Ignored Warnings
“Beware the Ides of March!” Most of
western culture will encounter this expression through the works of Shakespeare
in Act 1, Scene 2 of Julius Caesar – a play written around 1599 AD. A pagan
prophet foretold that tragedy would strike Julius Caesar on the Ides (or the 15th)
of March. The betrayal and death of Julius Caesar was predicted by this largely
unknown person who steps onto the scene. History gives the name of this seer as
Spurinna, according to Seutonius. While pagan divination was highly respected
within the Roman world, Julius Caesar famously ignores this warning and comes
to a tragic end as a result. The prediction was made before the date, and on
the 15th, we are told, Julius Caesar approached Spurinna with
confidence, saying, “The Ides of March have come.”
To which
Spurinna simply replied, “Yes, they have come – but they have not gone.”
Soon after, Caesar was assassinated.
The Prophet Amos
The Biblical figure, Amos, cuts a
very similar figure. A prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel he does not
come from a religious school or community, nor does he come from the nobility.
Amos is a humble sheepherder. This is a distinctly humble position. Shepherds
were in charge of the flock, and Amos was more likely to have been what we
would call a “farmhand.” He was an honest workman, who came from the out of the
way city of Tekoa, on the edge of the Judean wilderness. A humble man, with no
prestige or background of note, was called upon by God to give God’s message to
the wayward people of Israel.
Judgment on the Nations
While sent to Israel, the first
chapter of his collection of prophecies concerns the nations. This gives an
important lesson. While the Lord’s plan chiefly concerned Israel, the Lord has
expectations and standards for all nations – and foretells the impending
judgment which they will face. Here are some of the highlights;
·
Tyrannical violence against
other nations (Hosea 1:3, 11)
·
Enslavement of other
nations (Hosea 1:6, 9)
·
Ruthless murder of pregnant
women and unborn children (Hosea 1:13)
·
Desecrating the corpses of
the dead (Hosea 2:1)
Judgment on Judah
The Lord abhors the violence of the nations that had
rejected Him, and judges them for their actions of violence and oppression of
others. But the most thorough statements of judgment are for Judah and Israel.
The Lord holds them to greater accountability because they have known Him and His
word and should know better than to be drawn into ungodliness. Judah is judged
for:
·
Despising the Law of the
Lord (Hosea 2:4)
·
Not keeping His
commandments (Hosea 2:4)
·
Lying and leading others
astray (Hosea 2:4)
·
The fathers following
(Hosea 2:4)
Judgment on Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel is the primary recipient of
this letter. They had been even more rebellious than the Southern Kingdom of
Judah, and the Lord speaks plainly about their failures in desire of a change
of attitude and behavior. Their sins include:
·
Oppression of the poor
(Hosea 2:6)
·
Perverting the way of the humble
(Hosea 2:7)
·
Sexual perversion (Hosea
2:7)
·
Pagan/Idolatrous worship (Hosea
2:8)
·
Giving the Nazarites (those
dedicated to the Lord by abstinence from wine) wine to drink (Hosea 2:12)
·
Silencing Prophets (Hosea
2:12)
The Lord does not Tolerate Sin
The Lord was direct in denouncing the sin of every nation –
His character is perfectly consistent, and His righteousness will not be
compromised. Yet there is a clear application of the principle that would be formalized
in the words of Jesus Christ.
“But he who did not know, yet
committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone
to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has
been committed, of him they will ask the more.”
(Luke 12:48 NKJV)
A Humble Messenger
Just as
the otherwise unknown Spurinna gave warning to Julius Caesar, so the humble sheepherder,
Amos, spoke the truth to the most powerful nations that surrounded him. The
Lord would use many different voices, from all classes of people, to make His
righteous expectations known. It leaves the modern reader with an important message.
It does not matter who a person is, or where they have come from, if a person
speaks forth the word of God they should be heard.
We live
in a time when the prophetic office is not currently in use. We have the Bible
available to us, and every believer is meant to be a mouthpiece for the Lord.
As we continue to speak with courage and strength we can remember the example
of Amos. The Lord even dignified him so greatly as to be the person who was
able to plead mercy for Israel in face of the Lord’s coming judgment (Amos
7:1-9).
Amaziah
the priest sought to revile Amos for telling the truth – seeking to degrade him
because of his humble place in society (Amos 7:10-13). But Amos answered with
all honesty and courage (Amos 7:14-17). Amos could face this condescension
because he did not speak his own words, but rather he spoke the word of God.
An Army of Humble Messengers
This is the confidence that every believer can have in
sharing the message of the Bible. As Peter would write later to the early
church:
“If anyone speaks, let him speak
as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the
ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through
Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
(1 Peter 4:11 NKJV)
When a believer shares the gospel of salvation we share the
very oracles of God. It is not our own message, our own perspectives: it is the
message of God that we share. Thus, every believer should be very careful of
two things. First, be certain that we are representing the word carefully, correctly,
and clearly. Second, that the Bible stands upon its own authority – the authority
of God. Whether the world responds with rejection or humble acceptance, the job
of proclaiming God’s truth is the work of the Church today.
It is not about us – it is about the Lord that we proclaim.
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