Amos 5: 4, 6, 8, 14

Neill Goff Amos 5: 4, 6, 8, 14

"This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: 'Seek me and live.'"

"Seek the Lord and live."

"(Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion)…who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land…the Lord is his name."

"Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you."

Who was Amos? Bible commentaries tell us that he was a shepherd from a small town in Judah, who was called by God as His prophet to pronounce God's judgment on the northern kingdom of Israel, at the same time of Isaiah's prophecies against Judah in the south.

During unprecedented social corruption in both kingdoms, Amos denounced all those in Israel who made themselves rich or powerful at the expense of others. He condemned their lack of compassion and deteriorating spiritual values and sinful behaviors in dealing with one another, particularly with the weak and helpless. Amos, of course, was not a popular prophet. Would he be popular today? I think not.

How can the words spoken by this little-known shepherd prophet 800 years before Christ was born, be meaningful to us today in the fast-moving sophisticated societies in which we live? Do Amos' words really have relevance for us as Christians in this modern day and age?

Let us consider some of the things we see about us that are disturbing in our civilized world. Are there signs of corruption in high and low places? Are there people that cannot be trusted? Is it okay to pervert the truth in order to make a profit at the expense of others? Do we support the pursuit of new and strange gods? Are others encouraged to travel paths of life that lead to destruction? (Check your TV for further news.)

Amos' prophecies are as appropriate today as when they were written, for they address man's eternal need for God, his Creator, to be at the center of his soul. Amos' words of denunciation of Israel are delivered with God's call for repentance from his wayward children, that they may know His forgiveness, and again seek the Lord and live now and for eternity with Him, the Almighty God who holds the stars in their place and keeps the oceans on their shores.

"If, with all your heart you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me," (Jer. 29: 13) thus saith our God.

Prayer: Our Father, please fill us with the love of Christ and seal us with Your Holy Spirit, now and always. In Jesus' Name, Amen.