Down the road two by two

Back in the day I was a enthusiast for dirt track racing.  Each Friday night I would accompany my Father-in-Law up to Chico's dirt track and on Saturday it was Anderson.  We had worked all week to get the well bruised car running again and fix all that was broken.  Each race would start with the announcer proclaiming, "Here they come two by two just like ducks to water." 

Wouldn't it be great if there was disagreements in the church?  Wouldn't it be great if we all just marched along two by two like ducks go to water?  The other day I over heard someone say there was a scriptural mandate for getting along.  They were saying  we should all agree in the church with a quote from Amos 3:3. They were saying there is no place of disagreement in Body of Christ.

I want express my disagreement with that philosophy.  There will always be disagreements in any organization that includes people.  A former pastor of mine used to say, "To dwell up above with the saints we love, that will be glory.  But to dwell here below with the saints we know, well that is a different story."
 
Amos was not saying that two people have to agree on the same thing all the time. The scripture is not even about man and man. It is about God and man.

Let me add a number of translations of Amos 3:3

• How can two walk together, except they be agreed? (King James Version & New King James Version)
• Do two walk together, unless they have made an appointment? (Revised Standard Version & New Revised Standard Version)
• Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? (New Living Translation)
• Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? (New American Standard)
• Do two people start traveling together without arranging to meet? (Good News Translation
• Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? (New International Version)

This is but one of many rhetorical questions in Amos. This question was asked to bring about conviction to the Israelites who were hearing the same thing from all the prophets. Amos asked them this question as a wake-up call for them to realize that all of God's prophets were unanimous in prophesying the same thing against them because they had all received the same message from God.

The people were turning a deaf ear to ALL the prophets. Amos tried to convince them that the combined prophecy from these men were inspired by God's Spirit. That's why they could prophesy the truth. The two of them (Amos, the prophet) and (God, the giver of the prophecy) were indeed walking together.

There is nothing wrong with two people walking together. There is nothing wrong with two people agreeing with each other. However, know that the original meaning of the scripture was about God and man; not two humans.

From now on, let's be aware that "the two" are not you and someone else. It should be you and God.
God and man cannot walk together, except they are agreed.

• God and man must be clear about the same direction.
• God and man must make an appointment to meet at the same place.
• God and man cannot walk together if man is walking contrary to God.
• You won't feel God's presence unless the two of you are walking in the same direction at the same time.

By the way it does help that you are going in the same direction: your spouse, your boss, your parents or your Pastor.  But remember God MUST be walking with you as well. Seek God's glory and include Him in your walks. If one is out of step, guess which one it is?