A Famine In The Land

by Micky Galloway

The Old Testament prophet Amos spoke, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord Jehovah, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of Jehovah, and shall not find it” (Amos 8:11-12).

God sent His prophet Amos to the northern kingdom of Israel in the eighth century BC to warn of impending judgment due to their unrepentant sins. Their sins were many including idolatry, oppression, injustice, immorality, and religious corruption (cf. Amos 2:6-16; 5:10-13). God had sent natural disasters including drought and disease. He had brought war upon them, killing their young men and overthrowing their cities. All this was intended to turn Israel back to Him, but to no avail (Amos 4:6-10). Now Amos says, “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:12). Like a basket of summer fruit, Israel was ripe for destruction (Amos 8:1-3). Assyria would be the rod of God’s anger against this rebellious people (Isaiah 10:5).

Israel ignored God when He had spoken. “And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazirites … But ye gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not” (Amos 2:11-12). “They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly” (Amos 5:10). “… Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not (thy word) against the house of Isaac” (Amos 7:16). They did not want to hear, so God stated that He was not going to speak to them. Even when the people sought to hear His word, still He would not speak. There was not much point in His speaking when they ignored and disregarded what He said. Hosea described a time when “They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Jehovah; but they shall not find him: he hath withdrawn himself from them” (Hosea 5:6). Jeremiah depicts a pitiful scene of the destruction of Jerusalem, “Jehovah hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; He hath stretched out the line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying; And he hath made the rampart and wall to lament; they languish together. Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: Her king and her princes are among the nations where the law is not; Yea, her prophets find no vision from Jehovah” (Lamentations 2:8-9). Long before, when the prophet Samuel was a child it was written, “And the word of Jehovah was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision” (I Samuel 3:1). Amos prophesied the time would come when the people would hunger to hear God’s voice, and He would not speak. There would be a famine of hearing the word of the Lord.

Is it any wonder God stopped communicating with His people? Isaiah described them vividly, “For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of Jehovah; that say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isaiah 30:9-10). Jeremiah asked, “To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of Jehovah is become unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it” (Jeremiah 6:10).When he pleaded with them, “Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” they said, “We will not walk (therein)” (Jeremiah 6:16).

God’s word is the spiritual food that sustains us. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Again Jesus said, “The words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life” (John 6:63). Just a few verses later, when many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him, Jesus asked the twelve, “Would ye also go away? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:66-68). Our spiritual life is sustained by hearing the words of Christ.

Beloved, people are starving to death in a land of plenty. Though God’s word is available everywhere, there is still a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. It would be difficult to understand a person who would sit before a well furnished table and starve to death. But this is precisely what people are doing spiritually. This is what Israel did and today even members of the Lord’s church are guilty of doing this. Today one can purchase a copy of the Bible for a small amount, yet it is not read and studied. Look at our own Bible classes. How many attend and are prepared to discuss the Scriptures? A famine of God’s word exists today in many pulpits and pews of His people. It is often said, “I don’t know of error that is being taught or practiced, but there is just no substance to the teaching.” Brethren, if there is no substance, it won’t be long until error will prevail. In the long ago there was a famine of God’s word because God ceased to speak. But now God has spoken through the written word; men have simply ceased to read.

Let us, “Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7). There will come a time when it will be too late. It will be a sad scene to view people searching frantically for a message from God, when the day of salvation has already passed and the end has come.