Amos 3:7,8 - The lion has roared

3:7

The Lord’s judgements need to be taken seriously. Moreover, He does nothing without revealing His plans to His servants the prophets. There are several things to note about this verse. First, God is referred to as the “Sovereign Lord”. He is the one in overall control, the one who decides everything, so we should take Him most seriously. Secondly, His judgements are not arbitrary, or out of the blue. Israel received plenty of warnings, and was currently receiving some more! We are without excuse. Thirdly, prophets are His servants. Now prophets are not just people who receive visions or what might be called direct words from God. If we look at many of the things that Amos said, they did not need a new vision, all that he said was already in the Law. Amos was pointing out where society had got to, and that it needed to repent.

3:8

“The lion has roared - who will not fear?” If you hear a lion roar you do not simply shrug your shoulders and say “all well, a lion roared”. No, you would be aware of imminent danger and would take appropriate action. Likewise, the Sovereign Lord has spoken, so Amos has no choice but to speak God’s word. We can apply this to ourselves, whether or not we think of ourselves as a prophet. God has spoken through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the gospel. So we have no choice but to proclaim the message. Just as we would not ignore the roar of a lion, so we cannot ignore the good news of Jesus Christ.