Failed Inspection

Introduction: Amos warns Israel, the northern kingdom, about God’s judgment They have cheated the poor and disobeyed God, by building comfortably sinful lives that will cost them greatly. Amos chapter three is the statement of a failed inspection and its results.

The Versailles Wedding Hall, located in Talpiot, Jerusalem, is the site of the worst civil disaster in Israel’s history. On May 24, 2001, during the wedding of Keren and Asaf Dror, a large portion of the third floor of the four-story building collapsed. As a result, 23 people fell to their deaths through two stories, including the groom’s 80-year-old grandfather and his three-year-old second cousin, the youngest victim. Another 380 were injured, including the bride who suffered serious pelvic injuries that required surgery. An initial inquiry blamed the collapse on the Pal-Kal method of constructing light-weight coffered concrete floor systems. As well as a few weeks before the collapse, the wedding hall owners decided to remove some partitions. With the load path eliminated, the floor above began to sag several inches. The owners viewed the sagging floor primarily as a cosmetic problem and attempted to level it with additional grout and fill. However, their approach not only failed to provide additional structural capacity, but it also inadvertently introduced a new and significant dead load at the weakened area.

Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus describes the difference between two builders who built their homes on two different types of foundations.

I. Ponder the Inspection (3:1-8)

Acknowledge the Inspection (3:1-2) - “1 Listen to this message that the Lord has spoken against you, Israelites, against the entire clan that I brought from the land of Egypt: 2 I have known only you out of all the clans of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.

“Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel, for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, no faithful love, and no knowledge of God in the land!” - Hosea 4:1

“30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.” - Exodus 14:30

Accept the Inspection (3:3-8) - “3 Can two walk together without agreeing to meet? 4 Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl from its lair unless it has captured [something]? :7 “The Sovereign Lord never does anything without revealing His plan to His servants, the prophets.”

As Enoch (Genesis 5:22), Noah (Genesis 6:9), Abraham (Genesis 17:1) walked with God, so should we.

II. Post the Inspection (3:9-11)

Point out the Problems (3:9-10) - “9 Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt: Assemble on the mountains of Samaria and see the great turmoil in the city and the acts of oppression within it.10 The people are incapable of doing right- the Lord's declaration- those who store up violence and destruction in their citadels.

“Has a nation [ever] exchanged its gods? (but they were not gods!) Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.” - Jeremiah 2:11 (HCSB)

Predict the Perils (3:11) - “11 Therefore, the Lord God says: An enemy will surround the land; he will destroy your strongholds and plunder your citadels.”

On 17 July 1981, two suspended walkways through the lobby of the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri, collapsed, killing 114 and injuring 200 people at a tea dance. The collapse was due to a late change in design, altering the method in which the rods supporting the walkways were connected to them, and inadvertently doubling the forces on the connection. The failure highlighted the need for good communication between design engineers and contractors, and rigorous checks on designs and especially on contractor-proposed design changes. The failure is a standard case study on engineering courses around the world, and is used to teach the importance of ethics in engineering.

III. Pay the Fine (3:12-15)

Determined Fine (3:12-13) - “12 The Lord says: As the shepherd snatches two legs or a piece of an ear from the lion's mouth, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be rescued with [only] the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch.13 Listen and testify against the house of Jacob- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord God, the God of Hosts.

“If you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods to worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will perish.” - Deuteronomy 8:19 (HCSB)

Demolition Required (3:14-15) - 14 I will punish the altars of Bethel on the day I punish Israel for its crimes; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. 15 I will demolish the winter house and the summer house; the houses [inlaid with] ivory will be destroyed, and the great houses will come to an end- the Lord's declaration.

“In my hearing the Lord of Hosts [has taken an oath]: Indeed, many houses will become desolate, grand and lovely ones without inhabitants.” - Isaiah 5:9 (HCSB)