Amos Pleads for Justice

Amos 5:1, 10-15, 21-24

GOLDEN TEXT: “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate.”—Amos 5:15

OUR lesson has to do with the prophecy of Amos, who is noted as being one of the earliest prophets to write down the message which he delivered. Amos belongs to a period about a century after Elijah, and nearly half a century before Isaiah, and about two centuries before Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. Amos declared himself to have been one of humble birth. His parents were not illustrious, neither was he educated among the sons of the prophets. Like David, he was a sheep tender, a farmer, upon whom the Lord poured His Spirit with much power, sending him to proclaim the disasters sure to come on Israel unless a change of course should turn aside the deserved punishment for their iniquities.

In drawing a lesson from these experiences of Amos applicable to ourselves of today, we must remember that the Lord no longer sends His messages after this manner. That is to say, the Lord’s ambassadors at the present time are not expected to pronounce sentences of doom upon the present order of things. It is for the Christian today to explain the prophecies relative to present world conditions, and to point to the hope of the Kingdom which is to follow the downfall of the world that now is; but it is not for us to pronounce vengeance. The declaring of the Day of vengeance of our God, as the Christian is commissioned to do in Isaiah 61:1-3, is merely the explanation of the causes of vengeance now being manifested against an evil world.

It is for us to proclaim the Word of God to whomsoever hath an ear to hear to call attention to the application of the prophecies and testimonies of ancient times and thus to make known the Divine plan as it becomes due to be understood by those for whom it is intended—the Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile. For anyone to undertake at the present time to copy either Elijah or Amos or others of the ancient prophets would indicate a total misapprehension on his part respecting the Divine will and message—it might even be surmised to indicate a mental unbalance.

Another lesson in connection with Amos’ message is that his opponents rose up from amongst those who were professedly religious—the priests; and so it was with our Lord and the apostles. The priests and religious teachers of their day were the chief opponents of the gospel in its truth and purity, and we must expect the same in our day. The truth, in proportion as it has been declared in its purity, has always aroused opposition and has always found its chief opposers amongst those who have a “form of godliness.”

Our lesson is a part of the prophet’s pleadings with the Israelites that they return to harmony with God and thus avert the calamity which otherwise must be expected. He proceeds to particularize some of the wrongs they were practicing on account of which they were in danger. Justice was not rendered in their courts. Instead of the sweets of justice those who appealed to their courts, if they were poor, got wormwood; that is, bitterness, disappointment.

The prophet declares that they cast down righteousness to the earth; equity was not a matter of primary consideration; but, as he proceeds to point out, bribery was rife, and wealth and power and influence could accomplish almost anything.

The lesson contains an exhortation from the prophet that his hearers should make a thorough reformation—seek good and not evil, love righteousness and hate sin. If they would do these things then indeed they might apply to themselves the promises of God, as they were already disposed to do, claiming that they were his people. Such claims would be appropriate enough if they would conform to the divine requirements, but not otherwise. The Lord would he gracious to them if they would come into line, as a people, with His regulations and requirements. For the reason that they were His covenant people and He had promised to bless them as a nation in proportion as they obeyed His law.

No promises of this nature have yet been applicable to the world of mankind. Neither has the Lord promised to bless’ Christians in a material way during this Gospel age of sacrifice. Many of God’s dealings with the nation of Israel were typical of the Kingdom period, when, through Christ, a new covenant will be made with Israel and through Israel with the whole world of mankind who come into harmony with Him. Then it will be true of all nations, as it was of Israel, that those who obey His laws—and in proportion as they obey—will be blessed in basket and in store; that is, blessed materially with health, happiness and prosperity.

Selfishness and injustice, however, always bring upon those who practice these evil principles a retributive punishment. Hence, today we see civilization crumbling to its fall because it has been based upon and promoted by selfishness, greed, graft and oppression; rather than by the spirit of justice and of love. God is permitting this in order that the way may he cleared for the establishment of His Kingdom. It is not for the Christian, however, to promise the world that if it will return to God, the present institutions of earth can be saved. They will not be saved, not because there is no good in them, but because they come so far short of God’s standard of righteousness, that God’s plan is to start all over again in the establishment of a new world under the administration of the divine Kingdom of Christ and its laws of righteousness, justice and love.

QUESTIONS:

Are the Lord’s people today divinely authorized to pronounce sentences of doom upon the present institutions of earth?

Is the Christian commissioned to proclaim a message of any kind bearing upon the great time of trouble with which this age is ending?

Are Christians authorized to tell the world that if they repent, civilization as we now know it can be saved?

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