Amos 6:1a, 4-7 (NRSV)
Read Amos 6:1a, 4-7 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 6Alas for those who are at ease in Zion, and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria, the notables of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel resorts! Verse 4Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall; Verse 5who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music; Verse 6who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Verse 7Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.
Devotion
Woe means that there will be a day of reckoning, retribution for those who continue in their sins. "Woes" in Amos 6 were for wealthy people and worshipers of pleasure. They had expensive furniture, enjoyed the best food and drank heavily. In the midst of their revelry, they were not grieved over the ruin of Joseph. The nation and their leaders were in the grip of immorality.
Today, our nation is in the grip of immorality. Violence and sexual perversity are part of our daily diet on TV and other forms of entertainment. There is injustice and dishonesty in high places. The judgment in Amos’ was exile for the people. The day of reckoning will also come for our nation if we persist in our lust for pleasure and the desires of our sinful nature.
The message for us is found in Revelation 18:4 "Come out of her, my people!"
Prayer
Lord, rescue us from our sinful ways! Amen.