Evening star., 1924-04-26

moral corruption prevailed which
contained the germs of national de-
cay and destruction.
Wealth that had been accumulated
by the nation was concentrated in
the hands of a few. The middle class
had disappeared, leaving the poor de-
pendent upon the rich nobility, whose
desire for pleasure, show and luxury
| the classes. The accumulation of
great and enormous landed estates
was against the whole spirit of the
| Israelite commonwealth. Bribery was
and the poor suffered injustice and
wrongs. Intemperance and immoral
| lty were prevalent, due to the in
| huence Of Baalism. Women walk ed
the streets. revealing by their leer-
ing eyes, mincing walk and excessive
ornaments and dress that they were
lewd and immoral. Amos directed his
attacks upon the social questions,
whiie Hosea, who was able to go to
the roots of the nations life, was
seeking to correct the nations NOR
ais and religious life. Both recog-
| niZed the dangers Israel faced and
| fearlessiy exposed the national peril
Amos saw Israel from the stand
mere nationalist. The flock master of
| Tekoa was a man of the people 1t
is a mistake to think that he was
ignorant and unintelligent- He may
| nave been poor herdsman, who sup
plemented his income from looking
after "a peculiar breed of desert
sheep by pinching the fruit of the
sycamores so as ito turn these buds
into something like poor fig" since
the country about Tekoa offered no
chance to accumulate wealth. No
doubt he had learned much from
nature and from men and from the
Spirit of God. even if he were not a
student of literature. He found les
sons il the everyday life that he ex-
pressed in a terse and graphic man
ner, combining both force and finish.
Probably 1t was as a seller of his
wool, when he visited the markets of
Israel, that the prophet was i'm
pressed by their false security. He
was the first to grasp the conception
that the whole course of human his
tory is controlled by Jehovah. and
that it advances His purpose. Under
the impelling force of the Spirit of
God, Amos appeared in Israel as a
prophet of Judgment
1t required moral courage, born of
deep conviction and confidence that
he was called of God, for Amos to
prophesy the coming destruction of
Israel and other nations He rebuked
in his Indictment the national leaders
for their corruption of manners, and
warned the nation against the false
security which they thought their
. strategic position, power and prestige
gave to them, by pointing out the
sources of the nations danger by his
, injustice to the poor, the folly of
! idleness and mere physical pleasures
and his condemnation of the indiffer-
ence and intemperance of the national
leaders
Amos saw Gods hand in the history
of men and nations, and evidently
was well versed in political history
of other powers. In warning the ma
, ton against its false security. he
. pointed to the history of the over
throw of three important cities
: the five great Babylonian cities. was
, considered to be almost impregnable
, and yet that famous stronghold had
been overthrown by the forces of AS
syria. Israel had recently shared
with Assyria in the subjugation OF
Klamath, the mighty fortress upon the
Orontes Uzziak. King of judah, had
demolished the walls of Gath, which
lhad been considered to be one of the
five strongly fortified cities OF the
Their prosperity and power did not
keep them from falling. Israel was
destined to suffer similar fate II
she did not repent of her vice and
quit trusting in her power and pros
perity.
Amos fearlessiy pointed out the de-
generacy Of the people. Moore mas
pointed out how Amos enumerateo
ten of Israers vices. He charges
ally put far away the evil day; with
injustice, for with violence they en-
forced their fraud; with Incidence
for they lolled effeminately upon tneif
beds inlaid with ivory, WIN Wiz immGr, NOR,
| wantonness; with insatiableness, fol
: they lived continually on the fat OF
flock and stall; with indecency, FOL
they sang and played their voluptuous
. songs; with irreverence, for the!
mimicked the Davidic instruments
for reveIers; with intemperance, fol
{ they gulped their wine out OF the
: sacriacial bowls; with impiety, fol
they anointed themselves 9 hoiv WIN urones o.ns,
and with indifference. for they were
5 unmoyed by the Affections of the
people" Fearing a revolution under
his leadership. the brave prophet wa
banished at the re9uest. .S OF nrnahet,s n.,ah,a
l plain unveiling Of IsraeFs socia
= evils. While they silenced Amos by
excluding him, he commenced. lit.
nronhetic words which were scat.
tered among the people. Amos wa.
| the first one of the prophets to recorc
his messages, which have come to VI
in a manner that requires little, Il
any, work Of the commentator t.
i
dieting judgment, not only upor
Israel. but every other land tina
trusts in the power of money rather
than In its loyalty to and love OF God
The Path Of Delfvernnce.
While Amos was pouring out hi
message concerning the coming 5udg
ment. Hosea was beginning to Zee
the call of God moving in his hear
through the misfortunes Of his low
and sorrow Of his home. summonint
Hosea to prophecy. His life, which
covered nearly the whole OF the las
century of IsraePs history, stands ou
amidst the nations darkness by hi
effort to persuade his countrymen t
repent and do Gods will, SO as Z
avert the threatened judgment. II
his own grief over the waywardnes
Of his wife, whom he loved even afte
she had fallen into the vices whicl
surrounded her, 50 that she deoerte
III the prophet and his two children TO
a life of licentiousness, Hosea prove
his love for his wife by purchasinl
her, when she was offered as slav
at a public auction, brought her bacl
II to the old home and gave her ne1
III chance. In his own love and EFFORT
| to save his wife Hosea secured
| vision of Gods love for Israel an
III IJic longing to save the nation from