Justice like a River – Amos 5:4-6, 21-24
Whether it is multi-million-dollar settlements where companies do not have to admit guilt, ministries hiding sexual abuse or covering up theft, or platforming the narcissistic pastor so that they can save face. We have witnessed the fallout from wrongdoing, both on a personal and national level. This is just how the world works, right? The Prophet Amos challenges this status quo and reminds the people of God that we have a role to play in bringing about justice.
Now Dylan has a song called “God On Our Side” where he traces some of the moments from America’s history and speaks about how he was taught that we won wars and had a right to manifest our destiny because God Was On Our Side. And one of the verses goes like this:
Through many a dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ was
Betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.
Am I a part of the problem? Am I contributing to ecological disasters? Am I caught up in the extreme consumerist attitude of the culture? Am I doing anything to help my city and my neighbors suffering from injustice? Do I have implicit or explicit prejudice? Does the change I want to see in the world need to start with me?
Amos, like all prophets, is a messenger sent by God to call the people of God back to covenantal or relational faithfulness.
Amos is advocating on behalf of the covenant God established with the Israelite people. Which is consistently broken by their sin, rebellion, and unjust treatment of one another resulting in a broken relationship between the people and God..."
“Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye' while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye,” (Matthew 7:3-5).
Justice and Righteousness is THE key theme for the book of Amos.
God has called us to change our hearts, not just our clothes. To be people who go through both outward AND inward change. Israel, however, thought changing their clothes was enough.
Amos 5:21-24, I hate, I despise your feasts! I can’t stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. Even if you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; I will have no regard for your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle. Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.
“What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not!” Romans 6:1
The prophets never separated themselves from the people of Israel.
They led through their EMBODIMENT, not through political or social power.
“Forgive US our debts,” Matthew 6:12
“Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:44
“Seek God and live.” Amos 5:4
Spiritual Practice:
Grieve/Lament
Personal inventory
Energization/Hope
Luke 19:41-44, “41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
“Faith without works is dead.” James 2:17
