20240216

the lion roared and they ignored

Amos 3:1-15 (JDV)

Amos 3:1 Listen to this message that Yahveh has spoken about you, Israelites, about the entire clan that I brought from the land of Egypt:
Amos 3:2 I have known only you out of all the clans of the land; that is why I will punish you for all your iniquities.
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together without agreeing to meet?
Amos 3:4 Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl from its den unless it has captured something?
Amos 3:5 Does a bird land in a trap on the ground if there is no bait for it? Does a trap spring from the ground when it has caught nothing?
Amos 3:6 If a shofar is blown in a city, aren’t people afraid? If a disaster occurs in a city, hasn’t Yahveh done it?
Amos 3:7 You see, the Lord Yahveh does nothing without revealing his counsel to his servants the prophets.
Amos 3:8 A lion has roared; who will not be afraid? the Lord Yahveh has spoken; who will not prophesy?
Amos 3:9 Report this on the fortified buildings in Ashdod and on the fortified buildings in the land of Egypt: Assemble on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great turmoil in the city and the acts of oppression within it.
Amos 3:10 The people are incapable of doing right — this is Yahveh’s declaration — those who store up violence and a destructive storm in their fortified buildings.
Amos 3:11 That is why the Lord Yahveh says: An enemy will surround the land; he will destroy your strongholds and plunder your fortified buildings.
Amos 3:12 This is what Yahveh is saying: As the shepherd snatches two legs or a piece of an ear from the lion’s mouth, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be rescued with only the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch.
Amos 3:13 Listen and testify against the house of Jacob — this is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh, the God of Armies.
Amos 3:14 I will punish the altars of Bethel on the day I punish Israel for its crimes; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.
Amos 3:15 I will demolish the winter house and the summer house; the houses inlaid with ivory will be destroyed, and the great houses will come to an end. This is Yahveh’s declaration.

the lion roared and they ignored

Amos has to remind the people of Israel that the prophets do not speak for nothing.  They proclaim warnings of judgment because God judges his people when they sin.  This is the same God the New Testament reveals.  Do not attempt to ignore the prophets’ message, living in sin, and use grace as your excuse.  That is what Israel did, and they were sorely punished.  The lion roared, and they ignored it.  They would not listen to his loving rebuke.  Therefore, they became his prey.

LORD, we fear you.  Lead us to safety.  Forgive us for ignoring your warnings.