Amos 3

Secular:

•   Why speed traps?
• Those who know… (signs… laws… d/l test)
• Those who believe still speed
•  Why tax penalties?
• Would we file on time?
• Would we do what was right?
•  Do children always obey their parents… ever obey… just cuz it is right?
• Is there a reason Scriptures exhorts the use of corporal punishment?
• Correction… values justice
• Correction… values relationship

Biblical:

Amos 3:1 Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt: 2 "You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." 3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? 4 Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something? 5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it? Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all? 6 If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it? 7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets. 8 A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy? 9 Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the oppressions in her midst. 10 "But they do not know how to do what is right," declares the LORD, "these who hoard up violence and devastation in their citadels." 11 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "An enemy, even one surrounding the land, Will pull down your strength from you And your citadels will be looted." 12 Thus says the LORD, "Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion's mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away-- With the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch! 13 "Hear and testify against the house of Jacob," Declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts. 14 "For on the day that I punish Israel's transgressions, I will also punish the altars of Bethel; The horns of the altar will be cut off And they will fall to the ground. 15 "I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house; The houses of ivory will also perish And the great houses will come to an end," Declares the LORD.

Personal:

•   We can spot “Abnormal relationships”
• Crass
• Unloving
• Violent
• Unfaithful
• Not unusual… but not we are created for
•  We ache for what God designed us for…

Bridge:

•  God loved Israel
• Redeemed Israel
• Blessed them
• Made them a blessing
• But Israel was repeatedly unfaithful
• God is long suffering… with Israel
• God is long suffering… with us
• But there comes a time for justice… for punishment

Body:

Normal Relations…

Amos 3:1 Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt: 2 "You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities."

•  Hear… is not just listen!
• This is good for us to remember… God’s message is not just words… they are instructional… directive… valuable… action oriented…
•  Affect your heart… effect your actions
• The Lord begins by calling them his….
• Brought out of Egypt…
• Exodus 6:7 'Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
• Out of slavery
• Through the desert…
• Manna… Water… protection
• To the promise land
• The exodus was a big event in their history… it was about who they were and God’s activity in their life…
• It is like the reminders mothers can make… 15 hours of labour and this is what I get from you….
• Or I brought you into this world… and I can take you out…
•  God chose to display his love to them and through them
• God chose them for a loving relationship
• Deuteronomy 7:6 "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
• But… with Privilege comes responsibility… (Amos theme)
• God…
• I chose to Love You
• I chose to Know you
• I chose to make myself known to you
• Normal Relations…
• Loving and Serving
• Normal is corrective
• Normal is hurt by those closest
• Normal Relationship to God?
• Hear
• Love
• Serve

Normal Behaviour…

3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? 4 Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something? 5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it? Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?

•  
•  3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?
• No… not just happening
• Ancient world… Travel distance… share food / shelter… heavily planned…
•  4 Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something?
• Lion roar without prey? No…  scares everything away
• Young lion… growl… no… unless he is protecting someone
• 5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it? Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
• Bird go into empty trap…? Fish bite an empty hook? No….
• Trap spring into the air… not unless something sets it off…
• Does anything happen for nothing?
• Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
• All things…. Are in God’s hands…
• The Good
• The Bad
• And yes the Ugly
• Lion’s don’t roar for no reason
• Traps aren’t sprung… for no reason
• God doesn’t redeem people for no reason
• Ephesians 3:11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
• God doesn’t bring calamity for  no reason…
• Poor health
• Death
• Natural disaster
• Normal Behaviour… knows that God does all things with purpose.
• Even punishing his children!

Normal Understanding…

6 If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it?

•   A trumpet was a sign of war…
• Fear of siege
• Terrible war crimes
• The end is near!!
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
•  Definitive…
• Afraid… tremble… YES!
• But remember…. Nothing happens outside God’s sovereignty… If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it?
•  Matthew 10:29  Not even a bird falls from the sky… without God’s direction
• Every moment in our life prepared… before we had lived a single moment…
• Psalm 139:16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
•  Normal Understanding…. A Sovereign God
• Calamity in the city
• Was God surprised…
• Stepped out for a coffee… comes back… uh oh!
• God is Sovereign… nothing happens outside God’s Divine Will!
•  Job went through the trial….
• Is it my fault… what did I do…
•  Normal Understanding…. A Sovereign God

Normal Reaction

7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets. 8 A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy? 9 Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the oppressions in her midst. 10 "But they do not know how to do what is right," declares the LORD, "these who hoard up violence and devastation in their citadels."

•  Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets… not an arbitrary God
• Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.
• Pretty straight forward…
• We do lots to sneak out from under that…
• Exodus 34:14 -- for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—
• Jealous… hummm
• Lord God Almighty who holds the world in his hand by his good pleasure… is the jealous type!
•  Job… Sports… Family… Career…
• Of what is your God jealous?
• It never bodes well… for those who chose to worship something other than the Lord God.
• Ex 32: 8 "They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'"
• I wonder how God felt about that whole calf thing?
• Exodus 32:26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27 He said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbour.'" 28 So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.
• The Prophets of God have spoken…. For thousands of years…
• The proclaimers of God’s covenant and truth…
• In His Word and to his people….
• Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, Amos…
• Peter, Paul, James
• Augustine, Luther, Calvin
• Spurgeon, Martin Lloyd Jones…
• All preaching the hope and general judgement of God
• And for the prophets of God in Amos days…
• They proclaimed the specific judgement
• The Lion has roared…!
• Who can but prophesy!... If you know the heart of God…. You declare it!
• Through Amos God declares… if they won’t be my children they will be an example….
• For God will declare his holiness and  justice to his glory… regardless if his people will recognize him!
•  Come look at Israel…
• Imagine the world looking in “Hypocrites”!
• Look at their error… tumults… oppressions!
•  They don’t even know how to do what is right…
• (It wasn’t for a lack of being told!)
• Hear… is more than listen… it is obey… they didn’t!
•  Pervert God’s promise…
• Ignore his messengers
• Turn away from his word.
• Instead of call for repentance… Instead of turning
• Salvation!
• We watch…
• Some of us participate in hoarding up violence and destruction!

Normal Reaction… should be to hear God’s message and live it!

- - OR - -

Abnormal Devastation

 11 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "An enemy, even one surrounding the land, Will pull down your strength from you And your citadels will be looted." 12 Thus says the LORD, "Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion's mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away-- With the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch! 13 "Hear and testify against the house of Jacob," Declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts. 14 "For on the day that I punish Israel's transgressions, I will also punish the altars of Bethel; The horns of the altar will be cut off And they will fall to the ground. 15 "I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house; The houses of ivory will also perish And the great houses will come to an end," Declares the LORD.

•   WOW… Israel… you have really made Him made now!! Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "An enemy, even one surrounding the land, Will pull down your strength from you And your citadels will be looted….
• God has removed his hand of protection!
• Little battles…
• But when they were with God… victory
• It is no longer about preserving the people on the land
• This is BIG…. BIG….
• (and they ignored it)
•  Just like watching a lion chow down on a lamb…
•  And God’s promise is not to save the lamb (Israel)… but to prey and ear our leg or two….
• Save a remnant…
•  Not the whole couch or bed… bits and pieces…
•  Still we know from the other prophets….
• Ah… can’t be that bad…
• Listen to easier messages…. Gentle prophets
• Thought they bought fire insurance….
• Forgot to read the policy…
• It belongs not to those who call themselves the children of God… but those who ARE the children of God
•  Down will come the house of Jacob
• Down will come your altars to idols (Bethel)
•  Summer homes / Winter Homes… places of ivory…
• Even the aristocracy will fall
• All will fall!!
• Abnormal Devastation

Conclusion:

• What God wants…. Expects…
• Normal relations…
• Know…
• Acts… Privilege Responsibility
• Normal Behaviour
• Recognizes God sovereignty
• Knows he is intentional
• Normal reaction…
• Respond to the Word
• Hear the Message
• Our face wrath
• Normal Understanding…
• See God…
• In good and bad
• Normal reaction
• Fear godliness… it brings wrath
• Fear hypocrisy and apathy… it brings wrath
• Abnormal Devastation…
• God saves his own
• But judgement is real…
• And can’t be thwarted