“God Has His Reasons.”

Series: “God Speaks”

Text: Amos 3: 1-15

Introduction: (What?)

When a preacher preaches on a touchy subject often people will ask, if only in their minds, “What right do you have telling me what I should or shouldn’t do?” That was the situation when Amos prophesied against Israel. They were OK so long as he pronounced God’s judgment on the Gentile nations, and even on Judah. But when he began to pronounce God’s judgment against them, they indignantly demanded, “What right do you have to say these things against us? After all we are God’s Chosen People.”

Amos’s reply was, “Well, since you asked…”

Explanation: (Why?)

1. Here is why I speak. (vv 1-10)

This is the first of 5 sermons that Amos preaches. Through him God is addressing “the entire clan (family) that I brought up from the land of Egypt.” This included Judah.

V 2 “I have known (chosen) only you out of all the clans of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.” The Israelites thought that because they were the “Chosen People” they were exempt from judgment. In reality God told them that the judgment for their sins was more severe than other “clans” or ethnic groups on the earth. Because we in America count ourselves as being those upon whom God has “shed His grace”, we also have assumed that we are not liable for our sins. Just the opposite is true. In Luke 12 Jesus exhorted his disciples to be ready for His (the Master’s) return. Peter asked in v 41 “Lord,’ Peter asked, ‘are You telling this parable to us or to everyone?’” In His response Jesus said in vv 47-48 “And that servant who knew his master’s will and didn’t prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten. But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much even more will be required.”

We live in a country that supposedly was founded on Judeo-Christian tenets. We have always had freedom to worship God if we so desire. We have hundreds of Bible translations and paraphrases available to us as well as on-line Bibles. We are definitely those who “have been given much”. Consequently our judgment will be based on what we’ve done with what we’ve been given just as with Israel.

In vv 3-8 the LORD through Amos posed a series of questions to make that point that nothing happens in Israel that is outside His sovereignty. In other words, He doesn’t need anyone to tell Him what is happening, He already knows.

v 3 “Can two walk together without agreeing to meet?” If you and I were to decide to go to Sebring together, we would need to decide where we would meet to start our trip. In every relationship there must be an agreement upon certain things in the relationship. For example, in a marriage, both parties must come to an agreement regarding the handling of finances, the satisfaction of sexual needs and discipline of children or else there will be problems. It amazes me how many people have never had a spiritual discussion with their spouse. They just assume some things without ever knowing for certain. One reason that God had to judge Israel was because they did not have mutual values. When the prophets pointed this out, instead of adopting the values of God, the Israelites sought to silence the prophets. In the book of Numbers, the prophet Balaam was hired by King Balak to curse Israel. Balaam, as a prophet of God, was bound to do what God directed him to do, and God did not want Israel to be cursed but rather wanted to bless them. Four times Balak took Balaam to a different location hoping for a different result, but it never happened. They were not on the same page.

V 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?” Lions live in prides, and often hunt in groups. The younger lions crouch in hiding while the older lion stalks a prey and then roars to scare it toward the young lions who then rush from hiding to kill the prey. To roar when there is no prey is but to frustrate the young lions who are expecting the prey to rush toward them. Certain actions have certain results. The growling of the young lion in its lair is like the grumbling of children fighting over the last chicken leg on the table. The obvious answer to both questions is “no”. In vv 5-6 we have three other analogies that give the same message. “Does a bird land in a trap on the ground if there is no bait for it? Does a trap spring from the ground when it has caught nothing? If a ram’s horn is blown in a city, hasn’t the LORD done it” The ram’s horn was in the hands of the Watchmen on the Wall who were tasked with warning the city when an enemy was coming. If they failed to sound the alarm and the city was overrun, they would bear the blame. However, if they sounded the alarm and the people of the city ignored it, their demise was their own fault. In this case, the LORD Himself has sounded the alarm through the prophets.

Jumping down to vv 7-8 we find how this relates to Israel and the prophets and America today. “Indeed the LORD does nothing without revealing His counsel to His servants, the prophets. A lion (the LORD) has roared, who will not fear? The LORD God has spoken, who will not prophesy?” The Lion has roared, the prophets, true to their calling have reported that disaster is eminent. Israel has been warned. By the same token, we in America today have been warned by the prophets as well as the Apostles’ writings that the Day of the LORD is fast approaching.

In vv 9-10 God invited the pagan nations to have a ring-side seat to observe the judgment that Israel had brought upon herself. “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. The people are incapable of doing right---this is the LORD’s declaration---those who store up violence and destruction in their citadels.” Our pagan enemies are even now observing the judgment of God on America. They are seeing the violence in the streets and the constant ya-ya-ing in the halls of government, and just as Kruschev predicted, America will implode, without the enemy firing a shot.

2. Therefore… (vv 11-15)

V 11 begins with the word “therefore”. As you know that means, “in light of what has just been said or has just happened...”

“Therefore, the LORD God says: ‘An enemy will surround the land; he will destroy your strongholds and plunder your citadels.” While Israel (then, and America now) is so distracted by infighting, an enemy will show up and easily take over. The Assyrians were the enemy that captured and deported Israel in 722 BC. Who knows who, among the many nations that hate America, will be the enemy that takes America?

Israel falsely assumed that since they were the “Chosen People” God would intervene on their behalf and save them. Amos’s reply was somewhat sarcastic. V 12“The LORD says: As the shepherd snatches two legs of 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.” Israel’s only hope was that God would resurrect their dead nation. Our only hope is that spiritual awakening would happen and delay the final judgment of God against America. Our problem today is that there is no fear of God. Even in our church services people do not tremble when judgment on sin is preached. We have the attitude that “surely God will be merciful to us.” When is the last time you were in a service where God’s presence was so overwhelming that you could little else than see your sinfulness in His mighty presence. People select churches on the basis of the music or the programs or the architecture.

In vv 13-16 God once again invites pagan nations to observe His judgment on Israel. “Listen and testify against the house of Jacob---this is the declaration of the LORD God, the God of Armies. I will punish the altars of Bethel (place of idol worship) on the day I punish Israel for its crimes; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. 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. This is the LORD’s declaration.”

Those who were “at ease in Zion” who had both winter and summer homes that were decorated to the hilt will see all that they have built demolished by the LORD Himself. On 9/11 we saw what we considered to be impenetrable structures totally demolished before our eyes. God gave us a foreshadowing of what is to come. While we took a step back and momentarily filled churches and resorted to prayer, we soon lapsed back into the malaise of supposed safety. On the very heels of such destruction our elected leaders dared to quote Isaiah 9:10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with cut stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.” This arrogant declaration ignored the context of this verse. One must go back to vv 8-9 to realize just how arrogant this was. “The LORD sent a message against Jacob; it came against Israel. All the people---Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria---will know it. They will say with pride and arrogance;”

Application: (How does this apply to me?)

We must recognize that the message of Amos extends beyond Israel of that day. Philosopher George Santayana coined a phrase “Those who cannot remember the past are prone to repeat it.” This phrase has since been restated as “Those who do not learn from history are prone to repeat it” and attributed to several people including Winston Churchill.

I would further restate it as, “Those who do not learn from prophesy and the history of Israel are prone to experience judgment first hand.”