What Will it Take

Amos 4:6-10 ESV

In my estimation the Prophet Amos must have been a very special down to earth kind of guy. While the examples and phrases he used may have been in line with the common vernacular, the examples he gives are actually very clever. As we open this lesson with verse 6, God through Amos tells the people he gave them cleanness of teeth. So what would make their teeth clean? Oh…not eating. In other words while they were starving at least they had clean teeth. That actually pretty clever. God also reminded them they also had no bread.  Bread was a staple for the 8th Century culture.

We might ask, why did God give them cleanness of teeth teeth and no bread? God was making a point.

He was withholding basic necessities so they would go to God and beg for food. Apparently they knew begging for food would require engaging in the act of repentance…which they were not willing to do. Being hungry didn’t make them return to God.

Amos 4:6-10, ““I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.

In verse 7-8 the Prophet Amos reminded them, “I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city, one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither; So two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me,”declares the Lord.”

It seems like God was getting creative with Israel now so He split up areas and withheld rain for one, give rain to another, so there would be two fields side by side and one would get rain but the other would not get rain. That forced the Israelites to wander from city to city looking for water. The trip on the road would have bee excruciating! And I wonder if they knew for sure they were walking in the right direction?

At this point you’d think they would go before God and at least ask, what’s up? Why do they have water but we do not!?! But Israel stood fast. They did not return to God. I have to say I would have thrown in the towel and asked for water…yet they did not!

Then, in an effort to get their attention, God admits, “I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.

Wow…I mean wow! Then God spit smite on their vineyards! Ouch! And their fig trees and olive trees were devoured by locusts…but nothing changed.

Each move God made “upped” the stakes. Bread, wine, figs, and olives were staples to them. In that culture those were regarded as a sweet reward at the end of the day, yet EVEN THEN they refused to go to God and speak the words HAVE MERCY! But they remained silent.

So…“I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.” Even then when Israel was hit with everything as before and they lost everything to devouring insects, they lost their young men and their horses, and the stench was unbearable…but they still refused to bow before God.

The most amazing thing is that if the would have genuinely taken a knee and said, “sorry” God would have restored it all…but even then they refused.

The question is…what would it take?    

Deborah  @acrazyjourney.com