A young man in a wheel chair, discouraged by his condition, asked his physical therapist, "Do you think I have a future?" The therapist replied, "As a pole-vaulter, no! As a man, yes!"
In light of the dire predictions of the prophet Amos, the people of Israel and Judah might have asked, "Do we have a future?" Amos replied, "As a continuation of the way things are now, now! As a remnant, sifted by the judgment of God and purified into a new people, yes!"
That was the word of hope with which Amos concluded his prophecy. This word of hope may seem contradictory, in light of Amos' prophecies of utter destruction. (Especially in light of Amos 8:14). However, hope in the midst of despair was the common prophetic stance, because they spoke not from the perspective of man's problems but from the perspective of God's eternal plan. Man's sinfulness cannot thwart God's plan for man's redemption. In the darkest of times, the light of God's grace breaks through to give us hope for the future.
The Basis of Hope (9:5-7)
As Amos struck this positive note of hope, he firmly rooted this hope in God.
Israel could have hope, not because of who they were but because of who God is.
Hope rooted in the sovereignty and the providence of God.
Amos highlighted God's sovereignty by referring to Him as the "Lord God of hosts" (9:5). Then, he described God's control over all creation. Reading this description of God from the prophet Amos brings to mind the declaration of the Psalmist: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands" (Ps. 19:1).
Earlier in his prophecy, Amos accented the sovereignty of God to confirm God's ability to seek out those who might try to escape His judgment (9:1-4). Now, Amos focused on the sovereignty of God to confirm God's ability to seek out those whom He wanted to preserve. Israel's faith had degenerated until God was little more than a cult deity. Their vision of God was too small, too limited, too constricted. Amos uses a familiar hymn of praise to God to soar in exaltation, extolling His power over nature and the events of history. He is the Commander of the armies of angels who carry out His plans.
The words, "The One who touches the land so that it melts" meant that God's power could be displayed in an earthquake that causes people to mourn. God controls His creation because He is builder and founder of both heaven and earth. Creation is said to be like a house or palace in which a kind of "upper room" is used for heaven, and "storeroom" is used for the earth. By God's power, water is drawn from the sea and is poured out on the earth in rain. Who is this mighty God? The hymn ends with the refrain, "The Lord is His name" (v. 6).
This hymn may not impress our sophisticated ears so used to seismographic calculations of earthquakes, refined predictions of the tide, and seeding of rainless clouds so they will burst in a rainstorm. And yet, the more we understand the more we should be motivated to praise the Creator and Sustainer of the earth and universe within universes. Most wondrous of all, He created us to know and love Him. And the greatest miracle of all is our transformation through Christ, His cross, the resurrection, and His indwelling presence. This should lead us to unfettered praise and not unbending pride.
We sense that Amos repeated this then familiar hymn to prepare his listener for the bracing truth that follows in verse 7. Amos highlighted God's providence by describing His guiding hand, not just in the history of Israel but in the history of other nations as well. God, who is Lord of all creation, is also the Lord of all nations. And Israel, having denied both its privilege and responsibility, will be judged more severely than other nations. Stuart comments decisively, "In effect Amos says, 'That hymn you love shows how God controls the universe and metes out His judgment among the nations. But you have wrongly assumed that this judgment would always benefit you and harm others. Now you must realize that you also deserve the wrath of which the hymn speaks.'"
Two rhetorical questions in verse 7 put Israel in her place. In essence, the Lord asks first, "Are you more important to Me, than the people of Ethiopia?"
The Nubians were a small, obscure nation in Africa. And second, "You are proud of your exodus from Egypt? Your enemies the Philistines and the Syrians each had one too." The Philistines came from Caphtor on Crete, and Kir is unknown. It must have been shocking for the Israelites to hear that God had been involved in the history of two nations they had categorized as their enemies. Perhaps they could not be so sure of God's protection. The questions were a carefully placed blow to the people's pride. Were they not the darlings of the Almighty?
This sovereign God who created and controls the world and by whose providence all nations are guided is the foundation for and the source of the prophet's message of hope.
A family, consisting of a father, mother, young son and an even younger daughter, visited the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico on their vacation. While exploring the cavern on their guided tour, the guide turned out the lights to show how dark it was beneath the surface of the earth. Out of the darkness came two sounds, the gasp of the little girl who was caught by surprise at the sudden darkness, and the comforting words of her older brother, "Don't worry, sis, there's someone here who knows how to turn on the lights."
That was Amos' word to the people in his day in the shadow of his message of judgment. "Dark days are ahead," the prophet declared. But then he added this word: "Don't worry, there is someone here who knows how to turn on the lights."
The Instrument of Hope (9:8-10)
How could Israel have hope in the face of the prophet's message of irrevocable judgment. The prophet explained in verse 8. The message of judgment, "I will destroy it from the face of the earth" is countered with the message of hope: "Yet I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob."
The prophet had already predicted Israel would be taken into exile. Now, he reveals that the exile will not result in the destruction of Israel but in the disciplining of Israel. The exile will be a time of sifting out of which will come a purified Israel.
Old Testament scholar Kyle Yates explains the meaning of the sieve in verse 9.
"At least two types were used for sifting grain in ancient times. One type allowed the chaff to pass through, retaining the grain while another permitted the grain to fall, keeping pebbles in the sieve. The two operations are pictured by the King James Version and the Revised Standard Version, respectively. Retained is the grain in the former and the pebbles in the latter. Regardless of the method, the result is the same: A remnant composed of the faithful servants of God, is separated and spared from destruction."
The idea of the remnant runs throughout the Old Testament. Noah who survived the flood in which all of mankind was destroyed (Gen. 6) and Lot who survived the destruction of Sodom in which all the inhabitants of the city were destroyed (Gen. 18) were forerunners of the remnant idea. The idea of the remnant appears in Isaiah 7:3 and is alluded to in God's assurance to Elijah that 7,000 had remained faithful (1 Kings 19:17-18). Perhaps the clearest expression of it is in Zephaniah 2:3: Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what He commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger."
Amos used the idea of the remnant to offer hope to Israel. Judgment will not be complete. Some of God's people will be spared, not because of their goodness but because of God's grace. They will be the nucleus of the future people of God.
God has repeatedly used small, seemingly insignificant people to further His kingdom. Gideon gathered 32,000 men to carry out God's assignment. God said, "You have too many men." Through a process of elimination, God reduced Gideon's force from 32,000 to 300 men. With that small group .... a remnant of the initial army ... God delivered Israel.
Saul gathered around him 3,000 of the best troops of Israel to confront the Philistines. God chose not to use this army to win the victory. Instead, he sent out Jonathan and his armor bearer in one instance to defeat the Philistines (1 Sam. 14) and he used young David with his sling shot in another instance to conquer the Philistines (1 Sam. 17). With those two individuals ... a remnant of the larger army ... God delivered Israel.
That was Amos' word to the people. Their hope for the future did not reside in their strength as a nation. Instead, their hope for the future rested in a remnant of the people who would be protected and empowered by God.
The Realization of Hope (9:11-15)
As a result of God's grace and with the aid of this remnant, Israel would be restored. How could this future hope be realized? Amos described the glory of the future by recalling the glory of the past. Israel thought of David's rule as their time of greatest prosperity. Consequently, David became the symbol of greater things to come. The picture of the throne of David being reestablished and the land being restored would stir hope once more in the hearts of the people of Israel (9:11-12).
The glory of the future is further expressed by a series of metaphors symbolizing productivity, prosperity and permanence.
What a vivid picture of productivity in verse 13! The land would be so productive that the workers in the field would overlap each other. One set of workers would still be gathering in the harvest when the next set of workers began plowing for the next season (9:13).
What an inviting picture of prosperity in verse 14! This was the ancient version of "a chicken in every pot and two cars in every garage." Cities would be rebuilt. The essentials of life would once more be enjoyed. Life would once more be enjoyable.
What a comforting picture of permanence in verse 15! The exile would remove Israel from their land. However, the remnant would be restored to the land "never again to be uprooted."
What does this mean for us today? The entire ninth chapter of Amos helps us behold our God and live with hope rooted in His promises. He is the God of righteousness who demands that we live righteously, and He is our judge. He will not accept second place in our lives or second-rate discipleship. He promises that there will be an accounting, not only at the end of our physical lives, but every day of that life. We are accountable to Him for what we do with the blessings He bestows on us. His judgments and punishments are never an end in themselves. Our God is more concerned with reconciling us to Himself than retribution. He follows judgment with the promise of a new beginning.
Amos has brought us to a renewed awareness of the cost of being chosen. We have been called to be saints, God's holy people, and we have been appointed to live holy, righteous lives. The prophet brings us to the realization of the impossibility on our own of attaining righteousness with God or living righteously. After studying Amos, we must be prepared to behold our God with a new sense of awe and wonder, for He has intervened to make us right with Himself and give us the power to live righteous lives. Now we behold God incarnate in Christ. His death on the cross establishes the righteousness with God we could never earn or deserve.
Amos brings us to Calvary with humility and repentance, for the righteousness the prophet proclaimed is now ours. And the fearless man of Tekoa has also put a warrant in our souls to live that righteousness with greater intentionality, without hypocrisy and pretense. Amos forces us to look in the mirror and repent and then to behold God in the face of Jesus Christ our righteousness.
We have come full circle. We are back to the question that I asked last Sunday.
Repentance or ruin? What will be your choice?
