Silence

Today's Verses -- Amos 8:11-12

Context:
Amos prophesied during the reign of King Uzziah over Judah (792-740 b.c.) and Jeroboam II over Israel (793-753). While both kingdoms were enjoying great prosperity, it was a time of idolatry and extravagant indulgence. Amos's message from God called for social justice and true piety. He declared that God was going to judge his people because of their disobedience.

Text:
11 "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.
12 Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it." (NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

It's scary to compare Israel during this time frame and America today. While as a country we are not God's chosen nation (despite what some may think), we have been and still are full of "extravagant indulgence in luxurious living, immorality, corruption of judicial procedures, and oppression of the poor." Even though we are in recession, our lifestyles are still much more lavish than the lifestyles of many in the world. And despite the claim of almost 90% of Americans that they believe in God or consider themselves Christian, many don't act like it.

Amos's message was that God would be withdrawing his hand and his voice from the Israelites because of their disobedience. In historical Israel, the word of God came through prophets. As we know in retrospect, God fulfilled his message and did not send a prophet for approximately 500 years before the birth of Christ. That is a lot of silence.

What would our society look like if we were unable to read or hear the word of God for that long? If there were no true right and wrong, and people were able to do pretty much as they pleased? Would anyone seek God?

Even when God provided his word through the prophets, most people chose not to believe "those fanatics". Interesting to see how our leaders choose to look at truth-sayers these days as intolerant, right wing, narrow-minded, and hopelessly outdated.

But we have God's word in our hands, on our computers, and hopefully in our hearts. Regardless of it's popularity, it's up to us to be sure there is never a drought of his word again! God has given each of us the ability to proclaim his message. Let's be sure we understand the full message and then let's be heard.