Introduction

When you hear the word ‘famine’ what comes to mind? A lack of food? The Dust Bowl of the Depression Era? Long lines at a food bank?

What about a famine of knowledge? Don’t think that’s possible? God does!

Pending Judgment

In the book of Amos, the prophet receives five visions concerning Israel and Judah. Chapter 8, the fourth vision, focuses on the vision known as The Basket of Summer Fruit. The interpretation is “summer fruit” indicates ripeness for the harvest is past and the nation is ripe for destruction.

Judgment language is found in Vs. 9-10, “And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord Jehovah, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.” This imagery, and similar ones like it, is found throughout the prophets as a day of judgment is coming upon a nation.

I will send a famine…

Looking at verses, 11 and 12, we see a statement by God that is quite chilling: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord Jehovah, 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 Jehovah. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of Jehovah, and shall not find it.”

This is a ‘Final Straw’ moment for God. His people will no longer listen to what He has to say and now He will not say anything at all! The habits of His people seem to only want to call on God when there was a problem. When He fixed it, they no longer needed Him until the next time.

Even in Isaiah’s time, the people didn’t want to hear the truth. As the prophet writes, Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the LORD; Who say to the seers, “Do not see,” And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. (Isaiah 30:8-10)

How often do we, in today’s society, do the same thing? Some of us only talk to God when a problem has arisen. And, oftentimes, we don’t even listen to God (through reading the scriptures) to know what he has to say.

The Famine Today

That famine still exists even today. People have become more dependent on others to tell them what the word of God says and not look at it for themselves. Churches spring up all over claiming that they have the inspired word of God, when it turns out to be nothing more than motivational speech. Yet, people will accept it as gospel on the simple foundation that the man standing before them is a preacher and he has a bible open.

More of today’s so-called preachers are using the bible simply as a prop to wave over their heads or bang on the podium for emphasis. It might even sit open but never looked at as far as citing book, chapter, and verse.

And the people haven’t changed either. The apostle Paul writes, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Conclusion

We can’t expect to be told what the bible says, we need to investigate it for ourselves. During a sermon or bible class, have your bible open and follow along to make sure they are sharing the truth. If not, then you need to find someone who will.

Any individual who calls themselves a teacher or preacher should not be offended by your checking up on them. It’s your soul that’s at stake and you need to be very concerned about what you’re being taught.