Route 66: Amos - The Prophet's Burden

Thank you, bob.

The nervousness part though that's sorry that noise you hear that's my heartbeat.

Tonight we're going to look at the book of Amos, as Doug mentioned.

Please turn to 811 in your Bibles.

We are at book 30 of the 66 books of the Bible.

We're almost halfway home, making our way through the Old Testament, book three and the Minor Prophets.

There's nine more to go there.

The book, chronologically, is either first or second.

The book of Jonah may or may not have taken place earlier.

Scholarships sort of divided on that.

The consensus has the date of Amos' sermons, around 760 BC.

Before we meet the prophet, let's go to have your perfect, precious, pure word.

It is truth itself, said Martin Luther.

Father, please, as we look at the book of Amos tonight, may your message that you want us to hear come forth.

And we ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen, all right.

So Amos was a shepherd and a fig farmer from a small village named Tekoa.

It was located 10 miles south of Jerusalem.

He is called by God to preach to the wealthy officials of the northern kingdom At the moment.

Amos was called, he became a prophet, a prophet's purpose To call Israel, to call God's people back into covenant, exodus 6-7.

I will take you to be my people and I will be your God.

His message your end has come Pretty easy.

Message right.

The name Amos means burden bearer.

What a burden he must have felt when given his assignment.

How could he have possibly understood God's plan for him?

Clearly, god saw something in this man.

God knew that Amos would trust him.

Proverbs 3.5, probably a verse you guys know very well Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Lean not on your own understanding.

Amos trusted and off he went.

We will discover in our reading that Amos was both a beautiful poetic writer and a great communicator.

The setting as mentioned, around 760 BC, king Jeroboam II is ruling.

Scripture calls him an evil king.

He's not alone.

Every northern king, 19 in all, did evil in the sight of the Lord.

During his reign he greatly expanded Israel's border.

It was a time of peace, prosperity and political strength.

Also a time of relative weakness for Israel's two biggest foes, egypt and Assyria.

All was good in the north, but was it?

God was not in agreement here.

Israel was far from good and even farther from God.

Their continual sin and rebellion had hardened their hearts.

What caused this?

Let's grab some plutonium and jump in our DeLorean and head back to 932 BC.

King Jeroboam I is the first king of the north.

Shortly after bless you.

Shortly after his appointment, he constructs two rival temples One in Bethel near the southern border, one in Dan near the northern border.

Samaria, the capital city, was midway between both temples.

In both houses of worship, they made for themselves a golden calf.

Has anyone read the scroll of Exodus?

A golden calf what are they thinking?

Israel enjoyed the status as God's children.

However, their identity looked nothing like it.

They were hardly a light to the nations.

The idol-worshiping Israelites were behaving like their pagan neighbors.

Exodus 20, verse 4 and 5.

Exodus 20:4

Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything, in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters underneath the earth.

Do not bow in worship to them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God bringing consequences of the father's iniquity on the children of the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.

As far as God is concerned, idol worship equals hatred of him.

In the minor prophet books we notice that the prophet's message usually is in four parts Indictments, god's judgment, god's instruction and the aftermath.

Amos has all four.

Let's look at the book's structure.

Amos is divided into three sections.

Chapter 1 and 2 are God's judgment against eight nations.

The last two are Judah and Israel.

The focus for the book is on Israel.

Chapter 3 through 6 provide verification of God's judgment against Israel.

Lastly, chapters seven through nine are five visions of devastation and one vision of hope.

Verse one, two the Lord roars from Zion.

What an understatement this is.

The book of Amos is 144 verses long.

For the next 137 voices.

You will indeed hear the Lord roar.

We read of Amos' first sermon, beginning in verse 1-3.

First, amos speaks about Israel's enemies.

Verse 1-3 through 2-3 are oracles against six nations Syria, philistia, tyre, edom, ammon and Moab.

Let's look at the judgment against Edom, beginning in verse 111.

The Lord says I will not relent from punishing Edom for three crimes, even four, because he pursued his brother.

If we look at the six paragraphs that talk about the oracles against the nation, we'll notice a pattern.

In every judgment we see the two sentences I will not relent from punishing.

Therefore, I will send fire.

What do we learn here?

God will punish.

God will punish with fire.

We know that fire destroys, but fire also refines.

All these nations' crimes fit into two broad categories of sin, oppressive social policies.

And two, the breaking of their own moral code.

Judah's sin is similar, but their penalty will be worse.

Why?

Because they are the covenant people of God.

If Amos was sent by God to deliver a message of condemnation to Israel, why is he mentioning other nations in his first sermon?

Because Israel is guilty of the same crimes.

This was a rhetorical device used by the prophet.

What was its intention?

To get Israel to understand?

They too will be judged.

Beginning in verse 2-6,.

It's Israel's turn.

Why is God so angry with Israel?

Why is God so angry with Israel?

What are their crimes?

We find six broad categories.

One oppression of the poor Verse 2-6,.

Third line.

Because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals.

They trample the heads of the poor on the dust of the ground and obstruct the path of the needy.

Poor on the dust of the ground and obstruct the path of the needy.

The wealthy leaders were selling the poor into slavery.

Even small debts were not being forgiven.

Two corruption and greed Verse 8.5,.

When will the new moon be over so we may sell grain, and the Sabbath so we can reduce the measure, while increasing the price and cheat with dishonest scales.

Three injustice and unrighteousness, verse 512, third line.

They oppress the righteous, take a bribe and deprive the poor of justice.

At the city gates the poor had no standing, no standing in the court system.

Empty worship Verse 521 through 523.

I can relate to this.

I hate, I despise your feasts.

I can't stand the stench of your solemn assemblies.

Even if you offer me your burnt offerings, I will not accept, I will have no regard for your fellowship.

Offerings of fat and cattle.

Take away from me the noise of your songs.

I will not listen to the music of your harps.

The Israelites were going through the motions.

God knew their hearts.

He knew their worship was empty Idolatry, verse 526.

But you have taken up Sackath, your king, and Kiwan, your star god, images you made for yourselves, king and Kiwan, your star God, images you made for yourselves.

Worship of golden calves had led to all kinds of pagan worship.

Lastly, pride and complacency.

Woe to those, I'm sorry.

Verse six, verse six one.

Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria, verse 6, 8.

I loathe Jacob's pride.

God has given them peace, prosperity and political strength.

But the wealthy leaders took all the credit.

God's judgment.

Would Israel be judged for their crimes?

God answers in verse 412.

Prepare to meet your God.

I think that's a yes.

God cannot look upon sin.

Sin must be judged.

Who will judge these sinners?

Verse 413.

The Lord, the God of armies.

This was no God of mercy.

This was the warrior God, the almighty God, and he's carrying a sword.

How would Israel be judged?

Verse 311.

Therefore, the Lord God says an enemy will surround the land.

He will destroy your strongholds and plunder your citadels.

Israel has been deemed no better than their pagan neighbors.

God was going to do the unimaginable Verse 213.

God was going to do the unimaginable.

Verse 2.13.

Look, I am about to crush you in your place.

What other punishment would God's children face?

Verse 5.27.

I will send you into exile beyond Damascus, whoa.

To exile beyond Damascus, whoa.

God sent Amos to deliver a message of doom to the Israelites of the northern kingdom.

The wealthy leaders ignored him and tried to send him away.

Now God was going to send them away.

How incredibly sad.

What does life look like in exile?

Verse 8, 11, and 12.

Look, the days are coming.

This is the declaration of the Lord God.

When I will send a famine through the land.

Not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a hearing of the words of God.

But a hearing of the words of God.

People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east seeking the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.

God's instruction, our Lord, god, has accused Israel of many crimes.

He has pronounced judgment.

Was there hope for Israel?

Yes, verse 5-4, seek me and live.

He repeats it again in verse 5-6, seek the Lord and live.

Seems simple, but is it?

Seems simple, but is it?

Jeremiah 29, 13.

You will seek me and find me when you search me with all your heart.

There lies the problem.

Their hearts were full of pride.

A prideful heart has no room for God.

We heard this this morning in James 4.6.

We see more instruction in verse 5.14.

Pursue good and not evil.

Verse 5.15.

Hate evil, love good.

Establish justice at the city gates.

All throughout the book we see a recurring theme Injustice leads to unrighteousness.

The wealthy leaders were treating the poor unjustly.

God wanted his people to repent, to seek him and turn from their evil ways.

What did God desire of his people?

Amos writes, verse 524,.

Let justice flow like water and righteousness like an unfailing stream.

That sounds good.

Sadly, israel's justice and righteousness flowed like poison.

Would a remnant be saved?

Scripture tells us that God usually saves some.

Let's see how it plays out.

The aftermath God's people have been given a choice.

The choice was a personal choice Ignore the prophet's warning or take heed of it.

What will they do?

In chapters 7, 8, and 9, we see the consequences of their personal choice.

God gives Amos five visions of devastation and a vision of hope.

These visions depict the day of the Lord.

Great or terrible.

Vision one locusts Not again, pastor Doug.

Vision two fire.

After each vision, amon pleads with God to relent from punishing.

Lord.

God, please forgive, lord, god, please stop.

In both cases, god relents.

This indicated to the prophet that a remnant would indeed be saved.

Who were they?

The humble repentant?

In visions 3, 4, and 5, god does not spare.

We read of the gruesome aftermath in verse 8.3.

In that day the temple songs will become wailing, many dead bodies thrown everywhere, silence who would perish?

Verse 9.10.

All the sinners among my people who say disaster will never overtake or confront us will die by the sword.

These were the proud, wealthy leaders who oppressed the children of God.

They had no love for neighbor.

They loved themselves and their possessions.

Finally, a vision of hope.

The Lord has roared for 137 verses.

The last five verses of the book show the aftermath for the saved.

Our beloved God of mercy has finally returned.

Amos paints a beautiful picture of the paradise that awaits God's children Verse 9, 13 through 15.

Sweet wine and the hills will flow with it.

I will restore the fortunes of my people, israel.

They will rebuild and occupy ruined cities, plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their produce.

I will plant them in their land and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them.

The Lord, god, has spoken.

When these days come, the crops will be so plentiful that the seasons for planting and harvesting will run together.

A place where justice and righteousness will flow like sweet wine, where all the nations will enjoy true peace and true prosperity.

Psalm 1,.

How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway of sinners or sit in the company of mockers.

Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction and he meditates on it day and night.

He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bear fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither.

Another beautiful painting.

God's people will never again be uprooted.

Why?

Because Jesus is ruling and reigning on the throne of David.

The Lord of lords and king of kings will reign forever and ever.

Can I get a hallelujah chorus?

I get a hallelujah chorus.

Let's look back and reflect.

More than any other book in scripture, the book of Amos holds God's people accountable for their ill treatment of others.

It repeatedly points out the failure of God's chosen to fully embrace God's idea of justice.

Amos rebuked them because he saw in their lifestyle evidence that Israel had forgotten God.

Why had they forgotten God?

Idolatry, idol worship, was the foundational sin that led to all of Israel's ungodly behavior.

They had become just like their pagan enemy.

What's an idol?

Anything or anyone that replaces God.

It's a matter of the heart we make them.

John Calvin wrote the human heart is an idol factory.

God wanted Israel's heart, but their heart had no room for him.

Israel was incapable of obeying the first commandment because they couldn't obey the second.

Idol worship led to all of their other sins.

Their rebellion led to God's judgment a brutal judgment, the unimaginable.

Sacked by their enemy and exiled from their land.

Amos' prophecy was fulfilled in 722 BC.

Assyria would be that enemy who would surround Israel, destroy their strongholds and plunder their citadels.

The end had indeed come to those who turned their back on God.

Injustice permeates our world.

Are we, as Christians, turning a blind eye?

Are we truly loving our neighbors as ourselves?

God has called Christians not only to be in relationship with him, but to be in relationship with others.

Do we focus more on our invisible God than we do on his visible creation?

The book of Amos teaches us God's scheme of justice, where the physical needs of people are as important as the spiritual needs of people.

The book of Amos reveals the consequences of taking our eyes off God.

We are God's new chosen people, the children of the new covenant, united with Jesus, united with each other.

It is our status and our identity, and that will never change.

What can we take away from the book of Amos?

What can we take away from the book of Amos?

God requires true worship.

When we place anything or anyone above God, we run the risk of making an idol.

Idol worship leads to empty worship.

How do we avoid this trap?

Amos provides the answer.

We seek God and live.

We live the life that God intends for us.

We seek him through scripture.

We seek him through prayer.

We seek him through fellowship.

Israel was called by God to be a light to the nations.

They failed.

We have been called by God to be a light to the world, to manifest justice and righteousness to our neighbors and to walk in a manner worthy of our calling.

May we never fail.

Let's pray, father.

We are so grateful for the prophet Amos, who has delivered to us a message of doom, but a message of hope for those who repent, for those who come to you, for those who approach your throne humbly and seek the Lord Jesus.

We are grateful for the prophet, we are grateful that he answered your call and we pray that we will always answer your call In Jesus' name, amen.