Amos: Seek The Lord and LiveChikamu

Having declared God’s imminent judgment upon Israel, Amos now spends chapters 3–6 trying to undermine their false sense of security. His audience would have thought it ridiculous that they would be invaded and destroyed. After all, they were wealthy, militarily strong and they had the Lord as their trump card ‘in case of emergency’. 

3:1–2 are a good summary of the shock of the book. They start so well! Israel has been adopted as God’s family (v. 1). They’ve been redeemed from slavery (v. 1). They’ve been chosen above the other nations (v. 2). But the second half of verse 2 is shocking: ‘therefore I will punish you for all your sins.’ God will not have spoiled children in His family. 

Likewise, sometimes the individual Christian might declare, ‘I’ve been adopted into God’s family. I’ve been redeemed from slavery to sin and Satan. I’ve been chosen for holiness.’ But if we show no sign of living by the family rules, after a while we can’t really call ourselves Christians. Jesus warned, ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven ... everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand’ (Matt 7:21, 26). 

Amos wants to warn us of presumption. Just being part of a church and claiming the name Christian is not enough. The Lord wants His children to live like members of His family. 

Reflection

How do the privileges of being a Christian affect you? What difference does it make to be able to call God 'Father'? Are you encouraged by seeing yourself increasingly displaying a family likeness to Jesus?