The people of the earth had become so wicked that God decided to bring judgment upon them. Amos begins his book by listing the nations under condemnation and declaring that God would not revoke the punishment He was about to bring. Even Judah and Israel were included. God exposed their sins and their refusal to repent. He reminded them of all He had done to draw them back to Himself, but they still would not return.
By the time we reach the third chapter, Amos describes how the mighty and strong would lose their ability to save themselves. God was warning that when His judgment came, nothing could deliver them. They could not run. They could not hide. Nothing would shield them from what was coming.
Then we reach verse 10:
“They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.” (Amos 3:10 ESV).
What a heartbreaking statement about a people who had lost their moral compass. They did not know how to do right. This was why judgment was coming, not because God was quick to anger, but because His patience had been rejected again and again. God’s nature has always been one of longsuffering and mercy, yet when we persist in sin, we reach a point where we no longer know how to do right. Not because we lack knowledge, but because the desire to do good has faded away.
When we know what is right but choose what is wrong, we no longer know how to do right. When sin becomes so ingrained in us that we stop seeking what God desires, we lose our sense of rightness altogether. It is not ignorance; it is willful rebellion.
This is the same warning the writer of Hebrews gives when he says,
“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26–27 ESV).
Like Israel and Judah in the days of Amos, we too can reach that place where we no longer know how to do right, not because we are uninformed, but because we have chosen darkness over light. The world tells us to chase whatever we want. The enemy tempts us with self-indulgence and self-sufficiency until we no longer sense our need for God. When we walk that path long enough, we reach the same tragic point Amos described.
Yet Amos’s ancient warning is not without hope. God has not changed, and neither has human nature. But in Jesus, there is a way back. God can create in us a new heart that does know how to do good. Through His Spirit, He gives us wisdom and courage to stand firm in faithful allegiance to Him.
The question is, will we turn to the Lord now, while it is still called today? Or will we allow our hearts to grow cold, until we no longer seek Him and He no longer withholds His judgment?
What truth from this passage speaks to you most today? I’d love to hear your reflection. Your insight may be what someone else needs this week.