Amos 5:18-27 That Dark Day
The day of the Lord, that dark day, is coming. In Amos’ time, it was the capture and exile of the people of Israel. In our time…
The first words in our reading have me digging deeper to find what God means by them. “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness and not light” (verse 18).
There are several ways I am looking at this warning:
- Why would you desire the day that brings judgment? Don’t you know that it means death? Maybe even yours!
- Why are you eagerly waiting for God to rain down judgment on everyone? Do you hate them that much?
- Do you think God is ONLY going to punish the other nations? Don’t you see your OWN egregious sins?
- This day isn’t a day of raising up but of casting down.
ALL the ways of looking at the attitudes of man recognize that destructions will come with this day. Destruction of who then becomes the question. Along with, what will happen to me on that day?
I feel like the first “woe” relates to people who want the day to hurry and get here so that those who are oppressing them will ‘get what they deserve’. The attitude of, “just wait until your Father gets home!” Almost a gleeful anticipation to see what punishment befalls those who are under His judgment. “Freedom!” Freedom from those who would weigh you down.
This first woe could also be the people looking on expectantly to God punishing their neighbors. What they aren’t looking at is that, in order to do so, they have to go into captivity first. All of the neighbor’s judgments spring from how they treated the people of God during the exile.
It could also be God warning the people that the woe they are waiting for will not only fall on their neighbors, but on themselves as well. It’s going to be a MESS before it gets any better. This one reminds me of ‘spring cleaning’. When doing a proper spring-cleaning job, you drag out everything that has piled up over the year. Once you have it all gathered together, then you begin sorting and putting away what you are planning on keeping. What is left over will have to be given away, trashed, or turned into something useful. Once done, you can start fresh again.
God is having Amos focus on THE day of God’s judgment. He isn’t asking where the people will be afterwards. He isn’t even asking what plans they have for afterwards. God is looking at the moment of and the history before.
The people are making half-hearted efforts to get God to ‘forgive’ them while STILL wallowing in their sin. You can’t get clean if you won’t step out of the mud puddle, no matter how many times you ‘wash your hands’ while in it. God won’t have ANYTHING to do with their tainted sacrifices and offerings. They STINK from the sin surrounding them.
“Don’t you KNOW what you are wishing for? It’s NOT a happy day! It is a day FILLED with darkness and despair. It is a day of death; even for YOU. YOUR conduct is what is making it so. And I’ve seen NO reason NOT to include you in this day of judgment. Don’t wish for judgment! Change your ways and pray for mercy instead.”
In today’s world, MANY are seeing the fast approaching end times. The prophecies concerning what is to come appear to be coming true in our time. I know of MANY, including myself, who are excitedly awaiting Jesus’ return. But His return means death to those who don’t believe. Am I/Are we so anxious for that day that we don’t care about those who will be ‘left behind’ or are excited about the judgment about to be served on them? I believe God’s “woe” is for those who see the approaching time and rub their hands with glee at what awaits those who remain.
YES! Look forward to spending quality and quantity time with Jesus as He rules here on earth. But weep for those who will feel the weight of the days to come. PRAY that they will recognize their need for the Lord BEFORE that day comes! You would not wish the coming days on your worst enemy; or at least I wouldn’t.
Father God, my heart breaks for those who will remain and face the judgments coming. It is beyond my imagination, the things they will have to endure. I KNOW there will be those who come to You during that time, but their lives will be VERY difficult. MANY will even lose their lives (and heads) because they waited too long and didn’t come to You before the ‘trumpet’s call’.
There is NO easy path through the tribulation to come. I PRAY my children return to You before that time comes. I’m afraid that Your taking Your church away will be the thing to reach them. IF they have to walk that path Father, hold them tight in Your arms. I would MUCH rather see them return to You BEFORE that day. Do whatever it takes though Father to reach them!
