Evening star., 1927-11-05
by REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.
AMOS PLEADS FOR
JUSTICE.
Amos Chapters ) and Z.
Golden Text.-Let justice roll
down as waters. and righteous
ness as q mighty stream
Amos 5: "a.

Armistice Sunday calls for US 10
consider the plea Of Amos, the stern
fearless, messenger Of God, who
sought to save Israel by his predic.
tons of doom Lloyd George ana
Lord Cecil have warned England OF
her peril unless she ceases to trust in
ornaments and depends upon justice
rather than force 10 settle her diff
ferences with other nations. Gen
Pershing has pointed out that "The
world does not seem to learn from
experience" He claims that unless
all the nations reduce their .arma
ments, 1--WE may well ask ourselves
whether civilization does not really
reach a point where it begins to de
stroy itself and whether we are thus
doomed to go headlong down through
destructive war and darkness to bar
barism" Our military and naval
leaders by their championing pre-
paredness, are promoting peace. They
point out peril to avert war.
Amos entered the public arena as
a prophet under the urge of God to
warn Israel OF her coming doom at
an hour when that nation had de-
ceived itself and failed TO, understand
the fatal significance Of her sociai
problems. Love of luxury prevailed
then in Israel. as it does today in our
land. The conditions were similar TO
those that appeared prior to the down
fall Of Rome and the breaking out OF
the French Revolution. The prophet
saw in Israel what Prof. McDougall
Of Harvard, has seen in our country
fol- he tells us to quote his own star
til words: LAS l watch the Amerl-
can Nation speeding gaily. with IN
vincible optimism. down the road TO
destruction, / seem to he contempiat-
Ing the greatest tragedy in the his
tory of mankind" ~
Amos sounded the ,focsin of 1srael's s
doom in an effort .to persuade the
nation TO seek the pathway of Sc
curity, stability and safety by re-
turning to God and the establishment
of equal and exact Justice for all men
without regard to Their social posi-
ton. prestige or power. The herds
man from Tekoa saw with great
cIearness the close relationship that
existed between real. religion and
social Justice He biaZed the trail
that all Hebrew prophets followed for
with one accord all the prophets, the
great spiritual leaders of the Jewish
people. have championed the cause of
the common people and laid the blame
for social wrongs upon the leaders OF
the dominant class. Our Lord fol-
lowed their example. Both the
prophets and the Master underlined
no other sin with such scarlet marks
as the sins Of injustice, oppression
ana the corruption Of the judges
But these are the sins which bear
down the iowly, and have always been
practicea and hushed up by the
powerful" just as the High Priest tried
to stop Amos.
Gods u willing Severity.
Moses in the law that he gave te
the nation protected all, classes. His
requirement of justice sought to pre-
vent the control of the nation by ths
rich or the mob element of the poor
Israel had, disregarded the God.giver
statutes and Amos opens our lessor
with a funeral tlirge over her fall. Ht
saw her imminent doom unless sht
would repent Amos kew that Gol
did not desire THAT any should perish
| but that all shoa ID come TO repentance.
! Amos callefAsaupon them to seel
lJefovai1 and escape the approachinf
y