When God’s people are sad and scared and they cry out to him, God loves to come and comfort his people. But when God’s people are bad and proud, God often comes to disturb his people. When you are sick with a fever, Mom lets you rest in bed and brings you something to drink. But when you forget your homework and are late for school, Mom is going to wake you up in a hurry.

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion.” That’s what the Lord told the people in Amos’s day. The people had grown rich and lazy, full of themselves and empty of God. The Lord hated their feasts and assemblies because it was nothing but a show. They weren’t really worshiping God. They were hypocrites. A hypocrite has nothing to do with a big blubbery animal crossing the river with a little bird on his back. That’s a hippo! A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be one thing but is really another.

The Israelites worked hard on their rituals, but really they were fakes. Like bragging about a clean dinner plate, when they had wiped all the vegetables onto the floor. Like making fun of your sister about her grades, when you cheat on all your tests. Like people getting dressed up for church on Sunday but living for themselves Monday through Saturday. The Lord wants us to follow him with our heads, our hearts, and our hands. All the time. Not just once a week or on holidays or when people are looking.

So the Lord promised to bring judgment on his people. God kept trying to get their attention, but they kept ignoring him. He withheld food and rain; he made their plants sick; he let loose big bugs to eat their crops; he sent them diseases; he raised up their enemies to punish them. God was trying to warn them of worse things to come, but they wouldn’t listen.

Then the Lord told them what was worse. “The days are coming,” said the Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land. But not a famine of bread or water—a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.” The people would wander around not knowing where to go. They would look for the way and get lost. Nothing in all the world could be much worse than God going silent. No more Bibles. No more prophets. No more preachers. No more sermons. Nothing but silence.

Thankfully that’s not the end of the story. Not the end of the Biggest Story and not the end of this story. Amos promised that another day was coming when God would restore the fortunes of his people. God would give them food and drink once more. From famine to feast.