Amos - 6 Series

Dakota Community Church

May 16, 2010

Amos 6

This morning I want to start wrapping up our study of the book of Amos by looking at a few more causes for the coming judgment, then the announcements of exile, the visions and the hopeful conclusion.

Further Causes of Judgment

Amos demonstrates that periods of unusual prosperity can lead to spiritual complacency and ethical laxity:

Amos 6:1-6

1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!

2 Go to Calneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms?

Is their land larger than yours?

3 You put off the evil day and bring near a reign of terror.

4 You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.

5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.

6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.

Injustice in the courts

Amos 5:7-12

7 You who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground …

10 you hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth.

11 You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.

12 For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins.

You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.

Sexual Immorality

Amos 2:7

Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.

Religious abuse

Amos 2:8

8 They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.

Besides all these Amos hammers them for violence, idolatry, corrupt business practices and over-all for a faith that is not true, a faith that bares no fruit.

Amos 5:18-24

18 Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD ?

That day will be darkness, not light.

19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. 20 Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light— pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?

21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Injustice and exploitation of the poor will not go unpunished!

Those who live in luxury at the expense of others will lose everything.

God will expose the hypocrisy and false piety of his people

Announcements of Exile 5:18-6:14

PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net