Major News from Minor Prophets
Amos: Preaching a message no one wants to hear
Amos came from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. But his words were aimed at all of Israel, both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.
Some Old Testament prophets spent their entire adult lives in ministry. But Amos did not intend to be a preacher. God called him from a life of shepherding and pruning trees.
While Hosea emphasized God’s love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, Amos was called to declare God’s Judgment.
Amos was commanded to preach a message no one wanted to hear.
1. Oracles against the nations (Amos 1:1-5:17)
Judgment on Israel’s neighbors: 1:3-2:3
Damascus
Philistia
Phoenicia
Edom
Ammon
Moab
Judgment on Judah and Israel: 2:6-5:17
Rejection of what God’s laws
Oppressive
Contempt for God
Unrepentant
Unjust
Amos 2:13-16 The consequences of sin
God is loaded down and broken hearted over the sad effect sin has had upon his creation. Notice what sin has done to His marvelous creation:
Sin has Blighted His creation, Genesis 3:17
Sin has Blackened His creation, Romans 3:9-19
Sin has Blinded His creation, Amos 5:21-24, I John 2:11
Sin has Banished His creation, Isaiah 59:2
Amos 5:6-15 Seek the Lord and Live!
OUR SINS ARE GREAT
The people thought everything was going great. God’s truth was different verse 12a. God knew. We might wonder why these people did not listen. Why did they not repent? Like Israel and Judah, we often look around and wonder about everyone else and why they still continue in their sinful, disobedient living.
But like Israel and Judah, we have no excuse.
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away"(ISAIAH 64:6).
Who wants to take the blame for something bad? Who wants to admit, “I am wrong”?
"If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives"(1 JOHN 1:10).
We may try to deny sin as if it never existed, especially in our own lives. We can try to reject sin, dismiss it or explain sin away. Sin is still with us as long as we are alive.
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander" (MATTHEW 15:19).
The soul who sins is the one who dies. None escape death because all are sinners.
“SEEK THE LORD AND LIVE”. Our sins are very great. No matter how great our sins, GOD’S MERCY IS GREATER
God’s divine mercy is displayed through his forgiveness. He blots out our sins. Our evil thoughts, wicked words, and disobedient actions are removed forever. How? Through the blood of Jesus Christ.
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed"(1 PETER 2:24).
Praise God that his mercy is greater than our sin and disobedience.
2. Announcements of exile (Amos 5:18-6:14)
Perverted religion 5:21-24
Complacency and pride
A description of COMPLACENCY: 6:4-6.
Their homes, furnishings, and clothes were the best.
They ate the best of food, and as much as they desired.
Their attention was primarily on things of entertainment and pleasure.
They drank intoxicants by the bowl full.
THE CAUSE OF COMPLACENCY.
The people of Israel had enjoyed a time of great prosperity; they could have one of two reactions:
They could react as most were doing; showing pride and boastfulness. They were living extravagantly, and took all the credit for their prosperity themselves.
They made the pursuit of prosperity their primary objective.
They were not grieved or concerned at all about the condition of their nation.
The causes of complacency in the church are very well described here. We have been raised and live in the most affluent nation in the world. We are accustomed to a lifestyle that would be viewed as extravagant by most of the rest of the world. Do we grieve for the lost?
THE CURSE OF COMPLACENCY:
Complacency led to the death of the nation vs 7-14
Complacency caused the people to reject, and fail to carry out, their divine mission.
Complacency denied them their destiny as a great nation.
THE CURE FOR COMPLACENCY.
The first step is to understand the LOVE and MERCY of God.
(1). He loved us enough to send Christ to die for us.
(2). He delights to show mercy to the repentant.
(3). His love and mercy are eternal.
We must then contemplate the issues and values of eternity.
(1). We must realize that the soul lives forever.
(2). We must think about where we will spend eternity.
(3). We must begin to live for eternity rather than for now.
(4). We must then act, not just think; it is necessary to accept Christ, and dedicate our lives to Him.
We must hear and obey the commands of our Master.
(1). We must seek His will, His command for each of us.
(2). We must learn to recognize Him when He talks to and with us.
(3). We must then obey His directions.
Pride
They perverted justice and righteousness, priding themselves in their own strength
3. Visions of retribution (Amos 7:1-9:10)
In chapters 7 and 8, God speaks to Amos through a series of visions: locusts, fire, plumb line, and spoiled fruit. In each case, the Hebrew word for the object is a pun on another word describing God’s judgment. The easiest image for us to understand is the plumb line. Just as masons use the plumb to tell if a wall is straight, the Lord measures us by the straight line of his righteousness.
So, the Day of God’s judgment is coming. (5:18) God says, “I don’t care how “reverent” your worship is. (5:21) In fact, I hate your pious assemblies. But, let justice flow down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” [This verse became well-know when Martin Luther King Jr. quoted it in a famous sermon.]
Have you noticed what happens to people who preach fiery, confrontational, accusatory sermons? They get in trouble, right? Nobody likes to be accused like that. We’re glad for other people to be judged. Not us! Now Amos has called people corrupt and immoral. Fat cows! Their worship is no good. God wants to destroy them. Wow!
Amaziah, Israel’s High Priest at Bethel, challenged Amos. (7:10) Amaziah accused Amos to King Jereboam. He told Amos to leave town, to go back home to the South.
Amos admits, “I am not a prophet by training, and I didn’t inherit my job as you did. But Amos doesn’t back down. He is as harsh as ever: “God says that, when judgment comes, your wife will become a harlot, and you will die in captivity.”
Harsh! But do you remember what I have told you? That every prophet, no matter how wrathful, always has a word of hope. The turning point comes in chapter 5. Verse 4: Thus says the Lord God to the House of Israel: “Come to me and you will live.” And verse 6 continues, “Come to the Lord, and you will live.” Verse 15: Hate evil, love good. Establish justice in your community. Perhaps the Lord God of Hosts will be merciful. Verse 14: Do good and not evil, that you will live; then the Lord God of hosts really will be with you.
This is a good word for us. We have been lost in sin. We have wandered away from God. The Lord is saying to us, “Return to me, and I will save you. Stop doing what is wrong, and start doing what is right. And this means to have the right attitude towards the poor. Not hard hearted, but generous and compassionate.”
How can we do this? Through Christ! The final chapter talks a little bit about the coming Messiah. His love and salvation is for all people. In 9:7, God says, “Don’t forget that I love all people as much as I love you. Even the poor, even the people in Africa, even your enemies. And a good day is coming. I am going to bring the captives back.”
What are you captive to? Is it sin? Or do you have a problem that is bringing you down? Or are you a captive to health problems? Are you a captive to problems in your relationship with someone? The Lord is saying, “If you are a captive, I have come to set you free.” This is good news! The hope and blessing that Christ gives us.
4. A restored and blessed future (Amos 9:11-15)
1. God promises to restore his people; we will be lifted up. (v11)
• A question of position.
“God is far more interested in who you are, than in what you do. You are human BEINGS, not DOINGS.”—Rick Warren
• Isaiah 53:6, says we have all gone astray.
• Why did my life get away?
2. God promises to repair his people; we will be fixed up. (v11)
• A question of protection.
• Jesus came to seek & to save the lost (Luke 19:10).
• What is wrong with my life?
3. God promises to return his people; we will be faced up. (v14)
• A question of direction.
• Proverbs 19:21, Jeremiah 29:11-13
• How have I focused my life?
4. God promises to replant his people; we will be grown up. (v15)
• A question of location.
• Luke 6:46-49, Matthew 7:28-29, Colossians 2:6-7
• Where is my life rooted?
Despite the fact that God bestowed every gift on His people,
Israel continually failed to honor and serve Him.
Here is the message no one wants to hear:
God has given us everything through His Son Jesus Christ.
If we go through the ritual of worship and then leave to do whatever we please, we are essentially pagans.
Without a real commitment to God, there is no standard of conduct.
But if we follow Christ—every day—we have this promise:
“Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! (Amos 9:13, The Message)
