When Everyone Says…
Read Amos 1-5
Amos reads like an angry Twitter thread. He’s from the southern kingdom of Judah. He wasn’t a professional prophet (Biblical language for truth-teller). And he’s talking to the northern kingdom of Israel (number 8 on the list). It’s a little like going to a game and there’s a fan from the rival team with a bullhorn yelling at you during the tailgate.
So I decided to just turn it into a thread. I used ChatGPT to help. Here you go:
A list of the top national sins according to Amos. #8 is going to shock you.
1. Damascus
You treated people like machines.
Turned war into a business model.
No value for human life.
Justice is coming.
2. Gaza
You sold entire communities.
Human trafficking was just part of the deal.
Profit over people.
Justice is coming.
3. Tyre
You broke promises for a better contract.
Sold out your allies.
Trust meant nothing.
Justice is coming.
4. Edom
You couldn’t let the past go.
You kept the feud alive.
Grudge became identity.
Justice is coming.
5. Ammon
You expanded at any cost.
Even the most vulnerable were collateral.
You didn’t just take land, you crushed lives.
Justice is coming.
6. Moab
You disrespected the dead.
Revenge was more important than dignity.
You crossed a line just to prove a point.
Justice is coming.
7. Judah
You had the truth and still chose the lie.
You swapped faithfulness for comfort.
You knew better.
Justice is coming.
8. Israel
You.
You evict the poor to build your empires.
You rig the system to keep them out.
You party in luxury and worship like everything’s fine.
You silence anyone who challenges you.
You’ve convinced yourself you’re the good guys.
But God sees.
And he’s not impressed.
Ok, that was fun and sort of spot on. The problem is most of social media is like this.
Quick Thought from Aaron: It doesn’t take much to be antagonistic or demeaning on social media. That’s the easy way out. Usually, the hardest thing to do is the right thing to do.
When everyone is ranting and pointing fingers, how do we know who the prophets (truth-tellers) are that we should listen to?
And if the finger is pointed at us, how do we know if the critique is valid?
First, if you’re asked to pick a side, my advice is unfollow.
Two tips for tuning in:
1. You’ll recognize the prophet when it’s less anger and more desperation for you to get close to God.
“Seek the Lord and live.” Amos 5:6
2. You’ll recognize the prophet worth listening to when they sound a lot like Jesus. When the injustices they raise are those that Jesus called out, you’re on the right track.
After all Jesus was a prophet worth following.