Evening star., 1922-03-11
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

| 4 anu W WHOSOCSCl CAASsn |
by is not wise."LAProv., 20:1. +.
We study this week the, burning
words Of Amos. who appears to be tn'
first preaching prophet. While othe'
great personalities had previously
nodded the life of Gods chosen peo
pie. none OF them appears to hav'
been in the habit Of delivering ser
! mons. The earliest book Of propheti'
sayings has come to US from Amos
who is considered by one Of the mos
critical writer's to be "one OF th'
! most wonderful appearances In tn
history of the human spirit. In,
prophets Of antiquity appear TO y!
more like soothsayers, to whom TN
people resorted for supernAtora
counsel in times OF emergency. ana II
their own original actions messen
gors from God with definite revela
ttons and commands spoken as brle'
pointed messages"
Amos commenced his prophet.
work during the days Of Jereboan
II, after the external glory OF !srGe
had reached under his reign Its hi6n
est pitch and it's internal conai.ion' ,r'i, on
indicated to the prophet rapidly hp
preaching dissolution. Success M hae
crowned his administration. Tnt
1dumeans, with Edom, had been re-
duced to subjection, and he had takef
and fortified portions of Philistia. III
had reconquered Moab, and Damascus
already weakened by Assyria. has
then pressed on and captured ha
math. These conquests were all mad.
during the nrst ten years Of HI.
reign, SO that Jereboam during tnt
next -forty-three ruled over In Sc
curity and material prosperity ter
Sitory that almost coincided' with
that Of Solomon. Uzziah reigned II
province of Israel. Both Jerusalem
and Samaria showed the influence o.
riches in their life. Conquest hAt
opened new avenues OF commercs
that increased the wealth accumu
lated in war. The weather. classes II
both capitals reveled in luxury ant
sank deeper and deeper into vice ant
licentiouSness.
1t was at this hour Of national pros
perity, power and prestige that Goe
called Amos, q shepherd. who sup
plemented the income received 6s
herdsman from his small mock OF
peculiar desert breed Of sheep, ugly
and short.footed. but valuable 10 iol
their excellent wool, by piercing Tn,
fruit Of the sycamore trees that y
might ripen so as to be used as foos
by the poor. who could secure nothing
more palatable. He was called to o.
a prophet, while following his sheel
in the hill country. OF judah neal
Tekoa. His homo was only twelv'
Of Bethlehem. This humble herdsmai
had time to consider the conditions o
Israel and Judah as he watched MI
small flock near the wilderness, which
commenced near his homo and ex
tended to the Dead sea, about twelv'
miles distant. 1t may have daWnee
slowly upon the awakening spiritua
consciousness OF the earnest. ant
fearless shepherd that he must star
q reformation at Bethel. the grea
national sanctuary Of the. nartheri
Kingdom, which was about twenty
two miles north from his home.
Although as a shepherd Amos spen
| Influenced his life and labor much a!
1t did that Of John the Baptist, wht
also owed much OF the development o
| his personality to the days hesspen
| in the same hill country Of Judea. ye
the prophet was not an unlettered man
hsages a similarity to Lincoln. especial
! II to his second inaugural address
The peculiar location OF Samaria ant
the conditions within Israers capita
| were well known to him. His refer
| enees to surrounding nations snow
that he was familiar with the nlstor!
| not only OF his own land, but also tina
Of the neighboring states: he had al
intimate knowledge Of what was 90
| ing on in Damascus and Tyre, II
Edom and Moab: he was well IN
formed about the movements Of th'
peoples: :'he knew that the Philistine
came from Capthor. and the Syrian
been redeemed from Egypt" HI
graphic references to the rising ant
| falling of Egypt's river, the Nile, suS
| eests that Amos had visited that won
derland at some time. He was mas
ter of the politics of his age and wa
rial. conditions Of both Israel and Jn
His task was not self chosen. Th
earnest and fearless man did no
| finch when duty called because o
personal danger. He had messag'
born Of the conception OF justice hs,,
! in his meditations as he watched tn
fiocks in the desert, that enabled HIN
| to detect their hypocrisy and injustice
| His words need no commentary q
| make plain their meaning. IN
prophecies. delivered centuries ago
have a message for our day and gen
application Of principles. He wa
called to deliver a message Of, Of warn = 2,
ing and declaration which might nav
made even a Savonarola tremble. bu
inspired by his God-given. commission
| Amos commenced to preach to tn
crowds assembled at their national re
ligious shrine in Bethel.
In his opening prophecy. wnici
forms the prologue Of his book. Amo'
took a great forward step when h
asserted the universal character O
Gods Judgment: It was 4s,s,,,s coming, ,nn,,,,
nnnish the wicked among their owl
nation. Amos claims that He was th'
Supreme Ruler of the Universe Universe. am IN
snonsible to Him for their sin. Swif
as lightning. the simple. straishtfor
ward, fearless speaking man then de-
iiyered a scathing message OF woe t
israel. He laid bare the religious ans
social corruption Of the nation: whici
continued although Jehovah had D!
several natural calamities tried t.
turn them back to Him. but they