Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush
Early in the morning.

This old English nursery rhyme has stood the test of time because it’s an excellent teaching tool for little kids. Wise parents sing it to their children in all kinds of situations to teach them how to do simple tasks, like pick up toys, tie their shoes, button their shirt, etc. “This is the way we pick up our toys, tie our shoes, button our shirt, etc.” And the only limitation is our imagination.

Since God tells us we need to become like little children it’s fitting He used nursery rhyme repetition to teach us simple tasks like listening to and obeying His word.

We’ve begun looking at God’s OT prophet Amos who was sent to Israel during the days of King Jeroboam II. As previously noted, the years between 770 BC and 750 BC were two decades of great prosperity for both Israel and Judah (who had a decent King named Uzziah in Jerusalem). Their enemies were weak and the kings had worked hard to restore the nations physically (2 Kings 14:23-15:7; 2 Chronicles 26). But, while Uzziah sought the Lord (2 Chronicles 26:5), Jeroboam couldn’t care less about Jehovah, despite having Jonah explain their prosperity was from God (2 Kings 14:25-27).

One day in the middle of all that prosperity Amos, an ignorant nobody cowhand from Judah, walked into Israel’s religious center, the city of Bethel, and began speaking. “Here we go round the mulberry bush.” Actually he began his nursery rhyme with “Thus says the Lord, for three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke its punishment” (Amos 1:3). Then he repeated it seven more times as he circled around Israel, naming all its enemies, Syria, Philistia, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and even Judah, before getting to Israel itself (Amos 1:3-2:6).

Each nation was condemned for mistreating God’s people. Round and round He went in condemnation because each nation had gone round and round the oppression and slavery bush. The only exception was Judah whom He condemned for rejecting His law (Amos 2:4). When He got to Israel it was back around the oppression bush and the list of offenses is, well, offensive (Amos 2:6-8).

If America was on that list would it be just as guilty as the other eight nations? Yeah, it would. But what if you and I were added to the list? Would we be condemned for mistreating others or rejecting God’s law? Or both?