“Seek the LORD and live, or he will sweep through the tribe of Joseph like a fire; it will devour, and Bethel will have no one to quench it. There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth. You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil. Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.”
Seek the LORD and live. In the face of rampant injustice and corruption, we hear the echo of Amos, a voice raised not from privilege but from deep compassion and anguish. He cried out against the powerful who crush the poor, demanding unjust taxes, building their mansions of stone while their souls languished in spiritual poverty. They planted lush vineyards but would never taste their fruit, for the LORD knows their countless crimes and overwhelming sins.
Amos was not a priest or a scholar; he was an ordinary man with an extraordinary burden. He saw the devastation of his people, felt the heavy weight of their oppression, and his heart broke at the sight of those who twisted justice to serve their own greed. The air was thick with hollow religious talk, but their actions revealed the truth—actions driven by avarice and deceit. Justice had become a weapon in the hands of the powerful, while the cries of the oppressed went unheard. “You oppress the righteous, take bribes, and deny justice at the gate,” he lamented. Those who dared to uphold integrity were silenced or mocked, leaving a culture where “the wise remain silent in such a time.“
Amos could not remain silent. He was called by God to rise against the tide of evil, to proclaim, “You are wrong!” He understood that their future hung by a thread; destruction loomed over a people ensnared by their wickedness. But amid his prophetic warning, there was a thread of hope: “Seek good and not evil, that you may live… Perhaps the LORD will show mercy.”
Friends, the evils of Amos’s time are alive and well today. Corruption still poisons our world. We witness betrayal, exploitation, and the perversion of justice. Those who dare to speak the truth are often targeted, and the temptation to stay silent looms large. But as followers of Christ, we cannot afford to be silent! We follow the One who could never turn away from injustice—Jesus Christ. Though He was fully God, He became the ultimate Victim, enduring suffering and death to shatter the chains of evil and sin that hold us captive.
In His resurrection, He bestowed upon us the gift of the Holy Spirit—the very Spirit that raised Him from the dead empowers us to rise against the darkness. We are called to live as He did, to defend the oppressed, uplift the needy, and speak truth even at great cost. This is not a call to action we can fulfil by our strength alone; it requires divine empowerment. We must seek good, love justice, and establish it at the gates of our communities.
So let us rise with passion and conviction. Let us be the voices crying out against injustice, the hands reaching out to the marginalized, and the feet that run towards those in need. The battle against evil is fierce, but we serve a God who is greater than any injustice.
PRAYER:
Lord, I come before you, acknowledging my weakness and fear. Strengthen me to stand for righteousness in a world that often feels hostile. Grant me courage to live according to your will, and may I be a vessel for your justice and mercy. Amen.
Together, let us take up the mantle of Amos and make our stand, seeking the LORD with all our hearts, so that we may truly live and be instruments of His mercy in a broken world.
Author
kay.alli@legalview.co.uk