"but they shall not find me" - Christ Jesus and Prophet Amos

Tokyo

Christ Jesus and Prophet Amos

The first biblical prophetic book is the Book of Amos.

Amos blamed rich Hebrews for their disregard of poor people. It was like Christ Jesus blamed rich Isrealis, though Amos lived almost 800 years earlier than Christ.

The Book of Amos is a prophetic book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah,[1] was active c. 750 BC during the reign of Jeroboam II,[1] (786–746 BC) making the Book of Amos the first biblical prophetic book written. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah but preached in the northern kingdom of Israel.[1] His major themes of social justice, God's omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy.

The Book of Amos is set in a time when the people of Israel have reached a low point in their devotion to the God of Israel – the people have become greedy and have stopped following and adhering to their values. The wealthy elite are becoming rich at the expense of others. Peasant farmers who once practiced subsistence farming are being forced to farm what is best for foreign trade, mostly wine and oil. (Amos 6:6)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Amos#Themes

Over and over again and time and time again, human kingdoms, nations, and societies got corrupt.  But for the first time a prophet told that God would punish people due to their corruption.  The prophet was Amos.  And it was far before ancient Greece's prosperity, Alexander the Great's adventure, and the glory of Caesar.  Indeed, Hebrews have been the chosen people by God even in this context.

This prophecy still looks like applicable to nations of the present day in the world.  

Judgment on Israel 

6 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of Israel,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals—
7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth
and turn aside the way of the afflicted;
a man and his father go in to the same girl,
so that my holy name is profaned;
8 they lay themselves down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge,
and in the house of their God they drink
the wine of those who have been fined.
9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,
whose height was like the height of the cedars
and who was as strong as the oaks;
I destroyed his fruit above
and his roots beneath.
10 Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt
and led you forty years in the wilderness,
to possess the land of the Amorite.
11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets,
and some of your young men for Nazirites.
Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?”
declares the Lord.
12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
and commanded the prophets,
saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’
13 “Behold, I will press you down in your place,
as a cart full of sheaves presses down.
14 Flight shall perish from the swift,
and the strong shall not retain his strength,
nor shall the mighty save his life;
15 he who handles the bow shall not stand,
and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself,
nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;
16 and he who is stout of heart among the mighty
shall flee away naked in that day,”
declares the Lord. (ESV)
http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?passage=Amos+2&search=&ver1=esv&ver2=&commentary=&submit=Search

Today, still the rich trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth.  God must punish people over and over again and time and time again.

Indeed, Christ Jesus looks like a kind of successor to the prophet Amos.




**** **** ****



Pro 1:28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Pro 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: