Paul Tripp counsels many people. But guess who he thinks are the hardest to get through to? Those with a high level of biblical knowledge! You see he will confront them about a biblical command or principle and they will respond, 'I know that.' But if you know what the Bible teaches and yet you do not put it into practice then you lack integrity.
Amos was not a prophet or son of a prophet. He was a shepherd and a fig tree farmer. He had been happily minding his own business when he was sent from the southern kingdom of Judah to confront the people of the northern kingdom of Israel. The lion roars. God thunders against exploitation and injustice.
He reminds the people that they had received mercy when he rescued their forefathers from slavery in Egypt. As people who have received mercy they must show mercy.
People who live for a pampered life will not pursue justice
In the last church I served in, the ladies did something I was not excited about. Now I must point out that these were great and godly women. But they had bought into the idea of the fact that they were 'daughters of the king', little princesses. So one Saturday morning they had the men dress up in tuxedos, welcome to the church with flowers and serve them a wonderful breakfast. Now I am not saying that there is anything wrong with the odd spa day, but I don't think that pampering is the great spiritual need of the church in our day.
'Hear the word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mount of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husband, "bring, that I may drink"' (4:1). They lacked concern for justice. their life centred of being pampered. They did not know God. In their indulgence they were actually fattening themselves for slaughter.
Think of the pampered view we can have of church. 'I didn't get much out of the service today.' 'I didn't like the music'. 'The sermon was a little boring.' A hundred years ago our spiritual mothers and fathers didn't say such things because they weren't going to church to get a spiritual kick or to be entertained. We are to meet together to sit under God's word, to sing his praises to each other and to serve and encourage one another.
Do you always demand to be affirmed, but respond badly to being challenged? Do you avoid those who are awkward or lonely? Are you 'nice', but not 'kind' enough to speak the truth in love to people? Then maybe you are acting like a pampered Christian.
While they pursued the pampered life, God pursued them in love
God is not a negligent parent who never says 'no'. God does not spoil the spiritually indulgent. He calls us to return. Five times in chapter 4 we read God saying, 'yet you did not return to me.' God loves these arrogant and heartless people. He wants to forgive them and show them life. 'I gave you cleanness of teeth' (4:6, ESV) is an idiom meaning that he let them starve. But they would not return to him. The difficult things that he send in our lives does not mean that he has stopped loving us, he is calling us home.
'... brand plucked from burning ...' (4:14). A brunt brand is dead and worthless. It is a burnt old stick. That was what we were before he rescued us! The same term is used in Zechariah 3:2.
On 9th February, 1709, John Wesley was five years old and living at the church house in Epworth, England, where his father was the clergyman. The house caught fire that evening, and young John Wesley was trapped in an upstairs bedroom. The men of the village formed a human ladder to rescue him, and pulled him out of the house just moments before the roof caved in. Wesley saw himself as a brand plucked from the burning.
God calls us to pursue justice
Perhaps the most famous verse in Amos is, 'let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream' (5:24). In a world that is often cruel and unkind let God's people be like gushing water coming down over a dry riverbed.
Look at what it is like to come back to the Lord. 'Seek me and live' (5:4). 'Seek good and not evil, that you may live' (5:14). While there are those who care about social justice and do not care about God, you cannot care about God and not care about social justice. To seek God involves seeing good, and that is in the context of caring for righteousness and justice.
Conclusion
A friend of mine was working in America in the offices of a news corporation. He saw one of the senior presenters talk horribly to a junior staff member. He really took her apart. But then when my friend had to go into that presenter's office he found him with Bible open having a quiet time. That does not match. Our love for the Lord must show itself in love for people.
Why should we care for the vulnerable? Because 'while we were God's enemies we were reconciled through the death of his Son.' (Romans 5:10). We are just brands plucked from the burning. We have been shown infinite mercy. And so we can not say that 'they are not my problem', 'why should I care?' or, 'sure, it's their own fault.' The mercy we have been shown must flow into the lives of others.
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