ignoring the warnings

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Yesterdays reading concluded with Amos critiquing the powerful in Israel for abusing the vulnerable. He picks up from there by retelling what God has done for Israel. In addition to familiar episodes like the exodus he mentions raising up nazirites and prophets. We're pretty familiar with prophets, but less so with nazirites. A nazirite was a person who made a promise to God to be committed to God in a particular way that included not drinking alcohol, not cutting his hair and not going near a dead body, even the body of a close relative. This vow was for a period of time, not permanently and was voluntarily taken on to get closer to God. The indictment here is that the powerful in Israel had undercut God's communication and refused to hear his word.

So not only are they not doing the right thing, they are also refusing to listen to God's correction. Judgement comes as a result of that refusal. We aren't ever going to be perfect, but we can seek God's guidance in scripture, prayer and the community to see where we are going wrong and find the way back to the right path. May God always give us ears to hear.

God bless,
Sam

Amos 2:9-16
9Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of cedars, and who was as strong as oaks; I destroyed his fruit above, and his roots beneath. 10Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. 11And I raised up some of your children to be prophets and some of your youths to be nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel? says the Lord. 12But you made the nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, “You shall not prophesy.”

13So, I will press you down in your place, just as a cart presses down when it is full of sheaves. 14Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain their strength, nor shall the mighty save their lives; 15those who handle the bow shall not stand, and those who are swift of foot shall not save themselves, nor shall those who ride horses save their lives; 16and those who are stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, says the Lord.