Introduction
I. As I considered the first couple of chapters of Amos, the message that he seemed charged to bring to Israel was really,
A. “Don’t be too proud of yourselves.”
B. “Your not really that much different than those outside the family of God.”
C. I suppose that is a message that more than one prophet was charged with bringing however.
II. As an example, I would like us to consider for a moment the story of David.
A. David was a righteous man; a man after God’s own heart.
B. By 2nd Sam 12 David has been after another heart though.
1. David and Bathsheba had an affair
2. Bathsheba became pregnant
3. David mad attempts to cover up his deed
a. He brought her husband home from the war to “comfort” his wife.
b. The husband however was committed to not finding pleasure, before his men did.
4. When plan A failed, David had Urriah sent to the front lines, and then had the army withdraw, and Urriah was killed.
C. Now God sends Nathan to tell David a story,
1. There were once two men; one rich and one poor
2. The rich man had everything he could dream of; but the poor man had only one little ewe lamb.
3. The rich man needed a lamb for a party, but rather than take one of his many, he took the one from the poor man, leaving him with nothing.
D. David, being a righteous man, burned with anger, “The man that did this deserves to die” he stated.
E. Essentially Nathan says,
a. “Don’t be so proud.”
b. “You are that man.”
III. Not a very comforting or positive message.
IV. In the New Testament, Christ stated the same concept in Matthew chapter 7
A. “Before you judge the speck in your brothers eye,
B. Don’t be so proud,
C. First go and remove the log out of your own eye.”
V. That is the basic message of these first 2 chapters of the prophet Amos.
VI. If we look at a map of the areas that Amos is speaking to it would look like this.
A. Now that map is just a bit difficult for you to make out, so allow me to take the map out, and simply show you the areas that Amos addresses, in the order that he will address them.
B. Now remember that Amos is from Tekoa, which is actually in Judah, just south of Jerusalem.
C. Amos’ first stop is Damascus; followed by Gaza (which is Philisita,) Phoenicia (also called Tyre), Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and last but not least, Israel.
D. Now Anna had an interesting question as she looked at this map.
1. “Why didn’t he work his way back from Damascus to his home town?” she asked.
2. Excellent question, why indeed.
The Real Recipient was Israel
I. I believe there are some important concepts to consider in these two chapters, but I believe perhaps one of the most important is that while all the messages are real, and all the prophecies are accurate, God’s true intended audience was actually Israel.
A. Israel was God’s chosen nation.
B. The Israelites were God’s chosen people.
C. It was Israel that claimed to not just follow a god, but to really follow Yehweh, THE God.
D. And yet if you look at all the words, to all these nations, something very interesting happens when you get to the words to Israel in chapter 2, verse 6.
1. Most of the other prophecies were only 2 or three verses long.
2. The message to Israel comprises the longest section of all.
II. What first caught my attention in the prophecy of Amos were the first words to each nation, “For three sins of ______ even for four, I will not turn back my wrath.”
A. We might well expect that God would pronounce judgement on those that do not follow Him.
B. I could envision that, but what might we expect when God is speaking to those that He has specifically called out from the other nations to be His; maybe something like,
1. Now pay attention to what I am going to do to those that do not follow me.
2. Look and pay attention.
3. Get yourselves straight or I will be forced to act.
C. But look at what chapter 2, and verse 6 says, “...For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath.”
1. Those are the same words.
2. The same exact judgment.
3. The only difference you might possibly see is that the explanation is a little bit more lengthy.
III. Here is the picture,
A. Israel is basically sitting in the middle of all these other nations,
1. The people of God, surrounded by people that are of other gods
a. Now I am going to ask you to trust me.
b. If you take the nations that surround the people of God; take out their city name; and insert their offense before God, it looks like this.
2. Those specially called and blessed by God are surrounded by those that have not followed God.
B. The essential message to Israel is,
1. “Here are the consequences for the actions of all these nations; BUT
2. Don’t be too proud,
3. There are consequences for you as well.”
IV. Now check this out.
A. All these other nations were enemies of Israel, on one level or another.
B. So consider how Israel must have felt as one by one, Amos explained that each of their enemies was going to suffer terrible defeat and consequences.
V. Can you see Israel as each judgement is pronounced on these other nations.
A. Yea, Amos; you tell it buddy.
B. Man are we glad that God is on our side.
C. I thank God that I’m not like those other people.
1. We tithe 10%
2. We attend synagogue every Saturday.
3. We worship Yehweh.
4. Yea; Yehweh is going to show them a thing or too, when it’s all over.
D. There may have been shouting and dancing, and celebration.
VI. But then, when all the surrounding nations had been prophesied against, Amos continued to talk.
A. Chapter 2, beginning with verse 6.
B. Don’t be too proud O people of God.
C. “Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away it’s punishment....:
D. And statement by statement, Amos relates a message from God.
VII. Israel, My people, you are not really so different; even though you surely out to be.
VIII. Israel; don’t be to proud. Two Great Commandments
I. I noticed a second rather interesting point in these two chapters.
II. Consider for a moment, what act or action brought on the specific judgement from God.
III. I want to stress that I am no expert on Old Testament history, but I ask you to consider this point if you will.
A. Israel was, and is, a chosen people of God.
B. As I understand it, at one point in time, Israel and Judah were actually one nation, with the same God, thus Judah had been exposed to the prophets of God, thus the Word of God.
C. The other nations mentioned were essentially outsiders.
IV. Now bear with me for a few more statements,
A. Outside of Israel and Judah, judgement has been rendered by God,
1. Not for breaking God’s law.
2. Not even for following other god’s.
3. Judgement is rendered on their basic lack of human dignity.
4. Outside the family of God, judgement still comes.
B. Judah on the other hand is judged for what; for following false god’s.
C. The judgement of Israel is rendered essentially for two primary infractions.
1. Israel had not dealt with people in a manner that honored God.
2. Israel had not dealt with God in a manner that honored God.
V. What do I see hear?
A. The nation’s, can I say, outside the family of God are being judged on their actions to their fellow men.
B. The nation’s, can I say, inside the family of God are being judged on their actions to their fellow men, BUT, also on their response to the Word of God.
C. The nations inside the family of God were still judged.
D. Don’t be to proud.
VI. In the gospel of Matthew is the story of someone coming to Christ one day and asking, “Teacher. What is the greatest commandment?”
A. To which Jesus responded, HOW?
1. 37 And He said to him, ”‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. (Matt. 22:37, NASB)
B. But Christ did not stop with simply loving God with all your being; He went further.
1. 39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
VII. Do you see the concept here.
A. Those nations that were technically outside the family of God, were still subject to, and judged as guilty actually based on the law of Yehweh.
B. Those nations that were technically inside the family of God, were still judged, and still found guilty, based on the law of Yehweh.
VIII. We did not really take these prophecies apart this morning, but I invite you to read through these two chapters.
A. When everything is boiled down, I believe you will see that even Israel is judged as guilty, based on the two greatest commandments in the law.
IX. What we see is, “Don’t be to proud Israel. Your really not that much different.”
God’s Message To Us
I. So how can we relate the message of Amos to Israel, to us today?
II. Often, what I hear coming from the Christian community is a condemnation of those outside the “faith.”
A. God is judging the wicked.
B. There is coming a day of judgement, and one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess.
C. And on the one hand that is certainly true.
III. Then comes the second part of that message,
A. Look at us.
B. God has saved us, in spite of our sin.
C. And that is certainly true as well.
IV. In perhaps an over simplification, because I am just going to look at one passage, I ask you to turn to 1st Cor. Chapter 6.
A. This passage is speaking to the issue that Christian brother was taking Christian brother in front of secular courts to settle legal disputes.
B. In fact, Christian brother was taking Christian brother in front of secular courts in order to take advantage of one another.
V. 8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud, and that your brethren. 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:8-11)
VI. Reading just verses 9 to 11 it looks something like this.
A. The world is not going to inherit the kingdom of God, AND
B. This is what the world looks like in part.
C. And in the middle of all that muck is us.
VII. Paul’s point,
A. This is what the world looks like.
B. These are the folk that will not inherit the kingdom of God, BUT
C. There is a problem here.
1. Don’t be too proud of yourselves Corinthians, people of God.
2. You really don’t look that much different, BUT, you should.
VIII. Look at verse 11 again.
A. Paul states, “Some of you were like that, BUT,” then something happened that changed you forever.
B. This is what you should look like now.
C. Why,
1. Because you have been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ.
2. You have been made holy because of what God has done for you.
IX. You Christian should look different than the world,
A. You have risen above the world.
B. God has given you a new way of looking, AND
C. A new way of living, AND
D. The ability to do so, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
X. We have been forgiven by Jesus Christ.
A. But don’t be too proud.
B. Sometimes we still look a bit like the world.
XI. I close with this question,
A. When you look at you life today, what adjustment do you need to make to look like the person God has made you.
XII. I also add this statement
A. Don’t be to proud,
B. It really wasn’t that long ago that we were just like those other folk,
C. The only difference is,
D. Someone took the time to tell us about Christ.
E. Who have you told.
