“How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, And his wonders in the field of Zoan: And had turned their rivers into blood; And their floods, that they could not drink. He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; And frogs, which destroyed them. He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, And their labour unto the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycomore trees with frost. He gave up their cattle also to the hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.”
Psalm 78:43-48 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.78.43-48.KJV
Reordering Our Priorities
The northern tribes of Israel in Amos' time seemed like they were doing all the right things. They offered sacrifices to God and were exact in their religious observations. And yet, the book of Amos is written to them as a warning—a warning that destruction that would befall them if they refused to change?
Why?
Because they had neglected the true heart of loving and worshiping God.
While they were doing many of the "right" things, it's what they weren't doing that God wanted to address. They failed to take care of the poor and needy. They turned their eyes away from injustice. Many had turned to idols for help and prayer.
Through Amos, God told the people of Israel that it is just as important to be righteous inwardly as it is outwardly. We cannot say we love God and others when we fail to help people who are within our power to help.
Just as James 1:27 tells us, true religion includes helping orphans, widows, and those who are in distress. James goes on to write ...