Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. For this is what Amos is saying: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile.’”
Amos 7:10,11
What They Need to Hear
Daily Devotion – July 17, 2024
Devotion based on Amos 7:10,11
See series: Devotions
The Prophet Amos lived about 800 years before Christ. The twelve tribes of Israel had been a united country under their first three kings, but then there was a civil war, and they split into two separate countries: Israel in the north and Judah in the south.
By the time Amos came along, the divided kingdom had been going on for almost two hundred years. In the northern kingdom, things were going well. The economy was roaring, their territory was increasing, and the people of Israel appeared very religious.
But there was a problem: It was all fake. Yes, there was prosperity, but there was also social injustice and oppression. Their country had a veneer of piety, but it was not in service to the true God. They worshiped God in ways that he had forbidden, and they also worshiped false gods along with him.
Enter Amos. Amos was from the southern kingdom, but God sent him north to preach. He pointed out the nation’s sins and warned them that if they did not return to the Lord, they would be exiled to a foreign land.
His message was not well received. He was accused of being a political revolutionary and reported to the king. But what was Amos supposed to say? If they were sorry for their sin, God would tell Amos to forgive them. But they were not sorry, so he couldn’t. They needed to hear the consequences of their actions. God pleaded with them to stop walking down the road that led to hell.
It’s a lesson worth remembering: when it comes to sin, you may not always be able to tell people what they want to hear, but you can always tell them what they need to hear. Sin has serious consequences, and we have a serious Savior who took those consequences upon himself to forgive us. Like Amos, we can proclaim, “Repent and believe the good news!”
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me strength when I tell people what they need to hear about their sin. Amen.
