The Days are Coming

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’ The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon,” declares the LORD.
Amos 4:1–3
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The Days are Coming
Because Israel has completely abandoned the covenant God had made with them, by the worship of false gods, hatred towards their brother, and a rejection of God’s commands, the Lord warns of foreign invaders who will be allowed to come in and destroy the land. And unfortunately not much has changed today. Wealth and fame have led many churches to compromise their confession for the sake of numbers. An indifference to suffering tempts the “new Israel,” the Church, still today. And it is not even disguised. We can see it happening. Recognizing such failures in ourselves should move us to repentance and increased gratitude for Christ, who was rich, yet became poor for our sakes, so that through His poverty we might become eternally rich. Our identity is not found in the things of this world, but in the promise of God’s Word. He is our salvation and in Him we have more than we could ever need. Through His love for us, our heavenly Father sent His only Son to die in our stead, that in His resurrection we are freed. So now through His Word and Sacraments Christ Jesus walks with us. He abides with us, and restore us according to His favor.