Famine of Hearing God's Word

December 8

Amos 7-9

Psalm 139:1-6

Proverbs 29:9-10

Revelation 2

Famine Of Hearing God’s Word

“Behold, days are coming declares Lord Yahweh, ‘When I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of Yahweh.  People will wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they will go to and fro to seek the word of Yahweh, but they will not find it.”  Amos 8:11-12 LSB

I believe this prophecy was fulfilled at a specific time in history, but I also think it speaks of a future time when this will occur and may have a personal application as well.  Amos prophesied during the 8^th century BC.  The Jews had split into two nations, a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom.  His calls for repentance were rejected.  The unrepentant who refuse to listen to God’s warnings will face His judgment.  Among the judgments Amos prophesied was a famine, but not a famine of food and water, but a famine of hearing God’s Word.  God had sent numerous prophets to warn them and to give them messages from God, but God was telling them that there was coming a time when they would seek God’s Word and they would not be able to find it.  They would long for a prophet but none would be found.  Interestingly, there was a period from around 430 BC until around 6 BC that is referred to as “The Silent Years.”  This is the period between the Old Testament and the New Testament.  During this time there was no word from God.  Malachi was the last prophet and his book was written around 430 BC.  After that, God did not speak to His people through the prophets until the birth of John the Baptist shortly followed by the birth of Jesus, the Messiah.  I believe this was the first fulfillment of Amos’ prophecy. 

Verse 9 speaks of “that day” which generally refers to the last days.  God was telling them through Amos that in the last days there would come a time when people would so harden their hearts to God that He would stop speaking to them.  He gives warning after warning but eventually there comes a time when His warnings stop and He turns us over to our own desires.  “For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools…  Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.” Romans 1:21-23 LSB   The famine of hearing God’s Word can occur when people have access to the Bible but fail to read and obey it.  “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 LSB   We see that happening today.  A growing number of pastors and teachers have abandoned sound Biblical teaching.  They are proclaiming messages of prosperity, self-esteem and political correctness rather than teaching the message of the gospel that we are sinners in need of a Savior.  May we soften our hearts and be diligent in studying His Word so that we never experience a famine of God’s Word in our own lives.