Jul. 26, 2023

Tonight we finish our look at this passage from Amos. It is a challenging word about the judgment of God's own people and what they did (and failed to do) that brought God's judgment upon them. The passage is Amos 2:4-16, with particular attention being given to verses 9-16.  I hope you can attend. We meet, as usual, at 6 PM in the Choir Room at the Chapel. Notes are attached.

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

H ILLTOP LAKES CHAPEL

J ULY 19, 2023

Amos 2:4-16

Part 2

4 Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions of Judah,

and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because they have rejected the law of the LORD,

and have not kept his statutes,

but their lies have led them astray,

those after which their fathers walked.

5 So I will send a fire upon Judah,

and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.”

6 Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions of Israel,

and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because they sell the righteous for silver,

and the needy for a pair of sandals—

7 those who trample the head of the poor into the

dust of the earth

and turn aside the way of the afflicted;

a man and his father go in to the same girl,

so that my holy name is profaned;

8 they lay themselves down beside every altar

on garments taken in pledge,

and in the house of their God they drink

the wine of those who have been fined.

9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before

them,

whose height was like the height of the cedars

and who was as strong as the oaks;

I destroyed his fruit above

and his roots beneath.

10 Also it was I who brought you up out of the land

of Egypt

and led you forty years in the wilderness,

to possess the land of the Amorite.

11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets,

and some of your young men for Nazirites.

Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?”

declares the LORD.

12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,

and commanded the prophets,

saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’

13 “Behold, I will press you down in your place,

as a cart full of sheaves presses down.

14 Flight shall perish from the swift,

and the strong shall not retain his strength,

nor shall the mighty save his life;

15 he who handles the bow shall not stand,

and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself,

nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;

16 and he who is stout of heart among the mighty

shall flee away naked in that day,”

declares the LORD.

_______________________

This entire passage is a judgment upon God’s own people.

The context for their disobedience and indifference to God is a forgetful ingratitude regarding what God had

done for them.

v 9 – “Yet is was I who destroyed the Amorite...”

The Amorites were the occupants of Canaan, overcome by Joshua

God reminds them: “it was I” who did it

God does not say “I helped you”—He says “It was I...”

The Israelites knew at the time that it was only with the Lord’s strength that they could possibly possess

the land

2

And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the

Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”—Joshua 10:25

For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has

been able to stand before you to this day.—Joshua 23:9

But now, there was no longer any personal sense of gratitude to God

With ease came a sense of self-sufficiency, self-accomplishment, and self-reliance

With ease and forgetfulness also came a growing indifference to God’s law, widespread immorality, and

selfish exploitation of others

This is a personal word. And this is a national word.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,

seeking someone to devour.—1 Peter 5:8

It also fair to observe that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some nation to

devour.

When we forget God and what He has done—bad things follow, and this with God’s own people.

v 10 – “Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt...”

Biblical “types”—a figure, representative of, foreshadows

Deliverance from Egypt was Israel’s salvation event, and it is a type of our salvation in Christ

Whereas God’s defeating the Amorites might be seen to represent God’s fulfilment of His promises and

His care, the deliverance from Egypt represents their very salvation itself—and ours.

How inexcusable it is when God’s very own people forget that they are a people who were saved—

delivered—by God’s grace and power.

v 11 – “And I raised up some of your sons for prophets...”

God provided prophets—spiritual guidance, those who forth-tell His word

“and some of your young men for Nazirites”

parallelism—the main truth being that God provided spiritual guidance and leadership

Nazirites – cf. Numbers 6.

We do not know as much as me might like to know about the role of Nazirites

The most famous is Samson, and he is hardly representative

It was a period for a person’s complete consecration to the Lord, and we must believe that the

results both in and through the lives of those who had taken a Nazirite vow were

important

These were men and women (Numbers 6:2) seeking entire devotion to God

“Is this not indeed so?”

God calls on Israel, and us, to give an account. To respond.

v 12 – “But you made the Nazirites drink wine...”

In their own corruption, they opposed those who were not, those who represented the voice and the truth

of God

more lit. “But you gave/made the Nazirites wine to drink”

Corrupted them to break their vows

They told the prophets to be quiet

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will

accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to

the truth and wander off into myths.—2 Timothy 4:3-4

vv 13-16 – “Behold, I will press you down...”

3

God’s judgment

It is what God himself will do

All self-dependency will be of no use

no flight for the swift

no strength for the strong

no salvation for the mighty

no hope for the warriors or in armies (v15)

And the “stout of heart” shall flee away naked!

Declares the Lord.

__________

When God judges, all the things that people have pridefully put their trust in will fail.

Also, when God judges, all the things that nations have pridefully put their trust in will fail.

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome

for those who do not obey the gospel of God?... Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust

their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”—1 Peter 4:17,19

God loves us—greatly—or He would not have saved us or cared for us. But He calls His people to

Remember all that He has done, is doing, and will do for us

Repent from any known sin

Renew our devotion to Him