I want you to imagine two young teenagers on the way to the movie. They’re too young to drive but that’s okay, they like to walk. The boy is just a little shy but he really likes this girl. As they walk he keeps looking at her hand and wishing that he had enough nerve to try to hold it. The girl is not so shy but she was brought up in a manner which required her to wait for the male to make any moves. She is eyeing his hand and wishing that he would reach out and hold hers.  

I want you to imagine a young boy of four or five who is walking with his mother through a carnival grounds. She is holding his hand and he is letting it happen because he is supposed to.  Then his eye catches a clown with balloons. The balloons are irresistible and he snatches his hand away from his mother and runs toward the clown.  

I want you to imagine a young nation that has been called out of years of slavery and asked to take a long walk across the wilderness area with the God who called them. He has promised to lead them and take care of them every step of the way. Like a child is led by its parent, this God wants to lead this young nation. The wilderness is a tough place fraught with many dangers but they don’t have to worry because God is going to be holding their hand. 

I want you to imagine a nation settled in its own land and finding prosperity on every hand. The God who led them to this promised land has taken care of their every need. The problem is, there are clowns with balloons all over this land and the nation keeps dropping God’s hand and rushing off to check them out. As any parent would know, this behavior is not acceptable.  

What if one of the teenagers were to extend their hand out for the other one to take or not? What if the young boy would rather obey his mother than chase balloons? What if Israel would have let God lead them from Egypt to Canaan? What if Israel had worshipped God and him only in the land?

Knowing this story makes understanding Amos 3:3 a little easier. God is explaining why he would punish Israel for her sins. Two can’t walk together unless both agree to do it. God wanted to walk with them but they wanted to chase balloons.

God has extended his hand and Satan is holding the balloons. “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” (Amos 3:3) Who is your agreement with?