How the Bible helps people live a better life

Today, the world is currently wrestling with a multitude of issues in including social unrest, climate change, wealth inequity, and racial injustice. Through the last four years, these issues have exacerbated by divisive language and individual hatred. Throughout the bible, prophets have warned against many of these issues and cautioned Christians to show restraint in their anger. Although these issues have only multiplied in recent years, the bible through its prophets have provided hope. For one, many prophets condemned much of the unrest occurring in the world today. They provided solutions through the salvation of Jesus Christ and redemption from sin. Here, repentance and a genuine change of heart would ultimately overcome much of the unrest we see in the world today. It is through a powerful and fulfilling relationship with the lord that these civil disagreements can be mitigated.
To begin, the prophet Amos was a shepherd in Judah. Once called to God, Amos began defying the Israeli ruling power. His harshest critique was aimed specially at the royalty and aristocracy that prevailed at the time. He was particularly alarmed at how the wealthy were enriching themselves at the expense of the poor. Within the bible, the lord speaks through Amos directly to the privileged of society. Here, the lord found that these individuals did not love their neighbor and only looked out for their own wealth and concerns. Chapters 2,3,4, and 8 within the book of Amos depict how these individuals were selling people into slavery for goods, oppressing the poor, and using women immorally. Amos rebuked them because he saw in that lifestyle evidence that Israel had forgotten God. We currently see this today, as economic inequality within the United States is at its highest level in nearly 50 years. More people are poor, with roughly 25% of the population living at or below the poverty line. Much like in eight century B.C, when Amos lived, the wealthy continue to exploit the poor. We see this with the recent COVID-19 pandemic as Georgia senators David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler, sold millions of dollars of stock while telling the public that the virus was not a major threat. Million of people would go on to lose their jobs while nearly 400,000 people died. Meanwhile, the wealthiest Americans saw their wealth increase over this period. Thankfully, Amos does apply a message of hope as a prophet. The book teaches the world that money, wealth, and status alone are not enough. Instead, Amos has taught us that using wealth in service of others is pleasing to the lord. The prophecy of Amos was designed to simplify our choices in life. Instead of choosing between prayer and service, the book of Amos teaches us that both are essential. God has called Christians not only to be in relationship with him but also to be in relationships with others. It is through these powerful relationships with the lord and one another that many of the problems of the world can be handled.
Another prophet that provided a message of both judgement and hope was Hosea. Hosea is a particularly interesting prophet as he encountered many of the issues we face today as it relates to family dynamics. Statistics show both Hispanics and African American have the largest number of children born out of wedlock. We also know that roughly 50% of all marriages in America end with divorce. Today, nearly 24 million children under the age of 18 are living with a single parent, which is primarily the mother. These dynamics do not bode well for the future of the American family. In many instances, society has accepted the high divorce rates, high rates of sexual activity, teen pregnancies, and single mothers as simply apart of society. The prophet Hosea had many of these same issues during his life on earth as well. For one, by the command of God Hosea was forced to marry a bride described in the bible as, “…a wife of harlotry.” She was unfaithful to Hosea and often betrayed his trust and their marriage. She did however give Hosea two sons and daughter. All the children were named to provide specific messages to the people of Israel. As such, arguable more than any prophet, Hosea’s messages often flowed through his own family. For example, the idea of repentance, redemption and restoration was practiced heavily by Hosea as pertained to his wife and their marriage. For example, Hosea 3:1 is read as follows:
Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”
Hosea and his prophecy is unique as it relates heavily to day-to-day issues human beings face. It also shows the temptation in the world and how to overcome it in a much more productively and honorable manner. Hosea’s primary message was that of repentance and turning to the principles espoused in the bible. The book of Hosea clearly articulates the idea of judgement and restoration. Although God will bring judgement on sin, he will also bring forgiveness if the individual genuinely repents. In the bible we see this with God’s love for Israel. Although the nation was primarily interest in idols, money, adultery, and themselves, the lord still loved them. This propensity for idolatry meant that the Israelites lived as if they were not God’s people. However, in Hosea 1:9-10, the bible notes hos God reminded the people of Israel that he would restore their relationship with him often describing them as “sons.”
The overall message to also be gleamed from Hosea is the important of family. Although individuals within the family have their flaws, it is important to work through them together. This is particularly true as it relates to adultery. With the advent of the internet and the proliferation of sex throughout the world, it can be difficult to avoid. Websites, mobile phone apps, movies, and media often all contain sexual content. Through the excessive exposure to this content, society has been desensitized to the idea of a monogamous relationship. Instead, many prefer to avoid quality relationships and split away on the slightest sign of trouble within a prolonged relationship. The bible teaches us that we should work to cultivate strong family relationship predicated on the foundation of the bible. Here, although trouble will undoubtedly arise, the family and its relationship with God can overcome it.
References
1) The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984