Amos 3:1-11. God is warning his people (again!), this time through the prophet Amos. He says because of their special relationship with him (they are the one people he has known of all the families of the earth), they will suffer for their iniquities. He gives several metaphors for how he has reached out to them - "Do two walk together, unless they have made an appointment?" Does a lion roar if it has no prey? "Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid?" Now, Amos says, the lion has roared, who will not fear? The Lord has spoken, who can but prophesy? God goes on to tell Amos to proclaim to Assyria and Egypt to assemble themselves around Samaria (the northern Israeli kingdom) and see her great sins for themselves. Because of the "violence and robbery" in her strongholds, an adversary shall surround her, bring down her defenses, and plunder her strongholds.

I especially like the way God uses examples to show how he reaches out to us and how we often don't listen. The Israelites have been rescued and blessed by God over and over again because he has chosen them as the family through whom his salvation will ultimately come to the whole world. They alone (right now at least) are the people with whom God has an appointment, or the people at whom the lion is roaring, and the trumpet blowing.

"Does evil befall a city unless the Lord has done it?" The rest of the world might think that evil is random, that bad things "just happen," but the Israelites know better - they have had God telling and showing them over and over that when they follow him good things happen and when they become sinful bad things happen. The bad things, the evil, the conquering, is all part of God's permissive will - letting evil have its day. Samaria here, having fallen into great sin, is about to be conquered by Assyria. God has spoken, through Amos, and others (for "who can but prophesy" when he has spoken?) and Samaria has been warned, over and over.

The lion has been roaring, and the people have not been listening (as he is roaring now, are we listening?). Now, unfortunately, the second point of prophecy will be fulfilled through Amos - the Samaritans will look back from their punishment and realize that the prophets spoke the truth, that they should have heeded the warnings. I hope we do not do the same.