Evening star., 1927-10-29

Worlds Temperance Sunday finds
us studying the message OF Amos
who suddenly appeared in the Temple
at Bethel and fearlessly warned the
nation of it's rapidly approaching
doom. Although he came from the
wilderness of Judah, where he was a
shepherd Of a flock of desert sheep,
noted for being ugly, short-footed and
producers OF an excellent kind OF
wool, he gripped the people by his
familiarity with the social and
economic conditions of the people in
Palestine.
In his visits to the wool markets,
this keen-eyed man of the desert had
observed the conditions Of the various
nations and learned from the travelling
pedlars something of the conditions
in other lands. He saw the clos, con-
nection between Israel's sin and that
of the other nations. lie detected the
evidence Of national peril In Israel at
an hour when the people, due to their
prosperity and power, believed that
they were assured of political security
and peace. Jeroboam IL had by the
exccllency OF his administration in
creased the influence of Israel so
that 1t extended from Lebanon to the
Dead Sea. They did not detect the
seeds of their destruction that had
appeared in their social life.
Isracl's Moral Failures.
God had made Amos conscious of
the approaching doom. He was ac-
rlistomed to detecting signs and seek
ing out their significance. He had
a, ha oil nf
fulaome love Of country. the rank in
ccnse Of "A religion that was without
morality" In Israel. lie had seen the
attitude of. the wealthy toward
poverty the cruel negligence Of the
rich, the injustice of the rulers, the
immortality OF the priests" connected
with the temples at Dan and Bethel.
Although the rulers Of Israel and
the national leaders evidently possessed
no vision, the shepherd of Tekoa had
an open mind and commenced to see
the significance of the intemperance.
immortality and irreligious life of
Israel. lie saw clearly that "the
wages of sin was death" for the north
nrn kingdom unless they were aroused
from their moral lethargy and lax
ness of life.
When in response to Gods call.
the prophet appeared at BcLnel anu
commenced to point out the sins of
the nation, he did not try to shape
the political policy Of the govern
ment. but he appealed to the people,
whom he considered to be responsible
for the government. When Amaziah,
the priest in charge Of the. temple at
Bethel, sought to stop the prophet
from delivering his pungent messages
by means of an injunction, he failed.
Amos refused to recognize the author
ity of the government and it's right
to interfere with his delivering his
God given message. He claimed the
rights of religious freedom and fear
| lessly pointed out the certainty of
| the nation reaping what it sowed.
Amos pointed out that they were
sapping the strength of the nation
by the RIGHTEOUSNESS of the rich and
| the miserable condition of the poor.
He sounded new note when he de-
clared that they had lost Gods favor
| through their indulging in the sins OF
civilization. The social evils of the
day were interlocked, as they are to-
day. The exploitation Of the poor was
accompanied with debasing irrever'
ence seen in the practice Of i'm
morality and intemperance within the
| temples, where they worshiped idols
claiming that they were worshiping
Jehovah. He gave them a true con
ception of Gqd. when he insisted that