“They hate the one who rebukes in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks uprightly.” — Amos 5:10, NKJ

As Amos gives a call to repentance to the nation of Israel, he includes this description of those who have turned from obedience to God — not only do they disobey God, they hate those who call attention to their sinful lifestyle. We see this same type behavior today as well when Christian friends fall into (or back into) iniquity and begin to cut all ties with those who would disagree with them. Abhorring the Biblical advice of their friends, they turn away from their fellowship, and it is but a short step to hatred.

Wait a minute, Brother Bobby. Doesn’t the prophecy of Amos apply to the Israelites of his time? Yes certainly, but not only so. The Word of God — whether spoken by God Himself or through one of His Prophets or Angels — applies to the affairs of mankind at every intersection of the two. In other words, when a situation in the life of mankind to which God’s Word has given instruction occurs again, the prophecy applies again. God’s Word never dies, and it never ceases to be relevant to our lives.

In today’s world, just as in the days of Amos, we find many in places of authority who hate the “voice of one crying in the wilderness.” They abhor those who would speak the truth to the point of persecution or imprisonment as a means of silencing that truth. In many places today, the very Word of God itself is called “hate speech,” its messengers imprisoned or persecuted for their refusal to cease its proclamation.

Yes friends, we live in a twisted world. But then it has always been so, where men have always called evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20) and hated those who called attention to their sinfulness.

What then is our course for these troubled times? It’s the same as it has always been — to stay the path laid before us by God’s Word; to not give anyone just cause to accuse us; and to know that we are blessed when we are reviled and persecuted falsely for His sake (Matthew 5:11). Haters will hate and we are promised that we will have trouble in this world, but “be of good cheer — I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

The Rev. Bobby Thornhill is a retired pastor.