Woe to Them Who are at Ease in Zion
Amos 6:1 Woe [grievous distress, affliction, or trouble] to them that are at ease[no concern no labor unaffected apathy no love ] in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
This "woe" was addressed to both Judah ("Zion") and Israel ("Samaria") because both kingdoms were indifferent toward God’s Word and the judgment that hung over them. They called themselves "the foremost nation" and enjoyed an unwarranted false confidence for several reasons.
The first cause of their complacency was their geography. Situated on Mount Zion. Jerusalem was considered impregnable (Ps 78:68-69; 132:13-18); and Samaria also had a seemingly secure position. But when God decided to deal with these cities, nothing could stop the enemy.
The notable men in Israel’s government gave their opinion that the nation was safe and secure, and the people believed them, just as people today believe the political "experts" and the polls. False confidence that’s based on expert advice, statistics, and material resources and that ignores the spiritual dimension of life is sure to lead to defeat.
Amos mentioned bigger areas in Syria and Philistia that had already fallen to the Assyrian army and then asked two questions: "Are you better than they? Is your territory bigger than theirs?" If the enemy had already destroyed places bigger and stronger than Samaria and Israel, what hope was there for the Jewish people, especially when the Jews were living like the Gentiles and were disobeying the Lord? God doesn’t look at the talent of national leaders, the extent of a nation’s army, or the prosperity of its economy. God looks at the heart, and the heart of the two Jewish kingdoms was far from the Lord.
Complacency is an insidious sin, because it’s based on lies, motivated by pride, and leads to trusting something other than God.
Zeph 1:12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.
Zephaniah 1:12
The analogy of wine left on its dregs suggests that the nation had become spiritually polluted. Wine allowed to ferment for a long time forms a hard crust and the liquid becomes syrupy, bitter, and unpalatable. Instead of removing the dregs of daily pollution, Judah had become hardened and indifferent to God. So great was her degeneration that the people did not even believe that God did as much as their self-made images.
Like the people in the church of Laodicea, complacent people consider themselves "rich, and increased with goods" and in need of nothing (Rev 3:17). In reality, however, they have lost everything that’s important in the spiritual life. When the Lord sees His people becoming complacent and self-satisfied, He sometimes sends trials to wake them up.
"It can’t happen here!" was the motto of the complacent leaders. "If a day of judgment is coming, it’s surely a long way off." Whenever anybody mentioned the possibility of national disaster, the leaders laughed at the idea and disregarded it. But God had a different viewpoint. He said, "All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, who say, ’The calamity shall not overtake us nor confront us’" (9:10 NKJV). Yet by their very indifference, they were bringing the day of judgment that much nearer.
Amos described their indulgent way of life — a way of life that left no place for the disciplines of the spiritual life. They were living for pleasure not for the glory of God.
the sin in Amos’ day was that these luxuries distracted the people from the real problems of the nation, and "they [were] not grieved for the affliction of Joseph [Samaria]"
One of the marks of the end days is the fact that people become "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" (2 Tim 3:4). No wonder Jesus warned His followers, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly" (Luke 21:34 NKJV).
4. "Woe to the impudent!" (Amos 6:8-14)
"I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore I will deliver up the city and all that is in it" (v. 8 NKJV). The Lord not only said this, but He also swore by Himself to fulfill it, which makes it a most solemn statement. The phrase "pride of Jacob" (KJV says "excellency of Jacob") is used in Ps 47:4 to mean "the Promised Land."3 God abhorred the very land of Israel, the land He had given to His people for their inheritance.
Jesus said, "That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15). The people boasted of their fortresses, their mansions, and their elegant way of life, all of which God abhorred and would one day destroy. People who live without God, whose god is really personal pleasure, will one day hear Him say, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" (Luke 12:20 NKJV).
The prophet argues from the order of nature (Amos 6:12). Horses are too wise to gallop on slick rocks, where they might slip and fall. Farmers are too wise to try to plow the rocks What they did just didn’t make sense!
At the time Amos spoke those words. Assyria was a rather weak nation: and King Jeroboam was able to keep Assyria, Egypt, and Syria at bay. But that would change, and Assyria would become a threatening world empire. After all, it is God who controls the nations and assigns them their lands (Acts 17:26)
Could this be the reason why small things beat our brains outs sometimes simply because we just don’t care enough
Our hope to avoid defeat disaster and spiritual death is a trip back to God and allowing him to fill us w/ the H.G. and fire.
For our God is a consuming fire and if we really are filled w/ this Pentecostal fire we will be filled w/ passion
The pollster George Gallop did a survey of 13000 people in 130 countries. It is the only time he has taken a survey that could be considered more or less worldwide. It was a survey of people who used to go to church but no longer do. There were a number of questions in the survey. One of the questions asked, What would need to happen for you to return to church? The number one answer was “Passion in the lives of the members and leaders.” What people wanted to see was a fire. A zeal. An enthusiasm among Christians that made going to church meaningful.
Jesus said it was the fire in the house of God that had eaten him up it had set the course for his decisions it had set the course for his life john 2:17
What is passion? The dictionary says that passion is, “an intense emotion., strong feeling, a great devotion and intense conviction which fuels or motivates us toward compelling action.”
2 Corinthians 9:2For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.
The opposite of passion fire zeal motivation is apathy which means without love
Rom 12:11 Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, in our serving the Lord.
2 Tim 1:6
6 That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire]
In exodus13 Gods people had in their darkest and coldest of times a pillar of fire to stay near and follow, the darker the night the brighter the light
Jesus said that He is the Light of the world (John 8:12), but in Matthew 5:14, He passed the torch to the believers saying "YOU are the light of the world."
