Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Thursday
November 7, 2019
Pastor Rick Kabrick
The overall theme of Amos is that everyone sins and all have fallen short of the glory of the LORD. But the good news of Amos and the LORD is that the LORD waits for us to return to HIM, through repentance and returning to the LORD’s way.
HE provides warning, knocking, warning always precedes judgement. But at some point non-repentant man…the hard hearted who will not come to the LORD or return to the LORD will see punishment and are punished.
Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?
This means GOD has set those who believe in HIM apart. They were and we are special in GOD’s eyes, we are set apart.
The LORD posed a series of questions to show that, as some things are certain in nature, surely nothing happens in Israel that is outside HIS sovereignty. The same is true for us, HE is never caught off guard. Certain actions have certain results! That applies to us today as well.
As the lion roars, so the LORD is roaring a warning to HIS people Israel. The LORD had spoken a word, and therefore the prophet was to speak, and the people were to listen with trembling. Instead, they tried to silence the prophet. As so often happened.
Two legs, or a piece of an ear, A reference to the small but important remnant of the faithful that would endure. It would be a small remnant that will be saved, not because they deserve it, but because of GOD’s future plans for Israel and the world.
Before GOD acts in judgment against HIS people, HE tells the prophet what HE is going to do. The prophet tells the people so they will have time to repent, and not be punished. GOD gives them every opportunity to repent and they do not.
The robbery and injustice they were doing they did not see, because they turned away from seeing. Sound familiar?
They have turned against the righteous teachings of their GOD, and gone for false gods.
Amos describes the indulgent women of Israel. Amos wasn’t trained as a prophet, he was a simple herdsman and farmer.
When he wanted to get the point across to the indulgent women of Israel, he called them fat cows (pah rah female cow). Nothing worse than indulgent women.
These women may not have been directly involved in mistreating the poor. But their demands for luxuries drove their husbands to great injustices.
They had built those summer homes and all from the money they were basically stealing from the poor. That’s why I would hate to be some of these deep state politicians who have reaped windfalls from crooked deals and corruption…
The rest of the CH the LORD through Amos rejects the people’s sacrifices, festivals because they are just going through the motions. The CH ends with: “Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. This is Assyria and later Babylon.
Israel’s sinful ease was shown in presumption, because she trusted that since they were GOD’s chosen HE would not punish them, even though they were ignoring HIM.
procrastination, because she put far off the day of doom.
cruelty to men, because she caused the seat of violence to come near.
love of self, through all the self-indulgence described in Amos 6:4-6.
carelessness, in the willful, drunken ignorance of Amos 6:6.
This is living in opulence.
Who drink wine from sacrificial bowls…(Nebuchadnezzar did that) while they anoint themselves with the finest of oils,
Amos prophesied during a time of economic prosperity in Israel, and the successful in Israel used that prosperity for pure self-indulgence. When GOD makes us prosperous, we have an absolute obligation to use what HE gives us in a way that glorifies HIM, not pampers ourselves.
Poor Amos, he had to keep giving Israel these warnings and now visions which were really the case against the people from the LORD. The LORD through Amos is saying here are the charges, here’s why you are being punished, here are your violations.
The next chapter shows that, even when GOD was very angry with the wicked, there was still wonderful power in prayer.
This is a measurement against the people for what they were supposed to doing but were not.
Plumb line used to see if a wall was straight.
When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger,
And to cheat with dishonest scales,
When will the New Moon be past, that we may sell grain: Israel kept the New Moon and Sabbath, but only outwardly. Inside, they rejected these special days appointed by GOD and they couldn’t wait until they were over.
Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.
“People will stagger from sea to sea
And from the north even to the east;
They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But, they will not find it.
There will be a remnant. Judgment is coming, but beyond that day of judgment is a day of blessing for Israel.
The judgments prepare the way for God's mercy and salvation comes only through the house of David. By this time in history it was becoming clear to the prophets that the promise given to David can be fulfilled only in the Messiah.
Swarm of locusts (AMO 7).
Vision of a great fire (AMO 7).
The vision of the plumb line, crooked wall (AMO 7).
The vision of a basket of ripe fruits (AMO 8).
The vision of the destruction of the altar (AMO 9).