformation.
Amos 1:1-5, 13-2:8 (NIV)
1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of King Uzziah of Judah and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years[a] before the earthquake.
Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors
2 And he said:
The Lord roars from Zion,
and utters his voice from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds wither,
and the top of Carmel dries up.
3 Thus says the Lord:
For three transgressions of Damascus,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;[b]
because they have threshed Gilead
with threshing sledges of iron.
4 So I will send a fire on the house of Hazael,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
5 I will break the gate bars of Damascus,
and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,
and the one who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
and the people of Aram shall go into exile to Kir,
says the Lord.
Thus says the Lord:
For three transgressions of the Ammonites,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead
in order to enlarge their territory.
14 So I will kindle a fire against the wall of Rabbah,
fire that shall devour its strongholds,
with shouting on the day of battle,
with a storm on the day of the whirlwind;
15 then their king shall go into exile,
he and his officials together,
says the Lord.
2 Thus says the Lord:
For three transgressions of Moab,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
because he burned to lime
the bones of the king of Edom.
2 So I will send a fire on Moab,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth,
and Moab shall die amid uproar,
amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;
3 I will cut off the ruler from its midst,
and will kill all its officials with him,
says the Lord.
Judgment on Judah
4 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 they have been led astray by the same lies
after which their ancestors walked.
5 So I will send a fire on Judah,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.
Judgment on Israel
6 Thus says the Lord:
For three transgressions of Israel,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
because they sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals—
7 they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth,
and push the afflicted out of the way;
father and son go in to the same girl,
so that my holy name is profaned;
8 they lay themselves down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge;
and in the house of their God they drink
wine bought with fines they imposed.
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