Idle Songs Series

Minor Prophets Major Message

Idle Songs

Amos 5:21-24, 6:4-8 | #minorprophets

INTRODUCTION… Background of Prophets

In the Bible, when God wanted to get His people’s attention He would often do something demonstrative like speak from a burning bush or lead by a pillar of cloud or shake the ground or do a miracle in nature. God did all of those things. God also spoke through people we call prophets.

We know some of the names of these folks whom God called to be His prophets: Moses, Miriam, Deborah, Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Huldah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Anna, John the Baptist, and many more. God calls the people through His prophets and gives them directions in their relationship with Him. God calls the people through His prophets and encourages their faithfulness and warns them that faithlessness would have dire consequences.

This morning we are continuing our journey in the last twelve books of the Old Testament which I have called “Minor Prophets Major Message.” I want to focus each week on one of these specific prophets and the message that he brought to the people of God because those messages are also important for us. Today we focus on the prophet Amos.

REASONS TO PREACH ON AMOS… https://www.9marks.org/article/amos/ [adapted]

Amos has 9 chapters and there is quite a lot in those chapters, but it is not a popular book to preach from. Amos often goes unnoticed and unpreached. There are not a whole lot of church folks saying to preachers: “Hey, when are you going to finally preach a series through Amos?” I was praying and thinking over Amos and found an article to ministers on six reasons to preach Amos and I want to share some of them with you:

#1 Preach Amos to preach justice.

The announcement of judgment on the nations surrounding Israel and Judah contains God’s displeasure with injustice in the world. God has anger toward societies that don’t care for the helpless and take advantage of people. To those who often wonder, “where is God in all the pain and suffering in the world?” Amos makes it clear: God sees, and He will judge!

#2 Preach Amos to preach repentance and forgiveness.

Time is almost up for Israel, and so Amos calls them to repentance to seek God’s forgiveness before it’s too late. Amos focuses on several nations around God’s people and on God’s people themselves and especially on Northern Israel. He wants them to seek the Lord and His forgiveness.

#3 Is the reason that caught my eye and my focus so we will skip it for now.

#4 Preach Amos to warn comfortable sinners.

Amos preaches to the people of Israel as they enjoy relative comfort. All is well, right? Not really. Amos declares the coming judgment of God to an otherwise comfortable and wealthy people. Why? Because Israel has grown too comfortable in their wealth and their sin. Amos seeks to rouse them to repentance. This is the major theme from beginning to end of the book.

#5 Preach Amos to unpack the Davidic covenant.

The final chapter of Amos offers an opportunity to preach clearly on the Davidic Covenant, a prominent topic throughout the Scriptures because it was God’s promise that a descendant of David would reign over the people of God. We know this ultimately comes true in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Like I said, Amos, this shepherd and arborist called to be a prophet has a lot to say in his nine chapters. There is one theme that grabbed me and I want to make sure we focus well on this minor prophet bringing us this major message.

* I noticed a Word from the Lord about motivations of the heart

* I noticed a Word from the Lord about motivations of the heart in worship

This message centering on worship is in two passages from Amos, perhaps more. This morning we are going to read from Amos 5 for a few verses and from Amos 6 for a few verses.

READ Amos 5:21-24 (ESV)

“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 Even though you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. 23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Let us also read from Amos 6:

READ Amos 6:4-8 (ESV)

“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, 5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, 6 who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! 7 Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.” 8 The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, declares the LORD, the God of Hosts: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.”