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_ INTRODUCTION
Naw T^taments both carry the theme of
indXH ? thi?Ugt!Put From ^ disobedience of God
rn^the Garden of Eden to the last chapter ofReve
labon, the certainty of judgment is affirmed
rne necessity of judgment rests upon two verv
riehto^us tfSitS hFirSt’ **? Creator<* universe iTa
an interest in the moral
To deny this would be to deny the very
Secondlyj man is a responsible being, and
consequently accountable to God. There is a moral order
the VIn addition» U,ere has been a revelation of
the divine will for man to contemplate. Even apart from
ICd W'U °f God’there is a law written in the heart
a man may be judged, so that he is without
f°r his„misdeed whether or not he has known the
law, (Romans 2:11-15). Because God is righteous and man
is accountable, judgment is inevitable.
LESSON BACKGROUND
thV'ZlWas sro®1■prosperity for the king, the nobles, and
2JL&J merchant who lived in luxu^. They were so
l? ba.ve Both winter houses and summer houses
decwated with ivory But their affluence had not been the
result of honest toil. It had come through cruel op
pression and the enslavement of the. common people. At
times it was outnght violence and robbery. At other times
they resorted to bribery and injustice. Sensual pleasure
TS8 .Pu^uit- No pity was shown to the destitute.
(Read the Book of Amos.)
* ’ THE LESSON
Amos loathed the degraded religious practice of Israel.
Yet his heart yearned for the people. Twice when God’s
punishment was to fall on them, Amos prayed that they
might be spared, and his prayer was heard. His was not a
joyous assignment.
Why would Amos undertake such a mission7 Why
mdeed if it were not through the impelling influence of the
HS°! working in and through him? Amos was not a
prophet by profession. He was a herdsman and the Lord
said to him, Go prophesy unto my people Israel,” (Amos
7114, 15).
"Tftesearethe words of Amos, a shepherd from the town
of Tekoa. (Tekoa was .situated on a bare ridge about 12
milessouth of Jerusalem. The area was rather desolate
bordering the wilderness of Judah. It is not likely that it
provided Amos with any groat wealth. It was in this
that “took” him and sent him to
lethel.) Two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah
wps king of Judah and Jeroboam, son of Jehoash, was king
rfl Israeli God. revealed to Amos all these things about <
Israel.”
The Lord says, “The people of Damascus have sinned
again and again, and for this I will certainly punish them.
They treated the people of Gilead with savage cruelty. So I
will send fire upon the palace built by King Hazael and I
will bum down the fortresses of King Benhadad.”
The Lord says, “The people of Edom have sinned again
and again, and for this I will certainly punish them. They
hunted down their brothers, the Israelites, and showed
theiA 00 mercy. Their anger had no limits, and they never
let it die. So I will send fire upon the city of Teman and
burn down the fortresses of Bozrad,” (Amos 1:3,4,11,12).
Uzziah was a good king, and under his leadership and
example it is likely that the character and integrity of the
kingdom of Judah far exceeded that of Israel at the time. It
may be for this reason that God directed His prophet to the
kingdom of Israel. Since Uzziah died about 740 B.C., Amos’
ministry must be dated before that time, but his revealed
- message is valid for all time.
Amos began Iris message in Israel with a pronounce
ment of doom upon Damascus. This city wastfiecapltol of
Syria and had often fought with Israel in bloody war
fare. When Amos preached against the nations, he began
by delivering God’s indictment on their transgressions.
Their sins were clear, and Amos made it clear that they
would be punished because of those sins.
It is no different today. God’s law of harvest is still in
effect, “fee not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatso
ever a man soweth, that shall he also reap,” (Galatians
6:7). The individual or the nation that persists in breaking
God’s laws will eventually be punished.
The Lord says, “The people of Israel have sinned again
and again, and for this I will certainly punish them. They
sell into slavery honest men who cannot pay their debts,
poor men who cannot repay even the prices of a pair of
sandals. They trample down the weak and helpless and
push the poor out of the way. A man and his father have
intercourse with the same slave girl, and so profane my
holy name. At every place of worship men sleep on
clothing that they have taken from the poor as security for
debts. In the temple of their God they drink wine which
they have taken from those who owe them money/’ (Amos
2:6-6).
Men do terrible things because of greed (women, too).
They traffic in alcohol and drugs. They corrupt society.
They steal, cheat, take bribes and even commit murder. In
Israel, they were no less greedy. The law provided that a
poor man could sell himself as a servant, for a period of
time that wasnot to exceed six years, (Leviticus 25:39,40;
Deuteronomy 15:12). This provision for satisfying credi
tors was abused by demanding the sale of a poor man for
such a trifling matter as a pair of shoes. Perfectly legal -
grossly immoral. v
The remedy for evil is in knowing and doing the will of
God. We need to know His Word and pray that His Word
church are being trained.
I I
Pictured above are members of the State Coalition
Planning Committee of the National Council of Negro
Women. Charlotte Chapter. Left to right are:
Geraldine Powe, Communications; June C. Daven
port. President; Rev. Mrs. Minnie Conner, chaplain;
Allean Conner. Program Chairman; Ophelia Gray.
President Emeritus and winning Baby Contestant
Sponsor; and. Meta Waldon, Board Member of the
Teenage Pregnancy Advisory Council. (Photo bv
Peeler’s Portrait Studio)
Local NCNW To Host State Coalition
me Charlotte Chapter of the Na
tional Council of Negro Women
(NCNW) will host the North Caroli
na State Coalition of NCNW Sa
turday, June 15, from 10 a m. until 2
p.m. at Memorial Presbyterian
Church, 2600 Beatties Ford Rd.
The National Council of Negro
Women has as one of its current
major objectives the prevention of
widespread teenage pregnancy.
Through cooperative educational ef- [
forts with concerned agencies, or
ganizations, and professionals at the
local, state and national levels,
NCNW plans to make a difference by
increased awareness and partici
pation of others concerned also with
the issue.
The theme of the Charlotte meet
ing will be “Preventing Children
From Having Children In The ’80s”.
A stimulating and informative panel
discussion on direct issues will be
presented. A question and answer
period will follow the discussion.
Panelists will include: Mary
Maxwell, Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Schools--‘‘Teaching Sex Education
in the Public School"; Cheryl Mill
er, RN OBGYN, Memorial Hospi
tal-“Physiological Aspects”; Dr.
Ida Richmond, Psychologist,
Mecklenburg County Mental Health
"Psychological Aspects"; and
Richard Campbell, Youth Director,
Seigle Avenue Presbyterian
Church.
All concerned members and lead
ers of the Charlotte community are
urged to take part in helping to make
this an informative and productive
session.
Health Problems
Early detection can be the key
controlling health problems and
health care screenings can help
cover a condition in its early g—
During the Medicine Shoppes’
Senior Spirit Week, two health
screenings will be offered free to the'
public.
A foot screening will be held on'
June 4 by local podiatrists. Dr. Paul'
Reiss Will be at the pharmacy, 2919
Central Avenue, from 10 a m. until 4
p.m. and Dr. Cawthomy will be at :
the Medicine Shoppe, 6021 C The
Plaza, from 10 a m. until 1 p.m. The
podiatrists will perform foot checks
and answer questions about proper
foot care.
Then, on June 6 qualified per
sonnel will take people’s blood pres
sure readings from 10 a m until 5
p.m at both Medicine Shoppes. No
appointment is required to par
ticipate in the screenings.
While the screenings are not diag
nostic, they do provide a way for
people to take an active role in their
own health maintenance. And any
one found with a potential problem is __
advised to see their specialist for
further testing
For more information about the
foot or blood pressure screenings,
call the Medicine Shoppe nearest
you
MAKWg^J
(news.. /
THE CHARLOTTE POST
- w*«= 376-0496 :=**— ->
You've aot what it takas.
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Share the spirit.
Share the refreshment.
Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined
That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health.