A Grievous & Threatening Cry: The Danger of a Proud Heart (Part 3)

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory, O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence?

II. A proud heart produces an uncaring and self-indulgent lifestyle (vv. 4-6)

Amos 6:4–6 ESV

“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!

III. A proud heart results in arrogance and judgement (vv. 7-14)

Amos 6:7 ESV

Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”

God uses irony here to covey a fearful message of judgement. What has been the primary sin Amos has been preaching against? The sin of pride!

“The notable men of the FIRST of the nations” (v. 1)

These one’s who thought of themselves as FIRST showed that arrogant attitude by unjustly acquiring riches from the poor and lowly.

They demanded “beds of ivory,” “couches” to stretch out on, “lambs from the flock,” and “calves from the stall.” They laid around all day singing “idle songs to the sound of the harp.” They drank “wine in bowls” and the anointed themselves “with the finest oils.”

They wanted to be what? First, first, first!

So God tells them though his prophet Amos, “Alright, you want to be first? I will let you be first alright! You will be the first of those who go into exile.”

God prophesies through Amos that He would bring an army against Israel to conquer them and to take them captive so that “the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.” God would humble their arrogance! One way or the other!!

Amos 6:8 ESV

The Lord God has sworn by himself, declares the Lord, the God of hosts: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.”

So serious was the Lord about this promised judgement that God swears by himself. This is the most binding oath possible. To sware by Himself, means God’s character, integrity, and the full might of His power stood behind the oath.

Notice what name God uses- “The God of hosts” Lit. “The God of armies.” Why is that significant? What will God use in 30-40 years to bring about his judgement. An army. What army? The Assyrian army. God is in command of all armies. God is a providential God. He rules over all. He uses even the free acts of wicked men to accomplish His purposes.

Are there any armies for us to fear right now? Russia, China, Middle East. Are these armies outside of God’s control? Is He still the God of armies? Can you trust Him? Look what the God of armies says to Israel- “I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.”

Notice the word “all.” Was there still a godly remnant in the city? Yes. Did that godly remnant still have to endure captivity? Yes. Did the God of armies still take care of them?

Amos 6:9 ESV

And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die.

Amos 5:3 ESV

For thus says the Lord God: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”

There is a severity of judgement here. Before a hundred went out and ten were left. Now even those then that remained would perish.

Amos 6:10 ESV

And when one’s relative, the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, “Is there still anyone with you?” he shall say, “No”; and he shall say, “Silence! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

Notice the change that will one day take place in the arrogance of these Israelites.

Did they have any problem mentioning the name of the Lord while Amos was preaching?

Amos 5:23 ESV

Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

They were using the name of the Lord all the time. They were using his name in perverted worship practices without fear.

What will happen to their attitude in the day of God’s judgement?

Amos 6:10 (ESV)

One day they will not even whisper the name of the Lord because of a fearful expectation of judgement.

Malachi 1:10 ESV

Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.

Malachi 1:11 (ESV)

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 1:14 (ESV)

Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

“Those who refused to revere the name of Yahweh (4:13; 5:8; 9:6); these would now cower in fear at the mention of his name.” - Fur & Yates

Amos 6:11 ESV

For behold, the Lord commands, and the great house shall be struck down into fragments, and the little house into bits.

If God so wills, even the greatest house in all the earth shall be struck down into fragments. Whew, good thing I am not a great house! Oh, and the “little house into bits.”

Amos 6:12 ESV

Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—

Do horses gallop on rocky crags? No that is absurd! Depending how you translate the second part it is either:

Do you try to plow on rocky crags with oxen? Do you try to plow the sea with oxen? In either scenario the answer is the same: No, that is absurd!

But you have turned just into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood, into bitterness.

Amos’ point is: this is equally absurd! By perverting the courts, and damaging the system of justice they were destroying themselves. They were on a one way path to judgement and they kept on going! They were acting in an absurd manner!

Amos 6:13 ESV

you who rejoice in Lo-debar, who say, “Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim for ourselves?”

Amos continues to point out the arrogance of the nation of Israel. They had recently achieved two military victories. They had conquered “Lo-debar” which means “nothing.” And they had conquered the city of Karnaim which means “a pair of horns.” The horns of an animals symbolized strength and saftey in the OT. These small victories were nothing in comparison to the strength of the God of armies.

Amos 6:14 ESV

“For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord, the God of hosts; “and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.”

Lebo- hamath was Israel’s northern most boarder.

The Brook of Arabah was Israel’s southern most boarder.

The God of hosts would one day soon raise up a nation against the house of Israel that would utterly conquer all of their territory and take these one’s whose heart’s were filled with pride into captivity.

This is why pride is so serious! This is why a proud heart must be dealt with! Pride comes with consequences. For Israel pride resulted in: 1. A false sense of reality

2. An uncaring and self-indulgent lifestyle

3. Arrogance and eventually God’s judgment

Amos 5:4 ESV

For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;

Amos 5:6 ESV

Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,

Amos 5:14–15 ESV

Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Friends, if God has convicted you in the area of pride this morning, will you humble yourself? Will you turn away from your sin and seek the Lord? Will you seek good and not evil? Will you hate evil and love good?

Beware, danger, death- WOE to the one who has a proud heart. That path leads only to destruction and ruin. Turn, seek the Lord, and live.

Related Media

Related Sermons