Table of Contents
The Prophecy of the Famine – Amos 8
The prophet Amos under inspiration wrote, “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it” (Amos 8:11,12).
The prophet Amos clearly predicts of a time when, because of repeated disobedience, it would be too late for the people of Israel to turn to God’s Word in order to avoid His judgments. Deep regret sometimes causes people to pay attention to the Word of God. Unfortunately, such regret often comes too late to bring about any good outcome.
This is so, not because God’s love is ineffective in the sinner, but because the sinner has become so hardened in his wickedness that he desires only to escape the results of his sins, and not to repent of his wicked path. He has grieved the Holy Spirit beyond all hope of genuine repentance and transformation of life (Matthew 12:45; 2 Peter 2:20-22; Hebrews 6: 4-8; 10:26).
Such was the state of the antediluvians who rejected the repeated messages of Noah before the flood. And when God’s judgement fell on the earth and they faced their death, they were greatly sorry for their lost state (Genesis 6). Similarly, King Saul repeatedly disobeyed God and thus, committed the unpardonable sin. As a result, he could no longer hear God’s voice (1 Samuel 28:6) and felt sorry for his lost state.
End-Time Fulfillment
From generation to generation the same invitation has gone forth, inviting people to find “rest” of soul in Christ. The Lord gives the repeated plea: “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22). The world can’t satisfy the longings of the heart nor can it save anyone. Only God can save and He extends to the world an urgent invitation to become His children (Matthew 11:28,29).
In the final “day of the Lord,” just before the second coming of Christ, this experience of ancient Israel at the time of Amos will take place again, when the wicked, suffering under the seven last plagues (Revelation 15,16), will try to escape the disasters through any means possible, even seeking the Word of God, which they had previously rejected. But their efforts will not bring them relief from suffering.
Soon, mercy will no longer plead with the sinners and the day of salvation will close. Therefore, the apostle Paul exhorts the believers saying, “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Hebrews 3:15).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
