The Prophet Amos: Burdened

Amos 1:1-3

It is interesting how preaching has changed since the Old Testament. There were absolutely messages of God's love, but there were also constant calls for repentance and to live a life of holiness. Today, we major on the love messages, and often ignore the call to repentance and holiness. We misunderstand grace and take it to be a license to live however we want. God does not change, but much like the Israelites, we ignore the call to "come out from among them and be separate" (II Corinthians 6:17).

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The words of Amos, who was among the sheep breeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. And he said: “The LORD roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.” Judgment on the Nations, Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment..."

Amos 1:1-3

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The name Amos means burden. So, it is interesting that his whole letter is a burden of judgment for Israel, Judah, and the surrounding nations. For two chapters Amos declares "For three transgressions of ______, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment". God is telling these nations that their wickedness will be judged and punishment will be severe. I cannot speak for Amos, but I can tell you that, as a pastor, I would much rather preach a happy message than a condemning one. People do not want to hear condemnation. That does not mean that we should not preach messages like this, but they still are not fun. If we preach about Hell, there is condemnation. There is also hope and the message of God's love, but for those who reject it, the message of condemnation must be clear.

I remember a comment once about me sharing the plan of salvation and telling about Hell when addressing a group of teens. I replied, "What is the purpose of sharing the plan of salvation if we do not tell people what they are being saved from?" In much the same way, Amos proclaimed the judgment of God on each of these nations so that they would understand their condition before God. Without this message there was no reason for the people to change their ways.

As Christians, we must be willing to proclaim the hard messages. Just like Amos, these will be a burden. However, the burden of carrying a heavy message is not nearly as difficult as the burden of someone we love dying and going to Hell. Sin is not fun to preach about, but God has a standard of holiness for the world. When we fall short of this standard, it is sin. What we earn for our sins is death. However, we must also remember to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

We must also remember that no matter how heavy the burden of our message feels, it does not compare to our sins that Jesus bore on the cross. He bore our sins, shame, and punishment. He also commanded us to take up our cross and follow him (Matthew 16:24). If we take up our cross, it is to carry that burden. We should also remember that carrying these burdens are for the salvation of people from judgment for sin. Knowing this should make the burden a little easier to carry.

Father, thank You for letting us be a part of Your plan to save people. Sometimes this means we must share a message that is neither easy to speak or hear. It may mean that we are rejected by others, just like the prophets. Give us faith to be obedient like they were so that Your Name is glorified when people repent of their sins.