It’s always interesting to know the origin of common idioms. Most of you are familiar with the phrase, “You can run but you can’t hide!” This saying originated in the United States in the 1940s, and is attributed to the American boxer Joe Louis, who was quoted thus on the eve of his fight with the light heavyweight champion Billy Conn. This phrase is also the title of a 1979 song by the pop band The Razz and the title of a 2001 album by the Portuguese hip hop band called “Da Weazel.”
You may also be interested to know that “You Can Run but You Can’t Hide” is the title of a book by Duane “Dog” Chapman—the star of the reality television program called “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” that shows him tracking down criminals all over the world. (Believe it or not, Dog’s book debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers List back in 2007.)
“You Can Run but You Can’t Hide” is also the title of a third-rate country song. Just listen to these lyrics:
Once upon a time there was a girl just like you
She came into our town with nothing better to do
Then she took my man like she didn’t give a damn, about me
Girl I want you to know that I’m not afraid to fight
I’ll do whatever it takes to knock you out tonight
I’m tougher than I look, and I’ve got a mean right hook,
So, don’t mess with me
Some people think I’m crazy, but they don’t understand
I don’t want some no-good trash taking my man
But it’s your lucky day so I’ll count to three
and give you a head start to run from me.
Oh, she ran just like the other girls, scream’in
She ran out with her tail between her legs
I’m not exactly say’in that I want you to die
I’m just giv’in warning that “You can run but you can’t hide!”
How many of you have heard this song on the radio? There’s a reason for that! I think it has a little too much twang!
“You can run but you can’t hide” is a fitting phrase to describe Amos’ final prophecy of judgment on the kingdom of Israel. In chapters 7-8, God gave Amos four visions or images of impending of judgment: locusts (7:1-3), fire (7:4-6), a plumb line (7:7-9), and a basket of summer fruit (8:1-2). Now, here in chapter 9:1-10, Amos sees a terrifying vision of the Lord standing beside an alter (presumably in the temple at Bethel). This prophetic vision is quite different from the four that preceded it. Here, there is no dialogue, divine interrogation, no intercession by the prophet, and no mention of God’s patience or mercy. Israel squandered every opportunity that God gave them to repent from their sins and return to him, so now God is about to reveal his sovereign power in the fact that no one will be able to escape his divine judgement. Indeed, Israel can run but they can’t hide.
Collapsing Columns(1)
As Amos saw the Lord standing by the altar, he heard God speak in the first-person. His words are chilling, “Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; and those who are left of them I will kill by the sword; not one of them shall flee away.” The first line refers to a great earthquake that would dislodge the capitals (the tops of the support pillars) of the temple and cause the thresholds (the cut-stone bases for the door posts) to shake. This is a reference to violent earthquake the God would use to collapse the columns and destroy the temple and all the worshippers and priests inside and around it. The rest of the people would be slaughtered by the swords of an invading army. We know from Amos 1:1, that an earthquake devastated the land two years after Amos finished his prophecy; we know from history that Israel was conquered and carried into exile by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. In that day, no one would escape God’s judgment. They could neither run nor hide!
The vision of God standing by the altar is really interesting. What is the point of the altar? The altar is the place where sacrifices are made for sin, where God through the sacrifice is reconciled to the repentant sinner. It is the place of mercy, an emblem of God’s great love. But what do we have in this vision? This is not a scene of mercy. On the contrary, it is a scene of judgment as God pours out his wrath on those who spurned his salvation. (Boice 221) All Israel had to do was repent from their sins and return to the Lord, but they remained obstinate.
Once again, this is one of the overarching applications that we should all take away from the Book of Amos. God continues to be patient with his people today. He has extended his grace to us through the sacrifice of his one and only Son Jesus Christ. He is still calling us to humble ourselves and repent from our sins. He is still calling us to return to him by committing our lives to Jesus Christ! The message of salvation is still being proclaimed across our land! His justice demands judgment! Like Israel, God is extremely patient with us, but his patience will not last forever!
What will you do? Will you repent and be saved? Or will you remain obstinate and suffer the consequences of your sins? Can you feel the earth shaking under underneath us? Can you see the columns beginning to collapse around us? For those who refuse to repent, they can’t run or hide from God’s judgment! There will be no escape!
The Eyes and Hands of the Lord(2-8)
During the middle section of this prophecy, God employs anthropomorphic language to describe his omnipresence and omnipotence. He portrays himself with human eyes and hands to highlight his attributes of being present everywhere at the same time and having the all-power over his creation. In verses 2-3, God refers to the fact that humans can run but they can’t hide from God’s long reach. They can dig down to the depths of the dead or climb up to the heavens; they can try to hide in the crags and caves on top of Mt. Carmel or among the weeds on the bottom of the sea; but God is not limited by geographic spaces of geological features. He is present everywhere. No mater how hard they try, humans can’t run or hide from the reach of God’s hands!
In verse 4, God reiterate human inability to escape his judgment by referencing his all-seeing eyes. Even if the Israelites are taken into exile, they will find no protection from death. For God “will fix his eyes upon them for evil and not for good.” Likewise, there is another reference to God’s eyes in verse 8: “Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom…” God saw every wicked and sinful action that Israel committed, and unless they repented, he would destroy them for their despicable deeds. In verse 7, God reminds Israel that he had delivered their nation from slavery in Egypt, but that did not guarantee future deliverance. Even though Israel was God’s chosen covenant people, he had also extended grace to other nations: the Cushites from Ethiopia, the Philistines, and the Syrians. Since God’s eyes see everything, no one can run or hide from God’s judgment.
To further elaborate on God’s omnipresence and omnipotence, Amos imbeds a fragment of an ancient hymn that praises God for his power over the heavens and the earth. The hymn (vs. 5-6) begins by naming God “The Lord God of hosts”, which can also be translated “Lord Almighty.” After this, it mentions some specific aspects of God’s power—he can melt the earth with his touch, he can cause the land to rise and fall like the Nile River, he can lift the sky above and fill the sea below. This all-powerful God is the Lord! And he has the power to judge his people. No one can escape his eyes and hands!
This passage reminds me of the famous quote by the Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper, who also served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1901-1905. He said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”
Indeed, God created the heavens and the earth, and everything in them. And Amos reminds us that it all belongs to him! Since God’s power universally reaches to the highest heaven and deepest depth, there is nothing outside of his knowledge or grasp. His eyes see everything! His hands reach everywhere! This is why we should honor and fear God—this is why we should love him and worship him!
Unfortunately, there are many people in our world today who say they believe in God, but you certainly wouldn’t know it by the way they live. I can’t tell you how many people who say that they love God, but they never come to church. How can they claim to worship God almighty but never gather with the church for corporate worship?
Likewise, I know others who have grown up in the church, been baptized, went through confirmation, and became church members—but they ignore their commitments to Christ. They live self-sufficient and sinful lives, separated from any conscious dependence on God.
Like ancient Israel, some people think that their eternal souls are safe because God is so nice. Look at what God says in verse 10: “All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.” How foolish it is to believe that nothing will ever happen to us because God is on our side. It is a delusion to conclude that we are so special or important to God that he will deal with me in a unique way from all others! It is utterly stupid to rest securely on positive religious experiences of the past and assume that nothing will ever go wrong in the future! (Smith 406-407)
God’s great power compels us to humble ourselves before him! His all-seeing eyes should drive us toward repentance from our sins and constant dependence on him! God’s powerful hands prevent us from thinking that we can ever escape his grip.
Just as Israel would soon learn through earthquake and exile, we will all stand before God Almighty on Judgment Day. The vision of the Lord standing beside the altar is a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ judging the earth from his great white throne. On that day, we won’t be able to run or hide! Instead, we will all stand before the Lord give an account for our lives here on earth. God will not be interested in how many good things we did; the only thing that will matter is whether or not our names are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The only for our name to be recorded in this book is to repent from our sins and put our faith in the Lamb, who was slain on the cross for all of our sins. Have you truly repented from your sins and trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
As we continue to contemplate Amos’ prophecy, let me read a provocative poem by the Filipino poet Bernard F. Asuncion. It’s titled, “You Can Run, but You Can’t Hide.”
As fast as you canRun away from great danger;
Time is really running out,
The devil roams, roaring his anger.
Hurry up! Don’t hesitate,
Never ever slowing down;
You must step on the gas,
Fleeing from the enemy’s frown.
He is always ready to attack
And make you an easy prey;
You must always be on guard,
Fall on your knees and pray.
Follow the will of the Lord,
Never have a heart of stone;
Obey Him wherever you are
Even if you are all alone.
You can fly high to the moon,
You can dive deep into the sea;
But the Almighty is all over,
Nothing but all He can see.
By the power of His hand
The world He can break and divide;
Anytime and anywhereYou can run but you can’t hide.