One of the great things about the Holy Scriptures is their
relevance to all times, despite having been written in a specific time and
place. This week I have been impressed
with how applicable the prophecy of Amos is for me today.
Amos wrote during
a time (around 760 BC to 750 BC) of “extravagant indulgence in luxurious
living” on the one hand and “oppression of the poor”[1]
on the other. In chapter 6 he says,
“You lie on beds inlaid with ivory
and lounge on your couches.
You dine on
choice lambs and fattened calves.
You strum
away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.
You drink
wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions,
but you do
not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.”
Hold on a second,
don’t we also have beautiful bedroom suites and can afford to eat the best cuts
of meat every day? Are our homes not
stocked with cosmetics and amusements to wile away the time? This indictment hits close to home. In North America we are so brainwashed into
thinking our lives of luxury are what we deserve or, if anything, that we need
even more to be happy and fulfilled. We
are told to save up exorbitant amounts of money for retirement dreams so that
we can feast and lounge, and we listen.
How does the “oppression
of the poor” fit into our current context?
Just a few examples to think about:
- Those who make garments for export work long hours in unsafe factories and lose their lives when it collapses
- Slums that are a stone’s throw from tropical resorts that attract rich tourists
- The silent slaughter of the unborn
- The plague of AIDS wiping out a generation in Africa, which no longer attracts the news media
We desperately
need God’s perspective on things, even if it is not trendy. Amos was told by the king of Israel, “Get
out, you seer” (Amos 7:12). Let us
instead respond with, “Open our eyes, Lord.”
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