Sermon
#30 Through The Bible Series
Title: Amos
A Prophet
in Overalls
Date: Tuesday
Evening—November 11, 2003
Tape # X-87a
Readings: Lindsay Campbell and Rex Bartley
Introduction:
750 years before our Lord’s
incarnation the nation of Israel was a rich, thriving, prosperous kingdom.
During the reign of Jeroboam II, the nation was peaceful, stable, strong, and
very, very religious (Amos 3:12, 15; 4:1, 4; 5:5, 21-23; 6:4-6; 8:3:10). Many
enjoyed such wealth that they had winter houses and summer houses. Others were
even more wealthy, living in ivory houses on great estates.
But all was not well in
Israel. The nation was morally degenerate. The land was filled with greed and
corruption. The poor and weak were mercilessly oppressed by the rich and
powerful (2:6; 5:11). Immorality was rampant (2:7). Rebellion, disdain of and
contempt for authority was widespread (5:11-12). Religion flourished. Religious
ceremonies and activities were faithfully observed (5:21), and observed in the
name of Jehovah. But the land was altogether given over to idolatry. Bethel,
the house of God, had become Bethel, the house of transgression (4:4).
Into this great, proud, prosperous, religious, secure society, the Lord God almighty dropped a bombshell by the name of Amos, a prophet wearing overalls (1:1-2). Amos was a farmer, a herdsman, one who took care of sheep, and cattle, and fig trees. He was what folks today would disdainfully call “a redneck,” “hayseed,” “a country bumpkin.” Amos was a farm-boy, a farm boy from Tekoa, which was just a few miles south of Jerusalem, in the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
(Amos
1:1-2) "The words of Amos, who was
among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning
Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son
of Joash king of Israel, two years before the
earthquake. {2} And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his
voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the
top of Carmel shall wither."
The Lord sent this poor,
uneducated, farm boy, bibbed overalls and all, up North with his Word. Amos
came storming into Samaria with a message of divine judgment, a message of
impending wrath upon a people who had abandoned God and his worship, crying, “Prepare
to meet thy God, O Israel!” He spoke of drought, famine, pestilence and
earthquakes. Judgment had already begun; but it had no effect upon the hearts
of the people. It would therefore increase and continue to increase, until the
nation was altogether destroyed. The
Lord God swore by his prophet that because they repented not when he sent
famine to their bodies, he would send a far worse, far more destructive famine,
a famine of spiritual food (8:11-12). ― “Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor
a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander
from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro
to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.”
Amos’ name means,
“Burden-bearer,” and he bore in his soul “the burden of the Word of the Lord,”
to a people who could not have cared less.
Divine
Judgment
The Book of Amos declares
that God almighty “will by no means clear the guilty.” He must and shall
punish sin. Because he is righteous, his rule over all the earth is righteous
and just. Sin cannot be tolerated by him. It must be punished.
·
When people sin as social group, as a nation, the nation is punished
accordingly (Pro. 14:34).
(Prov
14:34) "Righteousness exalteth a
nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."
·
When individuals sin, they are punished accordingly as individuals (2
Cor. 5:10-11).
(2
Cor 5:10-11) "For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it
be good or bad. {11} Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we
persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made
manifest in your consciences."
Judgment
Upon The Nations
Amos began his message to
Israel in a strange way. In chapters 1 and 2 Amos describes the judgments the
Lord would bring upon the nations around Israel. These were the Gentiles among
whom the children of Israel lived.
If you look at a map of the
area you will see that Amos goes around the whole nation of Israel, declaring
the judgment of God upon those nations because of their transgressions.
He begins with Damascus
(1:3-5) way up in the northeast section of the map above Israel. He tells
Israel that Damascus must be judged because of its cruelty.
Then he speaks of Gaza
(the ancient land of Philistia) (1:6-8), in the
opposite direction, way down on the southwest side of Israel. He tells Israel
that God will destroy Gaza because they had enslaved Edom and because they were
idolaters.
Then, in verses 9-10, he moves
back up the coast to the land of Tyre,
on the northwest side of Israel, and here he points out how God had judged this
country because the people had broken their covenants and treated treated their fellow men not as brethren but as enemies.
Next (1:11-12) he moves on down
to the far south of Israel to the land of Edom, the ancient
country of Esau, declares that God's judgment fell upon that nation because of
their implacable hatred of Israel.
Then, in verses 13-15, Amos
moves back up the east side of Israel to the land of Ammon.
(Jordan, is the name by which we call it today. Its capital, Amman, was
the capital of ancient Ammon.) They were punished because of their barbaric
cruelty, greed, and lust for power.
Moab, on
the southwest side of Israel, was to be judged because of its hatred of Israel
(2:1-3).
Then, he mentions the Southern
nation of Judah (2:4-5), and declares that Judah must be judged
because it had despised God’s law.
At the end of chapter 2 (vv.
6-16), he speaks to Israel, the Northern Kingdom and that will judge them for
their corruption and for injustice, corruption and injustice greater than any
of the other nations. The Lord God was pressed under them, as an over-loaded
cart is pressed with its load (2:13).
As we read Amos’ message it is
obvious that the people of Israel was totally undisturbed, absolutely
complacent, as long as he was talking about the other nations. They seem to
have been thinking, "Well, they got what was coming to them." But
when the prophet zeroed in on them, they were enraged. They said, "Why
don't you go away and preach somewhere else? We don’t want to hear what you
have to say."
Chapter
3
From verse 1 of chapter 3, Amos
deals with these people exclusively, driving his message home to the Northern
Kingdom of Israel. He begins by pointing out to them that they were a people
who had a special, privileged position before God.
(Amos
3:1-2) "Hear this word that the LORD
hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I
brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, {2} You only have I known of
all the families of the earth.”
That
is exactly what they wanted to hear. You can picture
them swelling with pride and arrogance. “We are God’s elect, his chosen,
favored, special people. We have a great history and a great heritage. Then, he
hits them right between the eyes with a sledge hammer.“Therefore I will punish you for all
your iniquities."
Privilege
and Responsibility
You see, that which was their
great pride was the very reason for their great judgment. Light despised brings
great wrath. Privilege creates responsibility. And the greater our privileges,
the greater our responsibilities. The nation of Israel had been given the
greatest revelation, the greatest privileges of any nation. But they turned
from them to walk in utter darkness and idolatry. Israel was the very house of
God. But they had turned the house of God into a house of iniquity.
·
They had the gospel revealed to them
― The Passover ― The Feasts ― The Sacrifices ―
Priesthood ― The Temple ― The Altar ― The Mercy-Seat.
·
But they willfully rejected God’s
revelation.
·
Therefore, they were sentenced to the
outpouring of God’s wrath.”Judgment must
begin at the house of God.”
This is exactly what Peter
means when he says, "judgment must begin at the house of God"
(1 Pet. 4:17). It always begins there. God always starts with his professed
people, and then he moves out to those round about them. They walked with God.
They talked with God. But they despised him and his Word. For this reason, the
prophet says, God is going to send judgment (3:3-8).
(Amos
3:3-8) "Can two walk together,
except they be agreed? {4} Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath
no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? {5}
Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him?
shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?
{6} Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid?
shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? {7} Surely
the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his
secret unto his servants the prophets. {8} The lion hath roared, who
will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?"
The
Golden Calves
Do you remember the two golden
calves that were erected by the first King Jeroboam in the cities of Bethel and
Dan (1 Ki. 12:28)? Israel was sent to worship there
and the people called those calves Jehovah. And they worshiped and bowed down
before those golden images. Those two calves represented three basic evils in
Israel, for which God was set in judgment against them, evils for which the
judgment of God is manifest today.
Those golden calves, in that
they were made of gold, represented the hunger of this people for material
gain, the love of wealth, materialism — the god of gold. And because they were
calves, or young bullocks, they were representative of power ― the god of
superiority. They were also symbolic of pagan fertility gods of the nations
round about them who worshiped the bull as a sign of fertility or sexual
potency. So those golden calves represented Israel’s enslavement to their own
sensual lusts. The calves symbolized material greed, shameless pride, and
sensuality. One might conclude (and rightfully so) that the Holy Spirit
intended Amos’ prophecy for our own generation.
For these things the nation of
Assyria was being raised up by God to come sweeping down from the north to
carry Israel away into captivity. This word of coming wrath was given almost
two hundred years before that took place. God gave Israel space to repent. But
they refused. That is the message of…
Chapter
4.
The lesson here is very clear.
― Judgment never produces repentance. Time after time, the Lord sent
judgment that should have awakened the people (4:6-11); but they were only
hardened by it.
(Amos
4:6-11) "And I also have given you
cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places:
yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. {7} And also I have
withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the
harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon
another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not
withered. {8} So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to
drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me,
saith the LORD. {9} I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when
your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees
increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto
me, saith the LORD. {10} I have sent among you the pestilence after the
manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken
away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your
nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. {11} I have
overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were
as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me,
saith the LORD."
Call
to Repentance
Yet, God ever remembers
mercy, even in the midst of providential wrath and judgment. So Amos delivers a
message of mercy. As God’s ambassador, he calls Israel to repentance. He calls
for them to turn from their idols to God. The sinner’s only hope is
reconciliation to God (5:4-8).
(Amos
5:4-8) "For thus saith the LORD
unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: {5} But
seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal
shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. {6} Seek
the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house
of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in
Bethel. {7} Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off
righteousness in the earth, {8} Seek him that maketh the seven stars and
Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day
dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is
his name:"
A
Refuge of Lies
But Israel continued to
harden their hearts, taking refuge in their refuge of lies (5:18; 6:1). There
were among them, just as there are today, two groups, who took refuge in two
ways, hiding from God: the self-righteous and the presumptuous.
The self-righteous are described in chapter 5,
verse 18. ― “Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end
is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.” These
self-righteous religionists went about crying, "Oh, isn't this a terrible
day. I remember the good days, when people were better, more thoughtful, more
spiritual, and more devoted. But things are different now. Times are so hard.
Things are so bad." They were wringing their hands, appeared to be
mourning, and going through all kinds of rituals and religious ceremonies and
saying, "Oh, there is no hope for anything. Oh, if the Lord would only
come! Oh, would that the day of the Lord would come. Would that we could go
home to be in heaven." Do you ever hear people talk like that that? Then
the prophet thunders, "Woe to you that desire the day of the Lord."
He says, "Don’t you know what that day will be like? Do you have any idea
what you are saying? That day will be a day of darkness and doom for you
(5:18-27).
God sees through us. He sees
through our religion and our rituals. He sees our hearts. He demands truth in
the inward parts, in the center of life, in the core of our being, not mere
outward conformity to religious codes. God sees through all the sham and
pretense without the slightest difficulty. He is not impressed with the “bodily
exercise” of religion. He requires “godliness.” ― "Thou
desirest truth in the inward part" (Ps. 51:6).
In chapter 6, verse 1, Amos
exposes the presumptuous, the carnally secure. ― “Woe to
them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria.” These
people cried, "We are not concerned about these things. Let's eat, drink
and be merry for tomorrow we die. Let's have as good a time as we can and make
the most of life; let's enjoy it to the full while we can." And the
prophet says, "Woe to those who are at ease in Zion."
The
ease spoken of by God’s prophet Amos is a carnal ease, a fleshly security. It
is not the confidence of a person who is pardoned, but the ease of a hardened wretch who has
learned to despise the death chamber. It is not the assurance of one who is on
the rock, but the ease of a senseless drunk, whose house is crumbling in an
earthquake, falling from its sandy foundations, but he is in such a stupor that
he does not know and does not care what is happening. As C. H. Spurgeon put it…
“This
is not the calm of a soul at peace with God, but the ease of a madman, who,
because he has hidden his sin from his own eyes, thinks he has concealed it
from God. It is the ease and peace of one who has grown callous, hardened,
brutalized, stupid, sullen, and careless, who has begun a sleep which God grant
may soon be broken, or else it will surely bring him where he shall make his
bed in hell.”
A Prophet Indeed
In
chapter 7 Amos shows himself to be a true prophet. His heart was for the people
to whom he spoke. Even as he pronounced God’s wrath and judgment upon the
people, knowing that they fully deserved it, he interceded with God on their
behalf (vv. 2-6), as Moses before him (Ex. 32:30-32) and Paul after him (Rom.
9:1-3). Then, when he was accused by Amaziah of being a false prophet, he
acknowledged that he had no credentials or credibility as a prophet, except the
call and commission of God (vv. 10-17). ― “The Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophecy unto my
people Israel.”
Five Visions
In chapters 7-9 Amos
describes five visions the Lord gave him concerning Israel. The first was
of a plague of locusts coming to devour the land. When he saw the
terrible destruction this would bring asked the Lord to forgive his people and
withhold the plague; and the Lord granted his petition (7:1-3).
The second vision was of a
devouring fire. Again, Amos sought God’s mercy to spare Israel; and the Lord again
repented for this and spared the people (7:4-6).
In the third vision Amos saw
the Lord standing beside a wall holding a plumbline
in his hand. This was a symbol of the judgment of Israel by God's righteous law.
The Lord told him plainly that he was determined to execute judgment, that
Israel would not be spared.― “I will not again pass by them any more.”
Amos humbly bows to God’s revelation, and makes no intercession (7:7-9).
It is at this time that
Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent a false report to the king concerning the
of Amos, accusing him of conspiracy against the nation. With the king's
authority behind him, Amaziah ordered Amos to leave the country. In response to
Amaziah Amos stated that he had not chosen to be a prophet but God had called
him to the work, that he had no choice but to deliver the message God had given
him. The chapter ends with a bold prophecy of divine judgment against Amaziah
and his family because of his obstinate opposition, and a reaffirmation of
judgment upon Israel (7:10-17).
In the fourth vision (chapter 8) the Lord
showed Amos a basket of summer fruit. The nation was described as
overripe and ready for judgment. ― “The end is come upon my people.”
It is in connection with this vision that Amos speaks of the worst of all
judgments God can send among a people this side of hell (8:11-12). When God
shuts heaven and refuses to send his Word to a people, they have no hope.
The fifth vision (9:1-10) Amos “saw
the Lord standing upon the altar,”
not in mercy but in wrath to destroy the nation. Nothing would stop
him.
Mercy
Promised
Immediately following this
last vision, as in the other prophets, the final scene declares the ultimate
salvation of God’s elect (9:11-15). Read verses 11-12. ― "In that
day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the
breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the
days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen,
which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this."
These verses are quoted by
James (Acts 15:15-17) as referring to the fact that God’s building again the
tabernacle of David was not to be a reversion to Judaism, but rather the
gathering of his elect from among the Gentiles by the preaching of the gospel.
What a declaration of God’s saving grace Amos gives at the close of his
prophecy! He declares that the Lord God will raise up the fallen, that he will
raise up the ruins of his people, raise up that which we have ruined, that he
will deliver his captives, that he will save his elect remnant, and that he
will do all his wondrous works of grace for such undeserving sinners as we are
because of his covenant promises, symbolized in the promises made to Israel of
possessing the land of Canaan.