judgment and intercession

Good morning friends,
Our reading for today shows God and Amos talking. God shows Amos three visions of judgment against Israel; the first by locusts, the second by fire and the last by the sword. The first two times Amos pleads with God for mercy and God changes his mind. The last time Amos doesn't plead and the judgment stands. I wonder why Amos doesn't protest this last judgment. Maybe he feels it is appropriate? or maybe he feels he's already pushing his luck. Or maybe, since the judgment is only against the pagan shrines, the sanctuaries Amos has raised questions about and the ruling family, Amos feels like this last judgment might bring Israel back to what it should be by correcting injustice. It's hard to tell.

There are echos here of Abraham pleading with God about Sodom and Gomorrah. With the threat of locust we think about Egypt. We might also think about the prophet Joel whose short book is based on a plague of locusts in Israel. I like the image of the prophet pleading with God for mercy. It also reminds us that now that Christ is risen he speaks for us in heaven. As we hear some times as our assurance of pardon from Romans: "Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ and Christ died for us; Christ rose for us; Christ reigns now in power for us; Christ prays for us." May we be shaken from complacency by Amos's words of warning and assured of God's love by Christ's ministry for us.
God bless,
Sam

Amos 7:1-9
This is what the Lord God showed me: he was forming locusts at the time the latter growth began to sprout (it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings). 2When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said, “O Lord God, forgive, I beg you! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!” 3The Lord relented concerning this; “It shall not be,” said the Lord.

4This is what the Lord God showed me: the Lord God was calling for a shower of fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. 5Then I said, “O Lord God, cease, I beg you! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!” 6The Lord relented concerning this; “This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.

7This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; 9the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”