AMOS 2:6-16 WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

6 This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath .They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. 7 They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. 8 They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.
9 “I destroyed the Amorite before them, though he was tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.
10 “I brought you up out of Egypt, and I led you forty years in the desert to give you the land of the Amorites. 11 I also raised up prophets from among your sons and Nazirites from among your young men. Is this not true, people of Israel?” declares the LORD. 12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.
13 “Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain. 14 The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life. 15 The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his life. 16 Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day,” declares the LORD.

Just when Israel was feeling the most self-righteous in view of all the nations around them, God lowers the boom of judgment upon them. He finds in Israel the sum of all the other sins characteristic of the nations surrounding them. And, even worse, Israel not only promotes falsehoods, but forces the young men to break their holy vows and commands the mouth pieces of the Lord not to speak. And you can add to that the sin of ingratitude. In the face of all the Lord has done for Israel, they have turned their backs on him and thoroughly denied him. The very condemnation that Israel has cheered when pronounced on her neighbors is now visited upon her and more.

As Christians in the post-Pentecost Church, the words of the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews are reminiscent of those of the Prophet Amos and quite sobering.

4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace (Hebrews 6:4-6).

Our gratitude for all God has done can only fuel our love of God which is expressed in our lives by our obedience to God. Although Jesus died once for sin and cannot die again, if we willfully substitute a lie for the truth and deny Jesus, the seriousness of our transgression is indicated by the fact that the only remedy left to us would be his second crucifixion. But he could only die once.

Jesus said that he is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Is that what we proclaim?

O gracious and merciful Lord, strengthen me so that I do not fall for the siren voices of the world that lure me to dismiss certain aspects of your nature and message. Protect me from portraying another gospel and a false messiah to those in my church community and in the world. Amen.