America is widely regarded as one of the most desirable places to live on Earth. The millions of people who are trying to enter the country demonstrate how attractive our nation is.
The appeal of American life is rooted in certain distinctive qualities that attract individuals globally.
However, it’s important to recognize that these qualities, while appealing, can also have adverse effects on the nation’s overall health.
(1) Individualism – We are known for individuals being able to “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.”
There are multiple stories of how people become successful due to personal effort and skills.
The media has daily accounts of the lavish lifestyles of the super-wealthy. What is not revealed, however, is how the uber-successful keep the wealth for themselves.
“In 2019, families in the top 10% of the distribution held 72% of total wealth, and families in the top 1% of the distribution held more than one-third; families in the bottom half of the distribution held only 2% of total wealth” (Source: The Congressional Budget Office).
If Amos were around today, he would have something to say about the inequality of wealth in America.
(2) Consumerism – The United States is a consumer-driven economy. In fact, if Americans stopped buying things, it would have a drastic impact on the entire world’s economic well-being.
The world’s economy is very complicated, and I don’t have an answer to the question of American consumerism and the world’s well-being. I do have some questions.
What if our well-being is at the expense of someone who labors long and hard at a marginal wage to supply us cheap and plentiful goods?
What if the trace minerals in my cell phone are mined by child labor in Africa? What if the chocolate I have with a cup of coffee has been harvested by slave labor?
I expect that in the 8th century B.C. Israel, the wealthy viewed their daily routines as normal.
However, God sent Amos to challenge the status quo, asserting, “No, I have a message regarding your way of life.”
(3) Work Ethic and Success – One of my friends, who ran a factory in Europe, once said to me that Europeans will never catch up to Americans. He said, “They just don’t want to work as hard as we do.”
I am a typical American, and I am proud of my work ethic over the years. I am also thankful for the success that I have been able to achieve.
Surely, God wouldn’t object to hard work and success, would He? The answer is that God takes issue when hard work leads to pride and self-reliance, excluding Him from the equation.
8th Century B.C. Israel
In Amos’s time, Israel resembled modern American culture. The people were characterized by hard work, success, and significant income inequality. They were proud and self-sufficient.
Despite being religious, they did not embody God’s character.
The Israelites enjoyed their prosperity and seemingly had no problem with what was going on in their world. God, however, addressed the fact that they were too confident and too at ease in their lifestyle separate from Him.
Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
the notables of the first of the nations,
to whom the house of Israel resorts! (Amos 6.1)
The wealthy and powerful enjoyed luxuries that the ordinary Israelite could never achieve in a lifestyle.
Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory
and lounge on their couches
and eat lambs from the flock
and calves from the stall,
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
and like David improvise on instruments of music,
who drink wine from bowls
and anoint themselves with the finest oils
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! (Amos 6.4-6)
While the average Israelite slept on a floor mat, the wealthy rested on beds adorned with inlaid ivory.
The typical person in Israel might have eaten meat only about three times a year, if at all, whereas the affluent dined on the finest meats daily from their stalls.
The wealthy enjoyed leisure time, indulging in music and wine. Yet, they remained indifferent to the national destruction their behavior was causing.
Pride and Self-Sufficiency
In today’s YouTube video, Rudy Ross identifies pride as Israel’s biggest problem. He explains that pride, self-sufficiency, living apart from God, and a lack of humility are factors that can lead to downfall.
The Lord God has sworn by himself
(says the Lord, the God of hosts):
I abhor the pride of Jacob
and hate his strongholds,
and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it. (Amos 6.8)
You may have seen the bumper sticker featuring an American flag and the words, “The Power of Pride.”
In light of God’s word, this is a very unfortunate bumper sticker.
The Biblical message concerning pride is: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4.6).
A much better option would be an image of someone kneeling in prayer, accompanied by the words, “The Power of Humility.”
Amos highlights some deeply challenging cultural issues. I don’t claim to have the solutions, as I am part of the problem myself and am still searching for answers.
I agree with Rudy’s perspective that humility is the key. Approaching God with humble hearts and aligning our lives as closely as possible with His revealed will put us in a stronger position to address the issues we’ve discussed today.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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