The Israelites had adopted an easy religion that had provided them with just enough, in their eyes, to insure themselves of an eternal future in heaven. They practiced this easy religion without it much affecting what they wanted to do with their lives in the world. At the slight cost of a little outward expression, their religion, which never challenged their hearts and minds, only served to encourage their motivation for self-satisfaction. In the midst of this complacent environment comes Amos, with the second ‘oracle of woe,’ “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion.”
Complacency and laziness are a deadly combination for both individuals as well as communities. We find Israel as a community with a false sense of security based upon her military success (vs. 1-2) and material prosperity (vs. 4-7). Their walk was one of self-indulgence, laziness, frivolity, and excessive personal vanity. They sought to escape reality by way of an unreasonable admiration for entertainment. In their pursuit of gratification, they are not grieved, nor is there any concern for the desperate spiritual condition of their brothers. Like Joseph’s brothers, they ‘ate their bread,’ while their brother languishes in prison. Just like the people in the Titanic, they were having a great time … until their ship hit the iceberg.
Optimism is a good thing, but too much of it creates a living illusion. Many people are content to live a life outside of reality, and they like their preachers to be ‘encouragers’ of their self-love. The last thing that a complacent community wants is a preacher like Amos to wake them from their dream.
