“Pride Precedes Penalty”

Series: “God Speaks”

Text: Amos 6:1-14

Introduction: (What?)

Most of us have heard the saying from Proverbs 16:18. “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” Perhaps we even know the proverb that tells us that the #1 thing on God’s “hate list” is haughty or prideful eyes. The Israelites typified this sort of behavior and look. Amos warned them of the disaster that awaited because of their complacency and pride. This message is as relevant for America today as it was for Israel in Amos’s day.

Examination: (Why?)

1. But God shed his grace on us. (vv 1-6)

We love to sing “America the Beautiful” and we especially love the phrase, “God shed His grace on thee”. However, we can’t practice arrogance, decadence, complacent self-indulgence, and perversion of justice and still expect God to “shed His grace” on us. This was the message of Amos to Israel and it is the message of God to America today.

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria---the notable people in this first of the nations, those the house of Israel comes to. Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to great Hamath, then go to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours? You dismiss any thought of the evil day and bring in a reign of violence.” (vv1-3)

In America our politicians have largely turned their backs on God and are complacent, thinking that there will be no reproach for their godlessness. That attitude has trickled down to the populace and more and more Americans are buying into this complacent life style. Because we haven’t faced judgment yet, we seem to think that we will never face judgment. We are currently rapidly becoming a “post Christian” nation, a nation who not only does not serve God but who actually does not know God.

That was the situation in Judah and Israel who thought that because they had “sacred cities” within their borders they were exempt from judgment. Zion was in Jerusalem and the hill of Samaria was on what we now call the West Bank of Israel. Amos had a message for them in vv 2-3 that we just read. Calneh (Calno in Isa 10:9) was in Syria and had been destroyed by the Assyrians in the ninth century. Hamath, another Syrian city, was conquered by Jereboam II, King of Israel, during the time of Amos. Gath was a Philistine city (home of Goliath) was destroyed by Uzziah, King of Judah also during the ministry of Amos. These would all be fresh in the minds of the inhabitants of Judah and Israel. Amos’s question regarding these once great cities which had been conquered was; “are you better or bigger than these cities?” The implication is, if they were conquered (judged) then you are not exempt from judgment. You had better get ready for “the Day of the LORD”.

“They lie on beds inlaid with ivory, sprawled out on their couches and dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall. They improvise songs to the sound of the harp and invent their own musical instruments like David. They drink wine by the bowlful and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.” (vv 4-6)

Comfort, entertainment, gorging on food and medicating with drugs and alcohol became the life-style of the inhabitants of Israel and Judah. They gave little, if any, thought to the impending ruin of their country. We, like the inhabitants of Judah and Israel, are in pursuit of comfort, entertainment, food (39.8% of adults and 18.5% of children in America are obese) and use of drugs and alcohol (Avg age of beginning drug and alcohol use in America is 13-15).

Since America cannot be found in prophecy we must expect a time when this country will cease to exist as an entity. Judgment is coming before the final judgment. Our claim to be a “Christian Nation” cannot protect us because we are rapidly ceasing to function as a Christian Nation. Consequently, we can no longer expect God to “shed His grace” on us.

2. The Day of Reckoning (vv 7-11)

“Therefore, they will now go into exile as the first of the captives, and the feasting of those who sprawl out will come to an end.” (v 7)

Because of the consumerism and complacent attitude of the cities of Judah and Samaria, they were forced into exile. In the words of Amos, “are you (we) any better than these kingdoms?) Due to plague (covid?), floods, forest fires, storms and drought we may soon move from feasting to famine. Due to the influx of other cultures the balance of Americans vs aliens is rapidly approaching the tipping point. When we moved from Miami in 1992 there was no clear ethnic majority. The three major ethnicities were all in the 30 percentile. Is it possible that a country could go into exile within its own borders? It is a question worth pondering.

The LORD God has sworn by Himself---this is the declaration of the LORD, the God of Armies: ‘I loath Jacob’s pride and hate his citadels, so I will hand over the city and everything in it.”

This is unilateral action on the part of God. Because of His hatred (which is always directed toward evil) for the pride of Jacob (Israel) and His hatred toward all that Israel had built for protection (his citadels) God will “hand over the city and everything in it”. If God would do this to His “Chosen People” how likely is He to do it to America? Up until 9/11 we thought we were impenetrable by foreign entities. We no longer have that assurance. Our threats of retaliation to anyone who would dare bring terror to our streets rings hollow because we can’t even protect ourselves from ourselves. Demonstrations rapidly devolve into riots. When God removes His protection from a nation, that nation will surely fall.

“And if there are ten men left in one house, they will die. A close relative (uncle) and burner (of incense to cover the stench or one who cremates the bodies) will remove his corpse from the house. He will call to someone in the inner recesses of the house, ‘Any more with you?’ That person will reply, ‘None’. Then he will say, ‘Silence because the LORD’s name must not be invoked.’ For the LORD commands: The large house will be smashed to pieces and the small house to rubble.”

When God abandons a city, even small remnants who are hiding in a house will be sought out and killed. There will be no one except a distant relative to retrieve the bodies and conduct some sort of service or to cremate the bodies for fear of infection. Any service will be minimal with no mention of God because He is the one who brought judgment. In Israel there are strict laws concerning the time between death and interment. For these to be abandoned, the situation must have been dire. In our church for the past several years more and more families have opted not to have funerals or memorials for their deceased relatives. Perhaps this is due to the high cost of funerals, nevertheless there is no celebration of their life.

3. Heed the warning (vv 12-14)

“Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does anyone plow there with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood---you who rejoice over Lo-debar (nothing) and say, ‘Didn’t we capture Karnaim for ourselves by our own strength?”

Amos used a couple of ridiculous questions to make a point. If a horse were ridden on the cliffs, he would most likely slip and the rider would be injured or killed. It just simply was not done. Also, no one would plow on the cliffs for the same reason. The empty boasting of Israel over conquering “nothing” (Lo-debar) and “two horns” (the meaning of Karnaim) was just as ridiculous. In America we like to look back at our great military exploits when in fact, we won neither the Korean conflict, the Viet Nam war nor the so-called “War on Terror”. Even though we declared victory, the enemy still flourishes and reigns terror in their geographic area and in some cases around the world. We have thousands suffering from PTSD and/or debilitating injuries from these wars. Many are homeless and unable to hold jobs. Marriages and families have been decimated. How can we celebrate victory?

“But look, I am raising up a nation against you, house of Israel---this is the declaration of the LORD, the God of Armies---and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Arabah.”

This came to pass in 722 B.C. when the Assyrians invaded Israel. The borders mentioned were the northern and southern perimeters of the kingdom over which Jereboam II reigned.

Will God raise up a nation against America? While we don’t know for sure, we do know that there are some formidable prospects. Among them are Iran, No. Korea, China and Russia. Also a coalition of radical Muslim countries is a possibility. We must understand that the blessings of God in the past do not guarantee His blessings in the future especially when we have turned our backs on God and His Word.

Application: (How should I respond to this message?)

Since God often retains a “remnant” when a country is disciplined, make sure that you are a candidate.

Have you surrendered your all to Jesus?

Pray for Spiritual Awakening in our country. It is only through repentance that awakening is possible.