Woe to Those at Ease - Amos 6:1-14

Amos 6:1-14 Woe to Those at Ease 2020-08-30 Be comforted by the grace of God, even in discipline Luke 16:19-31 The parable of the rich man and Lazarus. In earthly life, the rich man had comfort and ease, food in abundance, designer clothing, a grand home, and a large family. Lazarus, on the other hand, was a poor man who was tormented by sores covering his body and haunted by hunger. But when they died their positions changed dramatically. The rich man was in torment and anguish of flame, having rejected God’s Word, while Lazarus was in the comfort of Abraham’s bosom. Their fates were set and sealed, and their eternal dwelling wasn’t decided by their earthly dwelling, but rather on their faith and obedience during their earthly life. Passage: Amos 6:1-14 In the passage before us we see the people of Israel living in comfort and ease, uncaring for the people around them that were suffering. They were haughty and complacent, when they should have been lowly and serving. So God will correct them, humble them and chasten them, that they might learn to be comforted, not in the comforts of this life, but in the grace of God. The Haughty and Complacent (vv.1-7) 1. v.1 “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure…” - Do these words strike you as they strike me, as paradoxical? “Woe to those at ease”!? Woe is an exclamatory utterance. If you’ve been surprised, scared, or caught off guard, and your response is something unintelligible, just a noise of surprise, that is what this is like. I would venture to say that not many of us would have this strong reaction if we came around a corner and saw a person relaxing on a couch; it’s more typical when someone jumps out from behind a door with intent to scare you. But Amos exclaims this shock when he sees the people of Israel and Judah in a state of such complacency. Isn’t ease a sign of success, of favor, of having arrived? Isn’t a feeling of security to be worked for and tirelessly sought after? Comfort and security are wonderful things, precious gifts from a powerful God. But a right comfort and security are often confused with sin-won ease, with false comfort, with complacency. 1. The Heidelberg Catechism question 1 reads, “What is your only comfort in life and death?” It answers with, “That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.” 1. Isaiah 31:1 “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!” 2. Matthew 24:37–39 “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” 3. Luke 12:19–20 “And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’” 4. James 5:1–5 “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.” 5. Church, our comfort and security must come from our belonging to our Lord who bought us with his blood and sealed us with his Holy Spirit. Homes, savings accounts, obedient children, health, are all good things, but cannot bear the weight of being our comfort and security. To put such a burden on them is to make them idols, and to turn our attention and our worship and our hope away from the Lord. 2. v.2 “Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great…” - These nations that were strong and mighty, and had less desirable land than Israel, and were destroyed by attacking nations. Even the hometown of Goliath, the champion of the Philistines. What was the assurance of Israel based off of? 3. vv.4-6 “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory…” - This isn’t slothfulness that is being called out. There is a time for rest, for feasting, for singing and celebration. But Israel wasn’t in that time. They should have been in a time of grieving, of fasting and prayer, of repenting. But the lap of luxury was too comfortable, and they were lulled to sleep spiritually. 1. I’ve been reminded this week, in a number of different ways, that we are engaged in spiritual warfare. Whether we’re sleeping on beds of ivory or on our knees in the trenches of prayer, the reality is the same. But if we’re wrapped up with ease and comfort, caught in complacency, we won’t be very effective soldiers. 4. v.6b “but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!” - This is the major problem. They stood idly by and watched as their nation slid further into corruption, sat on their hands while morality degraded and wickedness was on the rise. 5. v.7 “Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile…” - As elders, as we met and discussed this passage, Nathan was careful to point out that exile was very gracious of God. It wasn’t utter destruction of the people of Israel, but exile would allow a remnant to remain alive and eventually inhabit the land once again. It is correction, it is discipline, it is the chastening of a gracious and loving Lord. Transition: This verse bridges us into the second half of our passage this morning, where we see the people of Israel, who were haughty and complacent, being humbled and chastened. The Humbled and Chastened (vv.8-14) 1. v.8 “The Lord GOD has sworn by himself…” 1. Genesis 22:16 “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,” 2. Hebrews 6:13–17 “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,” 2. v.8b “I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.” 1. Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” 2. James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 3. Luke 14:11 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 3. vv.9-10 God would deliver up the city, so hiding in a home was futile. It seems there was an ambition of going unnoticed by God. Even those that come to collect their bones are afraid of speaking the Lord’s name, for dread of getting the Lord’s attention. 4. v.12a “Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen?” - Have there ever been horse races on the Parkdale lava flow, or a lush garden grown in the midst of it? No, such a thing is absurd and nonsensical. 5. v.12b “But you have turned justice into poison…” - But they’ve done the absurd and nonsensical, they’ve committed foolishness by perverting justice and righteousness. What should have been life-giving was poisonous. What should have been sweet and nourishing was bitter. 1. Not only by their action, but just as much by their inaction. They were on couches of complacency while people around them were suffering. They were equipped and able to be a real help, but unwilling. 6. v.13 “you who rejoice in Lo-debar…” - There’s some irony here in these words. Lo-debar means, “nothing” and Karnaim means, “horn” or “strength.” Their rejoicing was empty. 7. v.14 “For behold, I will raise up against you a nation…” - God is so zealous for justice to be done and for righteousness to be upheld, that he isn’t complacent or idle. He will even chastise and discipline his people, bringing about correction where they have erred. He’s willing to show a severe kindness to them so that they will once again practice justice and uphold righteousness. 1. Hebrews 12:5–13 “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” Conclusion: As we conclude this morning, I want you to consider those you’ve had interactions with this week. Maybe a checker at the grocery store, an attendant at the gas station, a physician at a doctor’s appointment. Perhaps you spoke with a neighbor, or a friend, or a co-worker. I ask you, what good did you do with an opportunity you were given? Were you content to let the conversation go whichever way it would, or did you aim to do some good? Did you pray in the midst of the interaction, and pray for the individual following the interaction?