Convictions, Judgments, Repentance, Restoration [The Book of Amos]

I am so glad that the Lord confronts and corrects nations even when we don’t ask for His help.

God loves people. He does not want us to perish in our sin. He does not want to live in a cesspool of sin and evil. He gives us His Word to shine His light into our darkness.

In Leviticus 26:16-44, Deuteronomy 28:15-64 and Revelation 8:1 – 16:9, the Lord levels judgments accompanied by punishments against sin. If the nation that sins, repents, good, but if not, another round of judgments are proclaimed and executed. Amos is true to this Biblical pattern.

The Lord spoke through His prophet Amos of punishment of people groups due to three and four transgressions that they committed. He uses the following format to address them… “Thus says the Lord: for three transgressions of _______, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they…”

Damascus – Amos 1:3
Gaza – Amos 1:6
Tyre – Amos 1:9
Edom – Amos 1:11
Ammon – Amos 1:13
Moab – Amos 2:3

Judah – Amos 2:4

His Word to Judah was, “They have despised the Law of the Lord and have not kept His commandments.”

Israel – Amos 2:7

His Word to Israel was, “They sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals. They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, and pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl, to defile My holy Name. They lie down by every altar on clothes taken in pledge and drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.” – Amos 2:6-8

The Lord reminded Judah and Israel that He destroyed the tall Amorites before them, brought them out of Egypt, led them through the wilderness for 40 years, and “raised up some of your sons as prophets, and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel? says the Lord. But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets saying, ‘Do not prophesy!’” – Amos 2:9-12

The Lord asked them, “ Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” – Amos 3:3

The Lord was ready to act on their wayward ways. He compelled His prophets to let them know it… “Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?” – Amos 3:7-8

The Lord God promised to raise up an adversary, “He shall sap your strength from you, and your palaces shall be plundered.” – Amos 3:11

Their leaders had become wealthy by exploiting the poor and weak, “I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house; the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, says the Lord.” – Amos 3:15

The Lord was going to increase their desire to return to Him by removing blessings from them: “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places; yet you have not returned to Me, says the Lord.” – Amos 4:6

“…I withheld rain… one part was rained upon, and where it did not rain the part withered. So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, but they were not satisfied; yet you have not returned to Me, says the Lord.” – Amos 4:7-8

“I blasted you[r] [plants] with blight and mildew… locust devoured them; yet you have not returned to Me, says the Lord.” – Amos 4:9

“I sent among you a plague… your young men I killed with a sword… I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils; yet you have not returned to Me, says the Lord.” – Amos 4:10

“I overthrew some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah… yet you have not returned to Me, says the Lord.” – Amos 4:11

“Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” – Amos 4:12

They turned, “justice to wormwood, and laid righteousness to rest in the earth!” – Amos 5:6-7

In response to Jerusalem’s sin, God said to them through His prophet Jeremiah, “Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.” (Jeremiah 9:15) Wormwood and gall are bitter. Bitter food and drink symbolize God’s distaste for sin. This is how their behavior tasted to God.

Jesus drank the bitter brew of sin. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to You. Please remove this cup from Me. However, not what I desire, but what You desire.” (Mark 14:36) The cup was full of God’s wrath against sin. After Jesus drank it, He experienced the bitterness of torture and death.

“They hated the one who rebukes in the gate, and they abhorred the one who spoke uprightly.” “They afflicted the just and took bribes; diverting the poor from justice at the gate.” – Amos 5:10, 12

The wicked perhaps wondered why so many remained silent but it was because they knew they were hated and did so at the risk of their health, wealth and well-being, “The prudent keep silent at that time, for it is an evil time.” – Amos 5:13

The Lord urged them with His Word, “Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” – Amos 5:15

The Lord warned those who were waiting on the Lord to punish the wicked that it would not be a good day for them either, “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! …It will be as though a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him!” – Amos 5:18-19

“The Lord wanted reformation more than feast days, holy gatherings, offerings, songs and music. He wanted justice to run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” – Amos 5:21-24

They had “turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.” – Amos 6:12 Denying themselves on behalf of others was deemed gross and taking advantage of other was considered sweet.

Twice, the Lord showed Amos a coming judgment, and twice Amos interceded for the people, saying, “O Lord God, forgive, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, for he is small!” So the Lord relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” said the Lord.” – Amos 7:2-3, 5

Rather than appreciate Amos for his efforts to turn God’s people from their sin, Amaziah the priest falsely accused him before the king of conspiring against the king. “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive from their own land.’” – Amos 7:10-11

Amaziah rebuked Amos, saying, “Never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the royal residence.” – Amos 7:13

Amos told Amaziah: “The Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’” – Amos 7:15

The Lord gave Amos a word for Amaziah, “Hear the Word of the Lord: you who say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel… your wife shall be a harlot in the city; your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; your land shall be divided by survey line… Israel shall surely be led away captive...” – Amos 7:16-17

The Lord was judging the merchants and leaders for making food portions small and costs high for the purpose of enslaving people… “Making the ephah small and the shekel large, falsifying the scales by deceit, that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—even sell the bad wheat?’” Amos 8:5-6

“The Lord God said, “I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight [an eclipse].” – Amos 8:9

Worse than all judgments above, the Lord was going to take His Word from them, “I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the Words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro seeking the Word of the Lord but shall not find it.” – Amos 8:11-12

But they were a mighty nation. How would God do this? The Lord said, “Though they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down.” “I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good.” “Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, says the Lord.” – Amos 9:2, 4, 8

The Lord was going to sift Israel, and then, raise up for them the tabernacle of David. – Amos 9:9, 11

The Lord speaks of “all the Gentiles who are called by My Name.”

The Lord speaks of “bringing back the captives of My people Israel,” of rebuilding, of replanting, of reestablishing His people in the holy land. – Amos 9:14-15

God loves people. He does not willing chastise us but when He does, His aim is to bring about a closer relationship with Him, as well as a better life and future for us.