"A FAMINE FOR THE WORD" (An Article by Christian Henry) ~ 3/19/26

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, 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 the LORD:” (Amos 8:11)

The book of the prophet Amos chronicles the coming judgment Israel had incurred under King Jeroboam II, who led them into social apathy and the worship of Canaanite gods, all of which resulted in rampant injustice and neglect of duty. God couldn’t take it anymore and used the Prophet to deliver His divine message - a message we still need to hear today.

The Lord declares, “Behold,” He would have the people to listen closely. It’s the same as saying, “This is going to be important.” We must pay special note to the following. A time is approaching quickly, He says, to erase any questions about the days to come. It’s a surety. This famine that God has promised to send is like an arrow in God’s quiver that He shoots when He pleases. It will be a severe judgment; one based on Divine displeasure. He sometimes orders famines to come upon a people for their sins. Make no mistake, this penalty that will soon be upon Israel will come from God. This is often the case; many of life’s trials are used by our Father to strengthen His children.

This won’t be a simple hungering for bread or thirst for water, but a spiritual famine that is far more distressing and tormenting. Of course, this kind of famine is often joined with a corporeal one, but the starvation of the soul is so much more grievous.

In times of distress, all God’s people run to Him, like a child who seeks comfort in their parent when they scrape their knee, but they will not find it. Those who have continually despised the prophets and find themselves surrounded by enemies will not find comfort.

They will be tormented with a great hunger for hearing the Word of the Lord and will find nothing to ease their troubles. Even those profane and wicked souls, when there is no help to be found, will hope to find solace in God, but will find it not. This is just retribution on those who refuse to hear the Lord's prophets and may even try to drive them away with violence. Looking for rest and reprieve will be in vain.

It will be too late to desire the deliverance of the Messiah. Like the prodigal son in the parable, who had fled to the far-off country and began to be in want in the mighty famine, these sinners will pine after heavenly comfort, but unlike in the story, they will find none. It is the ultimate irony that those who have the Words of life and their interpreters, but don’t want them, are the same people who will soon desire and not have the ability to discover them.

When I was in college, and having heard of Joel Osteen, I decided to look him up. I found an interview where he was asked about the goal of his preaching, and in his response, said, “It’s not my job to make anybody feel bad or question themselves.” I read that and immediately understood why Grandad and other good men of faith didn’t care for him. Because what do you mean, that’s not your job? Obviously, I’m not advocating that pastors must offend and alienate the public, but his goal shouldn’t be to have people go home feeling better about themselves; it should be to have them leave feeling better about their God and Savior.

Case in point, I’m sure this message from Amos was hard to hear, but it was a truth Israel desperately needed. God’s point is clear: because of their sin, He will remove the words of life from Israel. The blessing they had spurned for so long will be taken away, like the candlesticks of the seven churches of Asia. To be deprived of hearing the Gospel is a spiritual famine, because it’s savory, wholesome, nourishing, satisfying, strengthening, and comforting food. For their indifference to the word of God, ministry will cease, error will prevail, and the churches will be dissolved.

Thankfully for the redeemed remnant, the story doesn’t end here. God, in His amazing grace, will redeem the truly repentant and “…bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them...” (9:14-15). He will restore His people and will never displace them again.