Amos 4:1 says, Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink. God called those who oppressed the poor people of Isreal kine, or cattle. He said that they went out of their way to oppress the poor. They crushed the poor with unreasonable demands. God always holds those who oppress the poor accountable. Verse two declares, The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. God warned those who were mistreating the poor people so badly that their day of judgment was coming. We cannot oppress the poor today and expect God not to notice and hold us accountable one day. Verse three adds, And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD. God said that the oppressors would look for a way to escape but that there would be none. Verse four states, Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years: The people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to idols instead of God, and He called on them to increase their sacrifices if they thought it would bring them relief. Whatever we put before our relationship with God, no matter how much we may increase our devotion to or worship of it, will never bring us relief from the judgment of God. Verse five adds, And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. The people were going through the motions of worshipping God, but they had no real relationship with Him. Empty worship, no matter how often we practice it, will never make us right with God, but in fact will only lead us farther from Him. Verse six says, And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. God said that He had left them without enough bread to eat in order to get them to return to Him, but they had not. Being in need does not mean that a person is in a right relationship with God. Sometimes God may leave a person in need, especially those who call themselves His people who are not truly following Him, in order to get to get them to return to Him. Verse seven adds, And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. God said that He had withheld the rain so their crops failed. God was sending them warnings and they were ignoring Him and looking to false gods for hope. God sends everyone enough warning to know that they need to come to Him for salvation and everlasting security, but the majority of people look for it everywhere but through God's salvation plan. Verse eight states, So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. God said that the people from two or three cities were gathering together in one city hoping to find relief but that there was none to be found. When we cut ourselves off from God, there will never be an lasting peace and satisfaction, no matter how many other people we join together with. Verse nine declares, I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. God said that He had caused their crops to be destroyed, and they still did not return to Him. Verse ten adds, I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. God said that He had even allowed the young men of Israel to be defeated and die in war, but the people still would not return to Him. Many people today are just as obstinate in their refusal to come to God. Verse eleven declares, I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. God said He had sent destruction on them as He had on Sodom and Gomorrah, yet they still refused to return to Him. God also said that those that He had rescued would not return to Him. God has rescued every person from the horror of hell, and all they have to do is put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord to claim this salvation, but many still look everywhere but to God for salvation. Verse twelve adds, Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. God again gives the people of Israel a warning about what He was about to do to them. No one will ever be able to claim that God did not give them a warning about what is going to happen if they refuse His gift of salvation. Verse thirteen continues, For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. God said that He was the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and that He was the only One Who could bring them redemption. If we do not look to God for salvation today we will never find it. God provided the only way to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and He calls everyone to this free gift of salvation, but too many refuse His gift and continue to look elsewhere for redemption and peace.
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