Bullseye

Amos 2 CSB

The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Moab for three crimes, even four, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime. Therefore, I will send fire against Moab, and it will consume the citadels of Kerioth. Moab will die with a tumult, with shouting and the sound of the ram’s horn. I will cut off the judge from the land and kill all its officials with him. The Lord has spoken. The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord and have not kept his statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray. Therefore, I will send fire against Judah, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem. The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, 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. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name. They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and in the house of their God they drink wine obtained through fines. Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. And I brought you from the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness in order to possess the land of the Amorite. I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not the case, Israelites? This is the Lord’s declaration. But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets, “Do not prophesy.” Look, I am about to crush you in your place as a wagon crushes when full of grain. Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not maintain his strength, and the warrior will not save his life. The archer will not stand his ground, the one who is swift of foot will not save himself, and the one riding a horse will not save his life. Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day— this is the Lord’s declaration.

Have you ever been at church when their was a guest preacher? Or perhaps maybe you have had to go to an unfamiliar place and give a presentation? What usually happens? Their is usually a period of time where whomever is speaking tries to build rapport with the audience. You talk about things that you have in common. Maybe throw out a few zingers at a common enemy. What this does is it helps the audience to see the speaker as one of them which gains the speaker the ability to speak to a listening audience.

Have you ever been at church when their was a guest preacher? Or perhaps maybe you have had to go to an unfamiliar place and give a presentation? What usually happens? Their is usually a period of time where whomever is speaking tries to build rapport with the audience. You talk about things that you have in common. Maybe throw out a few zingers at a common enemy. What this does is it helps the audience to see the speaker as one of them which gains the speaker the ability to speak to a listening audience.

That is whats happening in chapter 1 of Amos. Remember Amos is a nobody from nowhere. He is in the northern kingdom Israel but he is from Judah the southern kingdom. He is sent by God to prophesy to Israel. He opens up by talking about all the non-Jewish peoples around the region. He talks about their godlessness and idolatry, their poor treatment of the Jews, and their sins. And then he says that God is going to judge them.

Amos repeated this 6 times, declaring judgement on 6 different foes of Israel. You can imagine the joy of the audience. Amos was likely getting some AMENS. The people were eager to listen to Amos.

If you were to look at a map of all the peoples that Amos declared judgement on, you would see they are surrounding Israel like the rings of a target. At the center sits Israel and Amos is about to unleash the word of God on them.

Bullseye

Amos 2:6–16 CSB

The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, 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. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name. They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and in the house of their God they drink wine obtained through fines. Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. And I brought you from the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness in order to possess the land of the Amorite. I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not the case, Israelites? This is the Lord’s declaration. But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets, “Do not prophesy.” Look, I am about to crush you in your place as a wagon crushes when full of grain. Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not maintain his strength, and the warrior will not save his life. The archer will not stand his ground, the one who is swift of foot will not save himself, and the one riding a horse will not save his life. Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day— this is the Lord’s declaration.

Amos 2:6-16

Big Idea: The last place we want to be is in the crosshairs of an angry God.

The LORD says:

I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals.

7 They trample the heads of the poor on the dust of the ground and obstruct the path of the needy. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name.

8 They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and in the house of their God they drink wine obtained through fines.

9 Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

10 And I brought you from the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness in order to possess the land of the Amorite.

11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not the case, Israelites? This is the LORD’s declaration.

12 But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets, “Do not prophesy.”

13 Look, I am about to crush you in your place as a wagon crushes when full of grain.

14 Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not maintain his strength, and the warrior will not save his life.

15 The archer will not stand his ground, the one who is swift of foot will not save himself, and the one riding a horse will not save his life.

16 Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day— this is the LORD’s declaration.

Imagine being an Israelite hearing Amos read the indictments of all your enemies, and the surprise you’d feel when God ends with judgment against you. Not only that, but the judgment on Israel is twice as long as any other judgment Amos brought.

God’s judgement does not come out of the blue. There are signs and warnings along the way, but like Israel, we have the ability to ignore these signs and face God’s judgement. Let’s not make that mistake.

This morning we are going to look at the pattern that often presents itself in times of God’s correction of His people.

1. God’s grace

In His grace, God displays amazing longsuffering. One of the charges that people will often throw against Christianity is that the God of the Old Testament is so mean. They bring up His righteous judgment on people like those in our passage tonight. They say, “how can a loving God promise to burn and break and cut off and devour people?” But when they ask that question, they forget about how long God allowed them to live in rebellion.

For three crimes, even four. In Hebrew thought, numbers were very important. They meant something. Remember when Peter asked Jesus how many times they were supposed to forgive someone? Peter thought he was being gracious when he said seven. But what did Jesus say? 70 times 7. Now, by that, did Jesus mean that we only have to forgive someone 490 times? Should we keep a little counter with us to keep tabs on how many times we forgive? No. When Jesus said 70 times 7, He was making the point that the number is incalculable.

Three was a number of completion and fullness. So when God said that the nations committed three transgressions, He didn’t mean that they had only done three things wrong. God isn’t a baseball umpire. He doesn’t work on three strikes and you’re out. They had committed transgressions to the fullest. They had sinned to their capacity of sinning. God had mercifully and graciously allowed them to exist until their rebellion against Him had reached its max capacity.

And then what did He do? Did He judge them? No, He let them have a little more time. And they used that time to overflow in their sin. For three transgressions—the max capacity of sinfulness. And for four—your overflowing iniquity. Now God is going to judge. His grace allowed them time. Time to repent . Time to turn away from their sin and turn to Him. But how did they use that time instead? They used it to rebel even more.

But what if God had given them more than time? What if He had given them more opportunities? More advantages? Well, He did with His people. He gave Judah and Israel every opportunity in the world. Judah and Israel were His chosen people. Chapter 2:4 says that He gave them His Word—His Law—His commandments. But in God’s grace, He gave them even more. Look in verses 2:9-11:

“But as my people watched, I destroyed the Amorites, though they were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks. I destroyed the fruit on their branches and dug out their roots.

I destroyed the Amorites,

though they were as tall as cedars

and as strong as oaks.

I destroyed the fruit on their branches

and dug out their roots.

 It was I who rescued you from Egypt and led you through the desert for forty years, so you could possess the land of the Amorites.

and led you through the desert for forty years,

so you could possess the land of the Amorites.

 I chose some of your sons to be prophets and others to be Nazirites. Can you deny this, my people of Israel?” asks the LORD.

and others to be Nazirites.

Can you deny this, my people of Israel?”

asks the LORD.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

It’s almost become a cliché in parenting: When a child complains or gives their parent a hard time, the parent reminds the child, “Hey, who pays for the food? Who puts a roof over your head? Who makes sure you have clothes on your back?” That’s essentially what God is reminding Israel in v. 9–11.

God’s poured out His grace on them to such an extent that He gave them victory over their enemies. He gave them deliverance from bondage. And He gave them His Word and His men.

God is a gracious God.

He gives us far more than we could ever deserve. He gives us His Word. He offers us victory over the presence of sin in our lives. He offers us deliverance from the bondage of sin in our lives through faith in Jesus. And He goes over and above by giving us time to seek Him. Time to turn from our sin. Time to turn to Him.

God’s grace demands a response from each of us. What are we going to do with the grace offered us?

2. Man’s response

What was Israel’s response to God’s grace? Did they say, “Well God, since you gave me another day on the earth, I think I’ll turn to you.”? That would have been the smart thing to do. That was what Nineveh did.

You remember the story of Nineveh. But God sent His prophet Jonah to preach a hell-fire and damnation message to the pagan city of Nineveh. And what was their response? They repented in sackcloth and ashes. And when they repented, God extended His grace and didn’t destroy them. They saw that God had given them one more opportunity and they took advantage of it.

But what did the nations in our passage do when God graciously gave them more time? They continued in their sin and rebellion. They rejected God’s patience and continued in their vile sins. In 2:6-8, Israel violated God’s people, God’s name, and God’s altar. But remember, God gave Israel extra grace. He gave them victory over their enemies, deliverance from bondage, and His Word and His men. They might not have responded to God’s grace of time, but surely they responded well to all that extra provision. Look at verse 2:12:

But you caused the Nazirites to sin by making them drink wine, and you commanded the prophets, ‘Shut up!’

and you commanded the prophets, ‘Shut up!’

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

The Nazarites were men who were specially dedicated to God. As part of their dedication, they vowed to never cut their hair and never to drink wine. By saying Israel gave the Nazarites wine to drink, God was saying that Israel actively engaged in corrupting people who had given their lives to Him. Not only were they actively involved in corrupting God’s men, they commanded them not to preach.They worked on their morals through social corruption. And then they worked on their preaching through legal corruption.

They worked on their morals through social corruption. And then they worked on their preaching through legal corruption. How is our response to God’s grace different than the nations? Nationally, are we making the best of the extra time God gives us? Or are we sinking deeper and deeper into sin? God has blessed this nation. Now He continues to bless us with time. But we are using our time like Israel did. We’re using it to pass laws that make it more and more difficult to spread the gospel. We’re using it to pile up social corruption like drugs, alcohol, pornography and illicit sex. And society is thrilled when one of God’s men fall to that corruption. It makes newspaper headlines when Nazarites drink wine today. That’s nationally, but what about personally? What is your response to God’s grace? What did you do with the extra day He gave you today? What do you do with the men God has specially called out? Do you help them? Or do you tell them, “prophesy not” by getting in their way or trying to bring them down? How are you responding to God’s grace?

How is our response to God’s grace different than the nations? Nationally, are we making the best of the extra time God gives us? Or are we sinking deeper and deeper into sin? God has blessed this nation. Now He continues to bless us with time. But we are using our time like Israel did. We’re using it to pass laws that make it more and more difficult to spread the gospel. We’re using it to pile up social corruption like drugs, alcohol, pornography and illicit sex. And society is thrilled when one of God’s men fall to that corruption. It makes newspaper headlines when Nazarites drink wine today.

That’s nationally, but what about personally? What is your response to God’s grace? What did you do with the extra day He gave you today? What do you do with the men God has specially called out? Do you help them? Or do you tell them, “prophesy not” by getting in their way or trying to bring them down? How are you responding to God’s grace?

I know that the context here is different than our own, but let me bring it home. When confronted with your own sin, are you more likely to look inward and repent from that sin? Or are you more likely to lash out at the messenger who brought your attention to your sin. Having friends and neighbors family members and ministers who love you and and love the Lord enough to point out sin in your life is a form of God’s grace being extended to you. How will you respond?

I know that the context here is different than our own, but let me bring it home. When confronted with your own sin, are you more likely to look inward and repent from that sin? Or are you more likely to lash out at the messenger who brought your attention to your sin. Having friends and neighbors family members and ministers who love you and and love the Lord enough to point out sin in your life is a form of God’s grace being extended to you. How will you respond?

I know that the context here is different than our own, but let me bring it home. When confronted with your own sin, are you more likely to look inward and repent from that sin? Or are you more likely to lash out at the messenger who brought your attention to your sin. Having friends and neighbors family members and ministers who love you and and love the Lord enough to point out sin in your life is a form of God’s grace being extended to you. How will you respond?

3. Man’s conviction

We are funny creatures, aren’t we? We’re funny, because God built us that way. He built us with an innate sense of right and wrong. The problem is, because of sin, we like to twist that sense. We like to only see the right in ourselves and only see the wrong in other people. That’s why the first 7 points of Amos’ sermon were such a hit. That’s why we like to sit in the service and think about other people who could use the sermon. That’s why we’re so offended at sin that we don’t have a problem with.

I am heterosexual, I don’t struggle with homosexuality. So I could talk bad about it all day long and likely get all the AMENS I could handle. But when I talk about pride—that hits close to home. I’m not as eager to talk about that. I’m more likely to try and justify my sin than want to hear preaching against it.

That’s why God inspired Amos to structure his sermon the way that he did. As he went around to each of the nations, Israel was giving him the amens. You’re right Amos—those things Damascus is doing are horrible. Amen! Can you believe those people from Gaza? Or those heathens from Tyre? I always knew those Edomites and Ammonites were no good. After all, you know who their daddy was, don’t you? As Amos listed each of the sins of the other nations, Israel agreed with him. How sinful those people are. How deserving of God’s judgment they are.

Therefore, every one of you,g who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2 We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3 Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment?

The fact is that every one of the other nations’ sins that Amos listed had been committed by Israel. And by passing judgment on the nations, Israel convicted itself.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

The fact is that every one of the other nations’ sins that Amos listed had been committed by Israel.

Homosexuality is easy to condemn. But what about your own lusts? Jesus said that if you look on a woman with lust, you’ve committed adultery with her in your heart already.

Stealing money is easy to condemn. But what about the way you use your own money? The prophet Malachi talked about withholding tithes and offerings as robbing God.

It’s easy to condemn the atheist or the idolater. But is your pride sitting on the throne of your life?

In Amos, God is convicting Israel of being unjust to the poor, to the oppressed, to the outsiders. Let’s take a look at just one area in our society that God may be ready to judge us. Racial inequality.

There is no question that racial inequality exists. We can point to people of color who have overcome their disadvantages to become very successful and influential. By doing so, we acknowledge that the disadvantages are real and prevalent. And by pointing to these high profile successes, we illustrate that these are the exceptions rather than the rule.

You say well Dusty, what about personal responsibility. At some point these people have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. They need to get over the past and make something out of the future.

I can’t disagree. I am sure I have said something very similar to that myself.

But I wonder if our cry of “personal responsibility” isn’t also a smoke screen so that we can deny our own personal responsibility.

In 2016, Barna Group did research into attitudes surrounding racial justice. In the article, Brooke Hempell, vice president of research, is quoted as saying, “More than any other segment of the population, white evangelical Christians demonstrate a blindness to the struggle of their African American brothers and sisters”

Something is broken in the church. We who have been afforded the most grace, are the least likely to extend grace to others. Jesus tells the parable of the unmerciful servant in . We aren’t going there this morning, I would encourage you to read that on your own. Jesus shows the hypocrisy of believers who are unwilling to show the same mercy that God shows to them.

The thing about God’s judgment is that He doesn’t have to convict us like a court of law convicts. He extends His grace. We respond in rebellion. And then we convict ourselves. We convict ourselves by the standard we hold up for other people. And we’re guilty as charged. Just like Israel was. They were guilty of all the sins they were condemning all the other nations of. They were guilty of sin. And God judges sin.

4. God’s judgment

The final element is God’s judgment.

I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals.

I will not relent from punishing Israel

for three crimes, even four,

I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals.

because they sell a righteous person for silver

and a needy person for a pair of sandals.

7 They trample the heads of the poor on the dust of the ground and obstruct the path of the needy. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name.

on the dust of the ground

and obstruct the path of the needy. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name.

A man and his father have sexual relations

with the same girl,

God judges sin. His judgment is full and His judgment is final. He pours out His wrath on sin. But look at how He feels about it.

profaning my holy name.

8 They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and in the house of their God they drink wine obtained through fines.

on garments taken as collateral,

and in the house of their God they drink wine obtained through fines.

they drink wine obtained through fines.

9 Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

9 Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

his height was like the cedars,

and he was as sturdy as the oaks;

I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

10 And I brought you from the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness in order to possess the land of the Amorite.

Look, I am about to crush you in your place as a wagon crushes when full of grain.

and led you forty years in the wilderness

in order to possess the land of the Amorite.

as a wagon crushes when full of grain.

11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not the case, Israelites? This is the LORD’s declaration.

and some of your young men as Nazirites.

Is this not the case, Israelites?

This is the LORD’s declaration.

12 But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets, “Do not prophesy.”

and commanded the prophets,

“Do not prophesy.”

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

13 Look, I am about to crush you in your place as a wagon crushes when full of grain.

as a wagon crushes when full of grain.

God doesn’t revel in the fact that He judges sin. He doesn’t derive pleasure from pouring out His wrath on our rebellion. It burdens Him. It weighs Him down. But in order to preserve His righteousness, God judges sin. He did with each of these nations. Many of the judgments involved fire. Look at the other words He used: break, cut off, devour, turn my hand against, send into captivity, slay, die.

14 Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not maintain his strength, and the warrior will not save his life.

the strong one will not maintain his strength,

and the warrior will not save his life.

15 The archer will not stand his ground, the one who is swift of foot will not save himself, and the one riding a horse will not save his life.

the one who is swift of foot

God’s judgment of sin is serious. It’s brutal. It’s ugly. If you want to see what it looks like, picture Jesus Christ on the cross. Picture the beating He took. Picture the crown of thorns. Picture the nails. That’s what God’s judgment looks like. And He poured it out on His only begotten Son. He poured His wrath on Jesus Christ so He wouldn’t have to pour it out on you and me.

will not save himself,

and the one riding a horse will not save his life.

16 Even the most courageous of the warriors

16 Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day— this is the LORD’s declaration.

God never changes. He still follows the same pattern of judgment. He still gracious. Man still rejects His grace. Man still convicts himself. And God still judges. But by pouring out His judgment on Jesus, God’s grace takes away our judgment. We’re already convicted. We’ve already convicted ourselves. We deserve God’s judgment. But God’s grace has provided a way of escape.

will flee naked on that day— this is the LORD’s declaration.

All that is left is our response. Will you be like Israel and reject God’s grace? Or will you accept it? Will you turn to Him in faith believing and accept His offer of grace?

this is the LORD’s declaration.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.