Have you ever heard a lion roar? I did—years ago, at the Cape May Zoo. It’s not just a sound—it’s an experience. It shakes the ground. It demands attention. It’s impossible to ignore.
That’s how the book of Amos begins. “The LORD roars from Zion” (Amos 1:2, NIV). Not whispers. Not calls. Roars.
And when God roars, the world ought to stop and listen.
But Israel didn’t.
They mistook their prosperity for God’s approval. Their worship continued, their sacrifices burned on the altars, their leaders ruled with confidence—but beneath it all, something was deeply wrong. They had abandoned justice. They had corrupted righteousness. They had turned faith into empty ritual.
And so, the Lion of Judah let out a roar.
A Roar of Judgment
Amos wasn’t a career prophet. He wasn’t a priest or a theologian. He was a shepherd and a fig farmer, a man of the land. But when God calls, credentials don’t matter.
And so, Amos traveled from his home in Judah to Bethel in Israel—a place of false worship, a city steeped in idolatry. He climbed to a high place and began to preach.
And at first? The Israelites loved it.
Amos pointed to the nations surrounding them—Syria, Philistia, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab—and declared God’s judgment on them. “For three sins … even for four,” Amos proclaimed, “I will not relent.”
The people nodded along. Yes! Preach, Amos! Let the wicked nations burn!
Then Amos turned south.
“For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent…” (Amos 2:4, NIV).
The Israelites probably clapped at that one. Their southern relatives deserved judgment! They had the Law of God and still rebelled!
But then Amos turned again.
“For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent…” (Amos 2:6, NIV).
And suddenly, the cheering stopped.
Amos had been drawing a circle of judgment around Israel’s enemies. But now Israel was the bullseye.
They had assumed that because they were God’s chosen people, they were safe. But Amos exposed the truth: their wealth was built on oppression, their courts were corrupt, their worship was a sham. They cheered for justice when it was aimed at others, but they never imagined it would land on them.
And yet, “To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48, NIV).
It’s easy to see the sins of the world. The corruption in politics. The failures of the culture. The moral decay around us.
But what about us?
Where have we grown spiritually complacent? Where have we allowed prosperity to dull our dependence on God? Where have we embraced religious routine while ignoring the suffering around us?
The roar of judgment is not just for them.
It’s for us.
The Lion has roared. Are we listening?
A Roar Against Injustice
God’s issue with Israel wasn’t just idolatry—it was injustice.
“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24, NIV).
Israel’s leaders crushed the poor, manipulated the courts, and lived in luxury while others starved. And worst of all, they assumed God didn’t care.
But He did.
God cares deeply about how we treat others.
He rejected Israel’s sacrifices because they weren’t paired with righteousness. Their songs of worship were empty because their lives weren’t holy. Their religious motions meant nothing because their hands were stained with injustice.
Worship without justice is a stench to God.
We may not bow before golden calves, but have we turned a blind eye to the suffering of others? Have we ignored the cries of the needy while singing our Sunday songs?
The roar against injustice still echoes today.
Are we listening?
A Roar of Inevitable Consequences
Israel ignored the warnings.
So God gave Amos five visions of what was coming:
Locusts devouring the land—their wealth, their security, their prosperity, gone.
Fire consuming everything—not just destruction, but total devastation.
A plumb line revealing a crooked wall—Israel was out of alignment with God, beyond repair.
A basket of overripe fruit—their sins had reached their limit. The time was up.
The Lord standing at the altar—not to accept a sacrifice, but to tear it all down.
Five visions. Five warnings. And still, they refused to listen.
We cannot rebel against God and escape the consequences forever.
Before God rebuilds, He removes.
Before renewal, there is refining.
Before mercy, there is judgment.
Israel thought they could keep ignoring Him.
How often do we do the same?
A Roar of Redemption
And yet…
Judgment was never the final word.
God did not abandon His people.
“In that day I will restore David’s fallen shelter… I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins.” (Amos 9:11, NIV).
Even after Israel’s destruction, God had a plan. A King would come—a Ruler from David’s line—who would not just restore Israel, but bring all nations into His family.
A thousand years later, James, the brother of Jesus, quoted Amos 9:11-12 and declared that it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Acts 15:16-17).
Because Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5).
The Lion roared in judgment—but then He laid down like a lamb and took judgment on Himself.
The wrath that Amos warned about? Jesus bore it on the cross.
And when He cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30, NIV), the roar of judgment was silenced by the cry of redemption.
The Lion is Roaring—How Will You Respond?
I’ll never forget the roar of that lion at the Cape May Zoo.
It stopped me in my tracks. It was deep. Thunderous. Unignorable.
But it pales in comparison to the roar of the Lion of Judah when He returns.
On that day—
Every knee will bow.
Every tongue will confess.
Every nation will see that the Lion reigns forever.
But here’s the thing—you don’t have to wait until that day to acknowledge Him.
The Lion is roaring now.
If you haven’t trusted Him—come to Him. Surrender to Him. Listen to Him.
And if you already belong to Him—live justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly.
Because the roar is still echoing.
The only question left is—
Are we listening?
Opmerkingen