WARNING ! IF THIS SERMON “OFFENDS” YOU . . TOUGH !!

ARE WE ( THE U.S.A. ) , LIKE ISRAEL WAS IN AMOS’ DAY ?  

By : Pastor Mike Stahl

3-February-09

Brothers and Sisters , for those of you who have known me for any time now , know , that I do not tell people what they want to hear , like the false prophets did - ( cf. 2 Chron. 18: 3-8 , 5-16 ,17-33 ) , to name a few .  

Hard economic times are upon us now , and frankly , I look for things to get worse , before they get better ( if they ever do ) . Oh , there are still that handful of individuals in this country who have hoarded away their “treasures” , like the parable of the rich man in Luke 12: 15-21 ; “ And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. “

But , it seems we may have had it too good for too long without thanking God for our nations (and our personal ) prosperity , and it could just be , that He’s getting pretty doggoned tired of it .

For those of you who don’t know Amos , he served as a prophet to Israel ( the Northern Kingdom ) from 760 to 750 B.C. He was a shepherd and a fig grower from the Southern Kingdom (Judah) , but he prophesied to the Northern Kingdom ( Israel ) .

Israel was enjoying peace and economic prosperity ( Just as WE were ) . But this blessing had caused her to become a selfish , materialistic society ( Just like US ! ) . Those who were well -off ignored the needy ( Just as we DO ! ) . The people were self-centered and indifferent toward God ( Just like US ! ) .

Israel was politically at the height of its power with a prosperous economy (Just like we had been ) , but the nation was spiritually corrupt ( Just like US ! ) . Idols were worshipped throughout the land ( Just like here in the U.S. of A ! ) , and especially at Bethel , which was supposed to be the nations religious center . Like Hosea , Amos was sent by God to denounce this social and religious corruption . About 30 or 40 years after Amos prophesied , Assyria destroyed the capital city , Samaria , and conquered the nation ( 722 B.C. ) . Uzziah reigned in Judah from 792 to 750 ; Jeroboam II reigned in Israel from 793 to 753 .

Turn your Bibles to The Book of Amos .

Now , Amos 1:1 tells us ; “ The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. “

You see , all day long Amos took care of sheep - not a particularly “spiritual” job - yet he became a channel of God’s message to others . Your job may not cause you to feel spiritual or successful , but it is a vital work if you are in the place God wants you to be . God can work through you to do extraordinary things , no matter how ordinary your occupation . Also , the Book of Zechariah and other historical records from this period mention an earthquake that occurred at this time ( Zechariah 14:5 ) .

Let’s look at 2:6-7 ; “ Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name.”

Here , God condemned Israel for five specific sins , lets see how many we are guilty of , OK ? (1 ) selling the poor as slaves ( See Deuteronomy 15:7-11 ; and Amos 8:6 ) , (2 ) exploiting the poor - Oh , oh . . There’s ONE ! ( See Exodus 23:6 ; Deuteronomy 16:19 ) , ( 3 ) engaging in perverse sexual sins - HA ! Sure has got us there ! That‘s TWO !( 4 ) taking illegal collateral for loans - BINGO . . There’s THREE ! ( See Exodus 22: 26-27 ; Deuteronomy 24:6 , 12 and 13 ) , and worshipping false gods - Well ,we sure can’t deny that one , either , can we ? - so that’s FOUR OUT OF FIVE FOR US ! ( See Exodus 20 : 3-5 ) .

Amos spoke to the upper class . There was NO middle class in the country (Just as the middle class in THIS country is almost obsolete ) , only the very rich and the very poor . The rich kept religious rituals . They gave extra tithes , went to places of worship , and offered sacrifices . But they were greedy and unjust ( Just like US ! ) , and they took advantage of the helpless ( Just like US ! ) . You see , God expects us to live out our faith - this means responding to those in need !

Now , look at 3:2 ; “ You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. “

God chose Israel to be the people through whom all other nations of the world could know Him . He made this promise to Abraham , father of the Israelites ( Genesis 12:1-3 ) . Israel didn’t have to do anything to be chosen ; God had given them this special privilege because He wanted to , not because they deserved special treatment ( Deuteronomy 9:4-6 ) . Pride in their privileged position , however , hardened Israel to the Word of God and to the plight of others ( Just as we have been ! ) .

In 3:7 , it states ; “ Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

Now , what that verse means , is that even in anger , God is merciful . He always warned His people through prophets before punishing them . Warnings about sin and judgment apply to us today just as they did to Israel . If we have been warned about our sin , we have no excuse when punishment comes . God had warned His people through His prophets , so they could not rationalize or complain when He punished them for refusing to repent . Do NOT take lightly warnings in God’s Word about judgment ! His warnings are a way of showing mercy to us .

Now , verse 10 really is suitable for US also ! “ For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. “

Israel had forgotten how to do what was right ( Just as WE have ! ) . The more they sinned , the harder it was to remember what God wanted ( Just as WE have ! ) . So , the same is true for us . The longer we fail to deal with sin , the greater its hold on us . Finally , we forget what it means to do right .

If we now look at verse 14 - it REALLY has us pegged also ! “ That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. “

You see , here , God’s judgment against Israel’s altars showed that He was rejecting Israel’s entire religious system because it was so polluted ( Just as our “religious “ denomination systems have been ) . God’s altar in Jerusalem was a place of protection ( 1 Kings 1:49-53 ) ; and the false altars would soon be gone . Then the people would have no sanctuary , protection , or refuge when judgment came .

Now , I’m not going to skip over 4:1 ,either ; “ Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink . “

Here , Israel’s wealthy women were compared to the cows ( kine ) of Bashan - pampered , sleek , and well fed (Just as many of OUR women are today ) - ( See Psalm 22:12 ) . These women selfishly pushed their husbands to oppress the helpless in order to supply their lavish lifestyles . So, my point here is , that , we are ALL in the same proverbial boat here - EVERYONE ! MEN AND WOMEN ! Can ANYONE here honestly tell me that there are NOT women like that around today ? So , we should be careful not to desire material possessions so much that we are willing to oppress others and displease God to get them .

Now in verses 4 and 5 Amos states ; “ Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years: And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. “

In verse 4 , Amos sarcastically invited the people to sin in Bethel and Gilgal where they worshipped idols instead of God . In verse 5 , the Israelites were tithing and thanking God for the wealth they had achieved by oppressing the poor . Wealth is not necessarily a blessing from God . It is good to thank God for prosperity , but God must also be involved in the process leading to prosperity .

Now , let’s read verses 6-13 ; “ And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. “

Sheesh !! It seemed no matter how God warned the people - through famine , drought , blight , locusts , plagues , or war - they still ignored Him ( Just as we have ! ) . Because they didn’t get the message , they would have to meet Him face-to-face in judgment ( Just as we will ! ) . No longer would they ignore God ; they would have to face the one they had rejected ( as we WILL ) , the one they had refused to obey when He commanded them to care for the poor ( as He has told US to do ) . One day each of us will meet God face-to-face to account for what we have done or refused to do - are YOU prepared to meet Him ?

In 5:4 , Amos says ; “ For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live.”

There is one sure remedy for a world that is sick and dying in sin - seek God and live ! Sin seeks to destroy , but hope is found in seeking God . In times of difficulty , seek God ! In personal discomfort and struggle - seek God ! When others are struggling , encourage them to seek God too !

In 5:10-12 ; “ They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. “ we see that a society is in trouble when those who try to do right are hated for their justice . Any society that exploits the poor and defenseless , or hates the truth is bent on destroying itself . Why does God put so much emphasis on the way we treat the poor ? How we treat the rich , or those of equal station , often reflects what we hope to get from them . But since the poor can give us nothing ; how we treat them reflects our true character. Do we , like Christ , give without thought of gain ? We should treat the poor as we would like God to treat us .

Now , here are eight common excuses that we use for not helping the poor ; (1 ) They don’t deserve help . They got themselves into poverty ; let them get themselves out . (2 ) God ‘s call to help the poor applies to another time . (3 ) We don’t know any people like this . (4 ) I have my own needs . (5 ) Any money I give will be wasted , stolen , or spent on other things . The poor will never see it . (6 ) I may become a victim myself . ( 7 ) I don’t know where to start , and I don’t have time . (8 ) My little bit won’t make any difference .

Instead of making excuses , ask what can be done to help the poor . Does your church have programs to help the needy ? Could you volunteer to work with a community group that fights poverty ? As one individual , you may not be able to accomplish much , but join up with similarly motivated people and watch mountains begin to move .

In 5:15 ; “ Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. “ , If Israel were to sweep away the corrupt system of false accusations , bribery , and corruption , and insist that only just decisions be given , this would show their change of heart . We dare not read this passage lightly or write it off simply as encouragement to be good . Instead , it is a command to reform our OWN legal and social system !

In 21-23, we read ; “ I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. “

God hates false worship by people who do it out of pretense or for show . If we are living sinful lives and using religious ritual and traditions to make ourselves look good , God will despise our worship and will not accept what we offer . He wants sincere hearts , not the songs of hypocrites ! When we worship at church , are we more concerned about our image or our attitude toward God ?

Now read verse 26 ; “ But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. “

Moloch and Chiun were heathen gods associated with Saturn . Israel had turned to worshipping stars and planets , preferring nature over nature’s God ( Just as we have done ) . You see , heathen religion allowed them to indulge in sexual immorality and to become wealthy through any means . Because they refused to worship and obey the one true God , they would cause their own destruction - as we will do !!

Now , in 6:1-6 God despises Israel’s pride . “ Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. “

Here , Amos leveled his attack at those living in luxury in both Israel and Judah . Great wealth and comfortable lifestyles may make people think they are secure ; but God is not pleased if we isolate ourselves from others’ needs . God wants us to care for others as He cares for us . His Kingdom has no place for selfishness or indifference . We must learn to put the needs of others before our wants . Using our wealth to help others is one way to guard against pride and complacency .

Great cities to the east , north , and west had been destroyed because of their pride . What happened to them would happen to Israel because Israel’s sin was just as great as theirs .

Ivory was an imported luxury , rare and extremely expensive . Even a small amount of ivory symbolized wealth , and something as extravagant as an ivory bed shows the gross waste of resources that should have been used to help the poor . Likewise , in today’s society - look at the waste of money on multi-million dollar homes , yachts , private jets, Rolexes , clothes and so on . Now , sure , there are those who will say , “But hey , it’s MY money and I’ll buy what I want with it ! “ Well , that’s true . But ask yourself , “Is what I buy out of need or GREED ?” Stop looking down your noses at the poor , homeless and needy . Remember , and this is NOT Scripture , “ All the money in the world will not enhance some people’s character , any more than sunlight will sweeten garbage ! “ You can take that to mean whatever you think it to - and . . YOU’D BE CORRECT !!

In 7:1-6 , Amos sees visions of judgment ; “ Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD. Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part. Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD. “

Twice Amos was shown a vision of Israel’s impending punishment , and his immediate response was to pray that God would spare Israel . Prayer is a powerful privilege . Amos’s prayers should remind us to pray for our nation too !

Now another verse that hit’s the nail on the head is 8:5 ; “ Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? “ 

These merchants kept the religious holidays , but NOT in spirit ( Just like the GREEDY . . YES , GREEDY , merchants and retailers of today during Christmas ) .They couldn’t wait for the holidays and Sabbaths to be over so they could go back to making money ( only today they look forward to them to make a DIShonest buck ! ) . Their real interest was in enriching themselves (Just like today ! ) , even if that meant cheating (shortchanging the quantity while boosting the price - JUST LIKE TODAY ! ) . Ask yourself , is your heart in your worship , or is your religion only a front for unethical practices ?

Take a look at 8: 11-13 ; “ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. “

You see , the people had no appetite for God’s Word when prophets like Amos brought it . Because of their apathy , God said He would take away even the opportunity to hear His Word ! We have God’s Word , the Bible ! But many still look everywhere for answers to life’s problems except in Scripture ! We can help them by directing them to the Bible , showing then the parts that speak to their special needs and questions . God’s Word is available to us . Let us help people know it before a time comes when they cannot find it .

Finally , let’s look at 9:13-15 ; “ Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God. “

The Jews of Amos’s day had lost sight of God’s care and love for them ( as WE have ) . The rich were carefree and comfortable , refusing to help others in need (as they are today ) . They observed their religious rituals in hopes of appeasing God , but they did not truly love Him ( as is the case today ) . Amos announced God’s warnings of destruction for their evil ways .

We must not assume that going to church and being good is enough . God expects our belief in Him to penetrate all areas of our lives and extend to all people and circumstances . Amos’s words should inspire us to live faithfully according to God’s desires .

I can relate to Amos , as he speaks with brutal frankness in denouncing sin . He collided with the false religious leaders of his day and was not intimidated by priest or king . He continued to speak his message boldly . God requires truth and goodness , justice and righteousness , from ALL people and nations today as well . And that INCLUDES our nation , my friends ! Many of the conditions in Israel during Amos’s time are evident in today’s society . We ALL need Amos’s courage to ignore danger and stand against sin .

May The Lord Continue to Bless and Keep You ALL - ALWAYS . . .

Your Brother in Christ ;

Pastor Mike