Dakota Community Church
March 21, 2010
Amos 2
There is often a vast difference between what we want to hear and what we need to hear; this is why it is important to preach the Bible exegetically rather than continually focusing of topics that we “feel” are relevant.
The entire Bible reveals Gods will to us and we need all of it, not just an endless smorgasbord of our own favorites. Amos touches on topics that most of us do not want to think about never mind being preached to about.
Cultural Facts:
Amos ministered during a time in which the dominant empires of the day (Egypt, Babylon, and especially Assyria) were relatively weak. Israel and Judah were enjoying a period of prosperity and imperial expansion and Amos decried the wealth and arrogance of the time symbolized by what he called: “Houses adorned with ivory”
Note that we have a shepherd called by God to warn of a roaring lion and dried up pastures!
Judgments on the nations
Read: - Amos 1:3-2:16
Notice first of all that although these surrounding nations do worship God or claim Him as any authority over them, He still sends a messenger to inform them that they will be held accountable to Him as their judge.
Refusing to acknowledge God as God does not negate responsibility to Him!
Jeremiah 12:14-17
14 This is what the LORD says: "As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to his own inheritance and his own country. 16 And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ’As surely as the LORD lives’-even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it," declares the LORD.
i. Aram and its capitol Damascus – for war atrocities
“She threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth”
One of the ways grain was threshed was to pile it up and have an ox pull a heavy wooden sledge around over it, crushing it. Damascus has treated Gilead in this fashion only with brutality.
As punishment Amos says Damascus will be defeated and its people sent into exile in Kir.
This was fulfilled 50 years later.
2 Kings 16:9
The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.
ii. Philistia and its major cities Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron – slave raids on defenseless villages
iii. Tyre – slave trafficking
Two kinds of slave trafficking are occurring here, raiding and carrying off whole communities, and selling fleeing groups of refugees who are looking for help.
iv. Edom Israel’s brother through Esau – for years of hostility toward Israel
Numbers 20:14-21
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying:
"This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come upon us. 15 Our forefathers went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers, 16 but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.
"Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king’s highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory."
18 But Edom answered:
"You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword."
19 The Israelites replied:
"We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else."
20 Again they answered:
"You may not pass through."
Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.
Anytime Israel or Judah were attacked the Edomites would take the opportunity to fall in behind and kill the half dead for plunder – they refused to show mercy
v. Ammon and its capitol Rabbah – for brutal genocide bred by territorial greed
The Ammonites were so brutal in their greed that they killed the children, even ripping open pregnant women, in order that there would be no one to inherit the land.
Jeremiah 49:1-2
1 Concerning the Ammonites:
This is what the LORD says: "Has Israel no sons? Has she no heirs? Why then has Molech taken possession of Gad? Why do his people live in its towns?
2 But the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out," says the LORD.
vi. Moab – for cruelty going so far as disrespecting the dead
It is not known whether Edom’s king was burned alive, burned after death, or if they actually desecrated his grave by digging up the bones for burning. The event springs from what happened in 2 Kings 3:1-27.
2 Kings 3:26-27
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. 27 Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.
These judgments on the surrounding nations are “moral law” issues.
Why do people say all religions are essentially the same?
Almost every religion agrees on the moral law because this is what God has written on every human heart.
Notice how the judgment on Judah is of a doctrinal nature.
vii. Judah and its capitol Jerusalem – for rejecting God’s law in general and for worshipping false gods in particular
The surrounding nations are judged for sins committed against man, Judah has sinned against God.
Until now the crowd is probably enjoying the preaching of Amos, if he stops now he will be welcomed and celebrated as a prophet of God… of course he is only now getting to his main point, a point that is not going to sit well with His audience!
viii. Israel
Amos 2:6-16
6 This is what the LORD says:
"For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back {my wrath}.
They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.
7 They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.
8 They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.
9 "I destroyed the Amorite before them, though he was tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.
10 "I brought you up out of Egypt, and I led you forty years in the desert to give you the land of the Amorites.
11 I also raised up prophets from among your sons and Nazirites from among your young men.
Is this not true, people of Israel?" declares the LORD.
12 "But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.
13 "Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.
14 The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life.
15 The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his life.
16 Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day," declares the LORD.
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
