Does a lion roar in the thicket when it has no prey? Does it growl in its den when it has caught nothing? – Amos 3:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 1, 2020): Amos 3

Human ears can hear the roar of a lion up to eight kilometers (five miles) away. We actually don’t know how far another lion or any other member of the animal kingdom can hear the roar. The lion is also careful about its roar; in other words, the King of the Beasts does not roar just because he can. The roar of a lion is intended to strike fear in all who hear it who are not friends with the king. It is a protection mechanism for the pride that can consist of males, females, and their offspring. And a wandering lion who is outside of the territorial area to which they belong is strangely silent. The roar only reappears when the beast returns to its own land.

And the roar is also absent when the lion is on the hunt. One of the loudest creatures of the animal kingdom knows how to move with stealth. The lion does not reveal itself until the last moment; that time when the king finally takes down its prey. Then the roar emerges, announcing to all who dare to listen that the objective has been achieved and the lion is the king once more.

As Amos begins his discussion against Israel, he brings up several images, one of them being the lion. Does a lion roar when it has no prey? No. When he has no prey, he is on the hunt and operating in stealth mode. In the same way, he does not growl in the den, communicating to his pride that he has brought home supper if there is no supper to be eaten. The roar of the lion is only heard when it is in its territory and it is a warning to all of those who are not friends to stay away. Man and beast alike tend to run the other direction when the lion roars.

Amos is announcing the “roar of God,” the “lion of Judah.” And his roar over Israel is a warning. First, God is at home in Israel. This is not foreign territory to him. The Creator of the World does not cede territory anywhere on the planet to anyone but him. His roar means that he is at home. And it is a warning for all who do not come as friends. The roar does not reveal the stealth of the hunt; it is a revelation that the hunt is over, and the battle has been won.

Today we begin a New Year. 2020 has finally revealed its pages for us to see. But this is not foreign territory to God. More specifically, the God who moves ahead of us has already arrived on the shores of the New Year. He has already been here, long before we arrived, and the year belongs to him. We are invited into this year, much like Israel in the days of Amos, either as friends who live under his roar of protection, or as enemies, who run the other way at sound of the Lion of Judah.

But make no mistake. This year the Lion will roar.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Amos 4