Action/Reaction

Most of us remember the school days of learning Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion.

An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at a constant speed and in a straight line unless acted on by an unbalanced force.

The acceleration of an object depends on the mass of the object and the amount of force applied.

Whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first.

Glenn Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/newtons-laws-of-motion/#:~:text=Newton's%20Third%20Law%3A%20Action%20%26%20Reaction&text=His%20third%20law%20states%20that,words%2C%20forces%20result%20from%20interactions, first accessed Oct. 2022.

Examples of Newton’s Third Law of Motion:

Lift of air currents on airplane wings.

Curve ball pitch in the world series.

Thrust of a jet engine, or that of any engine no matter what the fuel.

Unlocking the deadlock on your home’s front door.

Of course, Isaac Newton did not create these laws. Newton only recognized the existence of these laws and became famous for defining them.

These laws permeate all aspects of our physical universe. They are part of the bedrock foundation of how the universe operates. They are called laws because they are that which govern the universe. Although there seem to be some rare exceptions to the law that physics recognizes, the universe as a whole seems to be characteristically subject to the law. Perhaps some day, even physics will realize their observed exceptions are not exceptions after all.

These laws are not laws because of mankind’s influence in the universe, they are laws because they reflect the character and nature of the Creator of the Universe. Colossians tells us that by Christ, all things were made, “…both visible and invisible.” Paul concluded there that there is nothing that is in existence — in reality, that was not made by Him. Newton’s third law of motion is merely Newton’s observation of the revealing of God in the universe around us. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Not only is that true in our physical universe, but it is true in the spiritual universe as well (“visible and invisible”). Our actions are like stones thrown into the mirror of still water. When the stone is introduced to the surface of the water, it creates multiple rings of waves that travel out from the point of impact until resistant force reduces the wave to invisibility. These actions, whether good or bad, impact the world around us, when we throw them into the pool of life around us. It is so because God, in His creative act, has determined it to be so. Our actions have consequences. In fact, that is a major — if not the main focus of the book of Amos.

In the book of Amos we have talked about:

Three themes: condemning false piety and injustice, pending judgment, and future restoration

Five visions: Consuming Locusts, consuming fire, the leveling sword, the rotting fruit, and the inescapable judge

Three Oracles: God’s moral standard cannot be ignored, sin leads to death, and faith in God leads to eternal restoration

The last consideration from the book of Amos are two “Woes” found in the book, Amos 5:18-27 and Amos 6:1-14. These “woes” in and of themselves are not the revealing of the reaction to Israel’s actions, but rather an account of their blind dependence upon and existence with the things the world had to offer instead of what God offered.

To explain what a “Woe” is in Scripture in reference to the spiritual wasteland of sin and disobedience of God’s people, both in the Hebrew and the Greek, the New Bible Dictionary explains it this way...

The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition Woe

The state of the materially-minded blinded by wealth to their spiritual needs, of the self-satisfied, of the impenitent and unsympathetic, and of those who are universally popular

Although each of these “woes” do contain God’s reaction to their actions, they are meant to be more a portrait of their sad and present state existence. That judgment at the end of each then flows from God’s compassion that will act to rescue them from their despicable state.

Remember the big idea for Amos?

Big Idea of Amos:

Sin has consequences, responsibility accompanies privilege, God is faithful, and whether your circumstances are from your choices or outside forces, there is hope for the hopeless.

The 2 “Woes” of Amos: (Action demands a reaction)

++The Despicable State of Mediocrity (Amos 5:18-27)

++The Despicable State of Vanity (Amos 6:1-14)

The Despicable State of Mediocrity (Amos 5:18-27)

The mediocrity is the state of apathy, that, “spiritually (in this case), we are good enough.”

3 aspects of Israel’s spiritual mediocrity

The Despicable State of Mediocrity (Amos 5:18-27)

++Trust in their own merit (Amos 5:18-20)

++Trust in religion over relationship (Amos 5:21-23)

++Half-hearted surrender (Amos 5:24-27)

The Despicable State of Vanity (Amos 6:1-14)

The vanity is the state of trusting that which is fleeting, easily lost or taken away, not able to hold on to.

3 aspects of Israel’s spiritual vanity

The Despicable State of Vanity (Amos 6:1-14)

++Trust in the world’s superiority (Amos 6:1-3)

++Trust in the world’s prosperity (Amos 6:4-7)

++Trust in the world’s morality/ethics (Amos 6:8-14)

The Compassionate State of God’s Reaction (Amos 5:27; Amos 6:14; Amos 9:8-15)

3 revelations of God’s compassion

The Compassionate State of God’s Reaction (Amos 5:27; Amos 6:14; Amos 9:8-15)

++The mediocre will taste the rule of what they embrace (Amos 5:27)

++The vain will taste the flavor of the morality they embrace (Amos 6:14)

++God will restore those who return to Him (Amos 9:8-15)

Big Idea of Amos:

Sin has consequences, responsibility accompanies privilege, God is faithful, and whether your circumstances are from your choices or outside forces, there is hope for the hopeless.

The prodigal sheep named Shrek in New Zealand that was on his own for 6 years and grew a wool coat of 80 pounds

All that this world has to offer will weigh you down if you run away from The Shepherd, who wants to sheer off the things of this world and keep you fully in His care.