The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Amos 1-5
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 6:Kings and Prophets: God divides the kingdom people.
Background Information: Amos 1-5
Amos was a shepherd and fig tree farmer who lived on the southern border between Judah and Israel. God called him to be a prophet to Israel, and his ministry consisted of sermons (chapters 1-2), poems (chapters 3-6), and visions (chapters 7-9). These three forms of communication warned of God’s coming judgment on Israel. Forty years later, this judgment would come in the form of the Assyrian army conquering the northern kingdom. Amos begins by pronouncing judgment, in a geographical circle, on Israel’s surrounding enemies. You can imagine the people saying, “Yeah, that’s right, get em God!” Then suddenly, he zeroes in on both Judah and Israel at the center. Now you can imagine their response being, “What? No, not us, we are the chosen people!” Their status as God’s chosen did not exempt them from judgment when they rejected God and his covenant. God had chosen Israel to be a blessing to the whole earth, but because they had not lived up to this great privilege, they would suffer severe judgment. The theme verse of the book is:
But let justice flow like water,
and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.
Amos 5:24
Injustice inevitably follows idolatry. People become like the idols they worship. Israel worshipped the gods of sex, war, and wealth. Their religious worship practices were a sham because their hearts were far from God, and their lives gave lie to what came from their lips. The land had become thirsty for justice because there was a drought of righteousness. Righteousness before God always shows up in justice in the way we treat others. Social justice is often merely a buzzword that doesn’t focus on my personal responsibility to treat those around me as Christ would have me treat them. Biblical justice starts with transformed hearts and leads to transformed relationships and transformational communities.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for God to use Cameron as he teaches in Japan. Pray for his students to come to know the hope of the gospel.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.