Van Gogh, "The Bible"Proper 10
At the time Amos was writing the two kingdoms of Israel were prospering on the outside but rotting from within. Amidst increasing prosperity there was a lack of social concern; the rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. Fidelity was giving way to the borrowings of syncretistic style. Yet none of this would have been noticeable without the plumbline of God's holiness as an objective reference.
When is the last time we've plumbed our own souls? Am I living so as to bring God glory or merely to please myself? Am I investing my time, talents, and resources wisely or foolishly? Am I building a legacy or lost in confusion?
Amaziah, the presiding religious authority for Israel (the northern kingdom), responded to Amos by saying, "Go and do your preaching somewhere else." This is a typical response when truth cannot be denied. Amaziah and Israel would have done better to listen and repent. They didn't and they are no longer with us.
What about you?
