[Read Amos 7:7-17]
Amos saw a vision – God standing by a wall that has been built true and straight.
• He was also holding a plumb line in His hand, to confirm that the wall has been build true and straight.
• If the wall is true, the plumb line will prove it. If it is not, then the plumb line will show that too.
Israel was found to be sorely wanting. She has deviated far from God’s ways.
• Amos was called to prophesy God’s warnings to the people.
• He was not a professional prophet, just a shepherd and a gardener. But God needed a voice and Amos became that voice.
• He spoke the Word of God faithfully and I felt with great courage, challenging the whole nation to return to God and away from judgement.
Amos did not overstate his case. He did not exaggerate. He just tells it like it is.
• Israel was prosperous at this time, rich and successful, but in a bad shape spiritually and morally.
• She has gone for many other lovers, as Hosea revealed. She has the look of religion but no intimate relationship with God.
• She was proud and arrogant. She was oppressing the poor and exploiting the needy.
So Amos came and lifted up, in a sense, a mirror for them to look at themselves and judge for themselves.
• He began with the words of God (chaps 1-2) pronouncing judgment on the nations, ending with Judah and Israel.
• Glance through chaps 1-2 and see the phrase - “For three sins… even for four” repeated throughout.
• Let’s read what God said about Judah and Israel - Amos 2:4-8.
God saw them all. He was not saying there were only 3 or 4 sins, but highlighted just some that most characterised them.
• God was giving them warnings. God was telling them, if they continue to go down this road, they would face dire consequences.
God’s warning is an act of grace.
• As the righteous God, He could have executed judgment and no one could have faulted Him. But in His grace, God showed restraint. God was patient.
• One of the unfortunate pictures that we have of God in the OT is that He is mean and fierce because we read only of His judgments. How can God be so cruel?
• But we forget that God has tolerated sin for a long time. He has given the people time, actually, lots of time.
Did you notice that, having seen all of man’s evil, His responses were, “I will send fire, I will destroy, I will…”
• God’s disciplines are placed in the future… He is giving us time… time to repent.
• Psalm 145:8 says God is slow to anger and rich in love. [Ps 145:8-9 “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. 9 The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all he has made.”]
God’s warning is an act of love.
• Amos 3:7 “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” God will not punish without warning.
• Amos 2:11-13 “I have 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.” [Nazarites are men specially dedicated to God (never cut their hair and drink wine).]
• Then the Lord was left to do verse 13 "Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain…” and the list of judgement continues.
• As Amos speaks, God was still giving them time. In fact, God gave them another almost 40 years (before Israel fell to the Assyrians)!
Heed God’s voice. Each time we are convicted by the Word, heed it.
• It’s serious business to God. Repentance is a step towards blessing.
Judgement is never God’s choice. It is man’s choice, actually.
• God never condemn anyone. John 3:17 tells us very clearly. Jesus came in our world to save us, not to condemn us.
• We condemn ourselves when we choose NOT to turn from our sinful ways.
Nineveh did the right thing when they heard the reluctant prophet Jonah spoke.
• They repented in sackcloth and ashes. God gave them time, a chance and they took it!
• God gave Israel many chances here. [Read Amos 4:6-12]
What God did was to leave prompters in their experiences.
• God does that in our lives, giving us His messages through friends, sermons, experiences we had, to remind us of our need to return to Him.
• If God is really present with us, then this is surely what we can expect. He will speak to warn and guide.
• We need to take note of what God is saying and doing in our lives. He is leaving “stick-on notes” around, telling us what we need to do.
• It is not that God does not guide, but are we listening!
God’s warning is an act of hope. It is our hope of a better life.
• The only way man can live a fulfilled life is to do it God’s way.
The plumb line vision is important. Firstly, we need the plumb line (to know what is true and straight), and secondly, more importantly, we need to ALIGN to it.
• We study the Scriptures, not just to know God (and His will) but to align ourselves with His will.
• The book of Amos is the call of God for man to return to Him and His ways.
The Bible is not an encyclopaedia to increase our knowledge. It is not a self-help book to make our lives on earth easy and comfortable.
• The Bible isn’t written to give us the steps to overcoming worry, or teach us how to manage our finances or be successful in our work, or conquering your fears…, although God does provide answers to all these life problems.
• The Bible is written primarily to reveal the character of God and call for us to return to Him and live like Him.
This movement is important – we are called to align our lives to the Scriptures, not use the Scriptures for our lives, to feed my needs, to heal my hurts, to make me happy.
Two weeks ago at the FPM a sister shared about a prayer she made many months ago, asking God to give her a good domestic helper, as she needs to get one for her elderly sister. But the helper turned out to be a problematic one – she demands for an off day so she could go out, she talks on the phone often, cannot do chores very well, and later, this sister found out she had a boyfriend outside. She gave her many problems. And she asked, why? Why does God not hear her prayer? Why did I end up with such a maid? I did make a very sincere prayer. Why didn’t God answer?
She rattled on for a while. I was disturbed, and then I was saddened. I was saddened by the thought that she might not be the only one. Many Christians today think that way too, about God. As she rattles on, I , likes to talk on the phone, cann
David F. Wells put it this way:
“We study the Bible to listen to His voice that comes from outside our experience, not to listen to our own voice that is crying from within.
His Word is not one of many. It is the only Word that has been there from all eternity because it comes from the eternal God.
God, then, is not there for our use when we need him; we are here on earth for his use. He is not there for our benefit as if He were a product; we are here for His service and glory.”
[Dr. David F. Wells is a distinguished senior research professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.]
The Bible is not an encyclopedia to feed our minds with knowledge.
• The Bible is the revelation of God – His being and His doings, His will and His ways.
• And we are called to be and to do LIKE HIM.
Take a good look at the plumb line. Are you off? How close are you living according to God’s will?
• Check it often. We want to align ourselves to God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s plan.
• God does not exist for us. We exist for Him. We live for Him. We live to glorify Him.
Dear friends, turn back to God today. He has given you time to do so.
• Believe Jesus as your Saviour, repent of your sin and receive His forgiveness.
• God is not here to condemn you, but to save you.
The choice is still yours.
• God warns because He is gracious.
• God warns because He loves you.
• God warns because that is the only hope you will have.
Heed His call. Repent and return to Him.
• God is serious with you. Are you serious with Him?
