I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Amos 6-9 and Obadiah.

    Amos prophesies against those who enjoy the fruits of their wealth while ignoring the suffering of the poor and needy. When I read today’s passage I think of how the wealthy and powerful in Chicago stayed in their safe neighborhoods while ignoring the murders and violent crime in the other neighborhoods of the city. I hate to single out Chicago, because what Amos is prophesying about applies in many places. And it is not just in cities. This prophecy is directed at those who are living a life of luxury and ease while ignoring the violence and injustice occurring just outside their secure enclave. It is easy to think that this prophecy applies to people wealthier and more powerful than myself, but, if I am not doing what I can to help the poor and oppressed, it applies to me. Further down in today’s passage Amos talks about how God is going to measure us with a plumb line. For those of you who do not know, a plumb line is essentially a weight on the end of a string. It is used to measure whether a pole or a wall stands up straight. God measures us with the plumb line of His righteousness. Do we stand up true and pure? Or do we lean away from what is right and just?

    Obadiah is the only prophet whose entire message is directed entirely against a people other than those of Israel and Judah. The people of Edom thought that the geography of the land they lived in would protect them against invaders. The prophet warns them that this is not so. God has chosen to bring judgement against them because of their sins. We can learn from their sins. God brought judgement down on Edom because they failed to offer what aid they could when the Children of Israel were in distress. Not only did they not offer aid when the Children of Israel were suffering, they rejoiced in their suffering, they gloated over it. They took advantage of the misfortunes of others to profit. As I read this I realized that we can understand what is being condemned by looking at news of the recent hurricane in the Carolinas. There are stories about people from areas that did not need to evacuate going into the areas where the people evacuated to loot. This is what the people of Edom were condemned for doing.