T here are interesting words giv en by Amos telling us, “There fore, the prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time.” We are told in Eccl. 3:7 that there is a time to keep silence and a time to speak. It was a most inappropriate time for the kind of preaching Amos did. Business was booming at Bethel and the people “never had it so good.” It was a time of plenty and the house of God had become a house of idols. Within 50 years all the ter rible things Amos prophesied came to pass. No one saw anything wrong with religion at Bethel until after Amos came to town. As a matter of fact, the Pharisees didn’t see any thing wrong with Judaism until our Lord came to Jerusalem. It takes a prophet to show up religion when it is merely a farce rather than a force. Centuries after Amos, Paul de clared that the days were evil. Think of the grandure and glory of Rome in those days. Why would one want to turn from all that pomp and pag eantry to this little preacher with his bodily presence weak and his speech contemptible. People could have pointed to the worldwide dominion of the mighty empire and look at her armies and her art, her cities and her culture, her language. Frankly, it is poor psychology to be saying the days are evil. Paul, however, was right. If we had been there when he was on trial before Nero, we might have wanted to take our stand with Nero. Nowadays, however, we call our dogs “Nero” and our boys “Paul.” Anybody with his eyes open, his Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other, certainly must see that the days are evil. There is no word in the English language to describe the corruption of this 1966 moral cess pool. There is a right way and a wrong way to keep silent in an evil
time. Amos didn’t mean that we are never to speak. He was actually one of the most vocal ,of men in his day. There are situations and conditions in which a Christian, who knows his Bible will keep silent. He is not alarmed or afraid of evil tidings. For the Christian everything is just in reverse from the man of this world. Good news is bad news, and bad news is good news. For instance, when they shall say, “Peace and safe ty,” that sounds like good news. It isn’t for the Christian, however, be cause he knows that sudden destruc tion is coming. On the other hand when men’s hearts fail them for fear and perplexity abounds, that sounds like bad news. For a Christian, how ever, it is good news. We read that when we see these things begin to come to pass, we can lift up our heads and know that our redemption draweth nigh. I positively refuse to take part in all the howling and moaning of the times. There is no use trying to discuss the times to the man on the street if he is not a Christian and is not reading his Bible. One may as well try to describe a sunset to a blind man or to play music to a person who can’t hear. This is the same as cast ing pearls before swine; giving that which is holy to the dogs. “The nat ural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit, because they are spiritu ally discerned.” A person needs to get saved so that his heart is changed and his eyes are opened. I read the other day about a new kind of cough syrup that has an in gredient known as “silentium” in it. It is supposed to keep one silent. I don’t know much about that medi cine but I do know some saints who need a double dose of it as well as some churches. They are talking their heads off answering questions 9
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