Amos – Page 3 – Be Still…

Amos 2:9-3:2 – How Does God Feel?

man with his head in his hands in frustrated posture

Have you ever thought about what God “feels”? Is it possible that we ever hurt God’s feelings? I know I’m projecting my feeble humanity on God, and that is pretty limiting in and of itself. But our text would suggest that God is frustrated with his wayward children.

I don’t think there’s a parent alive, or anyone that has worked with children, that hasn’t had moments when pulling our hair out seems like the best option. Unruly children can be exhausting. Each time we have to remind them the reasons good behavior is expected, the more frustrated we can become. I’m sensing a bit of frustration in Amos’ prophecy from God. Will the people never understand?

Amos 2:1-8 – A Wake-Up Call

Read Amos 2:1-8

For the Israelites hearing Amos’ words, was this the wake-up call that would finally work in bringing repentance? Amos saved the “best” for last. What were the Israelites thinking when they heard judgment against themselves? They had likely been thinking all this talk of judgment was only to the surrounding nations. But Israel and Judah were not immune to God’s raging anger.

In case you’d like to connect some dots like I did and realize who all the players are in this prophecy God gave Amos, let’s dig in a little bit. Some of these nations have ancestral connections to the Israelites. Edom and Israel are both descendants from Isaac: Edom from Esau, and Israel from his twin, Jacob. The Ammonites had descended from an incestuous relationship between Lot and his younger daughter. And finally, from this reading, the Moabites descended from an incestuous relationship between Lot and his older daughter. Lot was the nephew of Abraham.

Amos 1:1-15 – The Lord Speaks

Read Amos 1:1-15

Amos was just a layperson like me, not a paid professional like a pastor who preaches as their vocation. Amos devoted his life to serving the Lord. You could find him herding his sheep and tending to the sycamore-fig trees in the Judean countryside. He came from a humble family, but God saw his heart. God told him to take his message to the northern kingdom of Israel, but the message continues to bring wisdom to all generations.

If you’ve been following my devotional blog, it wasn’t long ago that we walked together through the books of 1 and 2 Kings. You’ll find reflections on what was happening in the lives of these kings as well as God’s people. I love how we have nearly a snapshot in time of when Amos first heard from God between knowing about the earthquake and the kings in power at the time. As we read through the Book of Amos, imagine what it would have been like to bring such messages to the people.

Category: Amos

Amos 2:9-3:2 – How Does God Feel?

Amos 2:1-8 – A Wake-Up Call

Amos 1:1-15 – The Lord Speaks

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