Open The Word | Fungua Neno

⏱️ 5 minutes.

Hello there, people of God,

Today, let’s take some time to look at the words of God through the prophet Amos on what the severest form of judgment from God looks like:

“Behold, days are coming,” declares Lord Yahweh,
“When I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water,
But rather for hearing the words of Yahweh.”

Amos 8:11

The prophet Amos prophesied a time of prosperity under the long and secure reign of Jeroboam II who, following the example of his father Joash (2 Kings 13:25), significantly “restored the border of Israel.”

Similar to the times we’re living in today, we have prosperity economically and financially, and we’re making advancements in science and technology.

Despite the political and economic advancements, the time during the writing of this prophecy was rampant with spiritual corruption. As we see in the beginning of chapter 4, this was a time of oppression of the poor and needy.

“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria,
Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
Who say to their husbands, ‘Bring now, that we may drink!’”

Amos 4:1

Because of this negligence in obedience to the Word of God, God Himself exhorts the people to come back to Him and seek after Him.

For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel,
“Seek Me that you may live.”

Amos 5:4

This is very similar to our day today, where we still observe some sound churches teaching sound doctrine, exhorting people to come back to God despite the spiritual corruption we see. Similar to Amos’s time, the message of the church today is the same exhortation to be reconciled with God. A good example of such an exhortation from the church is presented by the apostle Paul to the Corinthians:

“So then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as God is pleading through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

2 Corinthians 5:20

Because of the defiance of the people who do not want to follow God and seek after Him, the Lord, through the prophet, delivers a warning of coming judgment. This warning is presented as a famine. However, unlike a regular famine of bread and water, the Lord says this famine is far more severe. One commentator comments on this famine in this way:

“Here was a token of God’s highest displeasure. At any time, and most in a time of trouble, a famine of the word of God is the heaviest judgment. To many this is no affliction, yet some will feel it very much, and will travel far to hear a good sermon; they feel the loss of the mercies others foolishly sin away.”

Matthew Henry

Not being able to hear the word of God is the worst kind of judgment one can ever imagine. This is because from the Word of God we understand that it is the word that sustains us. This is the response that Jesus gave to the tempter when He was in the wilderness concerning the sustenance from the Word of God:

“But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”’”

Matthew 4:4

We are supposed to come to this understanding: it is the word of God that not only sustains our spiritual self but also our whole being. And so, when the Word of God is lacking, we cannot survive. The severity of the lack of the Word of God was communicated quite well in the wise words of King Solomon to his son:

“Where there is no vision, the people are out of control,
But how blessed is he who keeps the law.”

Proverbs 29:18

The word “vision” here means the word of God. What Solomon is saying is that when the Word of God is absent, people are out of control. On the other hand, blessed are those who hear and act on the Word of God.

This text reminds us of our utter dependence on the Word of God and how thankful we should be to have access to it and see its effects in our lives. However, the warning still stands that if we do not heed what the Word of God teaches us, we stand judged, and there will be a time when this famine will affect even us if we’re not watchful.

Let’s take some time to reflect on these questions:

• Do we cherish and value the times that we’re in where we still have access to the Word of God?
• Do we intentionally seek to study the Word of God so that we can come to a place of doing what it says?
• Do we intentionally seek after God while He may still be found?

I pray this word encourages us to seek after the kingdom of God and its righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

Grace and peace to you,

Paul.