The Sneaky Prophet

If Jeremiah was known as a weeping prophet, then we might call Amos a sneaky prophet.  The first two chapters of the book which bears his name contains judgment against all of Israel's neighbors.  If the words of judgment are read with a map beside the Word, it would seem that Amos is pronouncing the wrath of God against all the nations whose border touches Israel.  Using a repetitive prophetic formula he goes after one neighboring country after another and as he does you can hear the Israelites cheering him between the lines.   "Go get them, God.  Give 'em what they deserve,"  they likely cried.     

But, then something unexpected happened.  It begins in verse 6 of chapter 2 as he says, "Thus says the Lord:  For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; for they sell the righteousness for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals...."  Suddenly, the cheering changed from "Go get 'em, God" to "Let's run this one out of town."   Those Israelites were a lot like us.  We are fine with our neighbor getting what is deserved, but there is nothing wrong with us.    

Actually, Jesus had the last word on this issue when He said to the disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged."  (Matthew 7:1)   While it is certainly more comfortable for us to focus on the faults of our neighbors, Jesus tells us to look in the mirror.  Casting stones can be dangerous business when the stones being thrown get picked up and thrown back at the glass house we have built around ourselves.  What is always good to remember and certainly the Sermon in Matthew underscores it, is that there are no bad and "badder" and "badest" sins.  As far as God is concerned sin is sin.  Sin is any expression of disobedience to God.  Our neighbors may look worse than us to us, but such is true only in our eyes.  God sees things differently.