Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, and trust in Mount Samaria

Amos 6:1

When I read Amos, I find myself thinking of terms that are common in our world today. Words like “threat assessment” come to mind. I don’t mean to simply equate God’s judgments with threats, but there is an overall tone of impending danger. You probably know that the U.S. government has a National Threat Assessment Center. If you access the United States Secret Service website, you can read the following words: “The United States Secret Service has long held the view that the best protective strategy is prevention”. Sounds like a wise strategy to me. During the days of Amos, Israel enjoyed a time of relative peace and prosperity. Despite the warnings from the prophet that judgment was imminent, the people seemed disinterested in any strategy of prevention. Isn’t it just like a prophet to disturb the “peace”? Amos warned Israel of a “real and credible threat” to the status quo. Yet, they did not respond. They didn’t want to hear it. In fact, Amos 6:1 describes the state of Israel as a mixture of false security and apathy. Simply put, Amos pronounced a woe on those who were “at ease”. Not only were the people at ease they misplaced their trust in Mount Samaria. This is a reference to their belief that Mount Samaria was deemed to be impregnable. In hindsight, we know they were wrong. Amos knew they were wrong because God clarified His perspective in an earlier chapter. God reminded the prophet that He formed the mountains   and He treads on the high places of the earth. Mount Samaria could never protect them from His judgment. Thankfully, Amos is not just about judgment. Amos pointed to the remedy for apathy and false security, The Lord said, “Seek Me and live”. In God alone we find true peace, protection and security.