And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn them asks anyone who might be hiding there, “Is anyone else with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will go on to say, “Hush! We must not mention the name of the LORD.” – Amos 6:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 4, 2020): Amos 6

Speak of the Devil. It is an ancient sentiment, and the phrase appears in many languages. The full expression is “Speak of the devil and he will appear.” In modern language, it is used as when someone we are speaking of suddenly appears in the room with us. In Afrikaans, the phrase is “Speak of the devil and you will step on his tail.” No matter the language, the original intent is that if you speak of evil, you will invite the presence of evil into your life. If you don’t mention the name of the devil, then maybe you will escape his notice and he will continue to allow you to live.

Amos, prophesying in a time of prosperity, tells a story of a time when it will be the judgment of God and not the excesses of life, that will be on the minds of the people. And in his story, he speaks of a disaster that takes place in a house. Most of the people die, but when the relatives arrive to burn the bodies, an excellent way of minimizing the spread of disease, they find one who is still alive. And so they will ask the survivor, “Is anyone else with you?” And the survivor, in fear, will deny the presence of anyone else. They will add, “And do not mention the name of Lord.” Do not mention the name of the one who brought down this judgment in the first place, but somehow missed me. Because I fear that if God knows that I am here, he will make his judgment complete.

It is almost an absurd reversal of the common understanding. Apparently, in a moment of fear, it does not matter whether it is God or the Devil, or good or evil, that we are trying to avoid. In those moments, we just want to be left alone, or maybe better, we don’t want our situation to get any worse.  

Amos prophesies that a time is coming for Israel when the God of all help will become a God whose name is avoided at all costs because of the sin of the people. And at that moment, it will not matter if it is God or the devil who is standing at our door. Either way, it is only judgment that is coming our way, and it is only judgment that we deserve.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Amos 7