for those wicked men. Though they dug into hell, God's hand would take
them; though they climbed up into heaven, God would fetch them down;
though they hid in the bottom of the sea, God would command the serpent,
and it should bite them. He would sift the house of Israel among all
nations like corn in a sieve, and not a grain should fall to the earth.
And all the sinners among God's people should die by the sword, who say,
"The evil shall not overtake us."

This was Amos's notion of the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
These Israelites would not obey the laws of God's kingdom, and be
righteous and good. But Amos told them, they could not get rid of God's
kingdom. The Lord was King, in spite of them, and they would find it out
to their sorrow. If they would not seek His kingdom and His government,
His government would seek them and find them, and find their evil-doings
out. If they would not seek God's righteousness, His righteousness would
seek them, and execute righteous judgment on them. No wonder that the
Israelites thought Amos a most troublesome and insolent person. No
wonder that the smooth priest Amaziah begged him to begone and talk in
that way somewhere else. He saw plainly enough that either Amos must
leave Samaria, or he must leave it. The two could no more work together
than fire and water. Amos wanted to make men repent of their sins, while
Amaziah wanted only to make them easy in their minds; and no man can do
both at once.

So it was then, my friends, and so it will be till the end of this wicked
world. The way to please men, and be popular, always was, and always
will be, Amaziah's way; to tell men that they may worship God and the
golden calf at the same time, that they may worship God and money,
worship God and follow the ways of this wicked world which suit their
fancy and their interest; to tell them the kingdom of God is not over you