We have learned in the first five chapters of Amos that God has spoken to us through His word and we ought to listen. We have learned that to "hear" in a biblical sense means to obey or put into practical action in our lives. We have learned that with privilege comes responsibility.

Amos came from the little town of Tekoa located in the southern kingdom of Judah. Even though Amos came from the southern kingdom, God called him to minister to the northern kingdom of Israel. (Remember that after the death of Solomon the nation of Israel divided by way of civil war into the northern nation of Israel and the southern nation of Judah. See 1 Kings 12:16-19; 2 Chronicles 10:12-19.) Israel at this point in history was experiencing a period of its greatest prosperity under the leadership of king Jeroboam. Jeroboam led the people into prosperity, but he also led them into apostasy. Now, in this time of prosperity, this unknown man named Amos comes to deliver a message of judgment from God to the northern kingdom. Needless to say, Amos was not welcomed with open arms. In fact he was persecuted and told to take his message elsewhere. But Amos would not back down or give up. "A lion has roared!" Amos said, "The LORD God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?" (3:8).

In these final chapters of Amos we will see details of what has caused God to roar from Zion. These last three chapters could be seen in the following way:

• Amos 6 – The Roar of Woe – God Speaks Out Against Preoccupation with Self.
• Amos 7 – The Roar of Righteousness – Plumb line and Persecution.
• Amos 8 – The Roar of Ruin – The Poverty of Pride.
• Amos 9 - The Roar of Final Restoration – God’s Pursuit and Preservation of His People.

Amos 6:1a – "Woe to you . . ."

What does "woe" mean? The term "woe" is a translation of the Hebrew word howy (pronounced hoh’ee - Strong’s #1945). This word is used in the Bible to express, "deep sorrow, grief, or affliction. . . . an exclamation expressing dismay or misfortune." (1) What we will see in these chapters is that when people put their faith in their fortunes rather than in God, it leads to misfortune. Great sadness and sorrow of loss lay ahead for God’s people.

Amos 6:1b – ". . . who are at ease in Zion, 1 And trust in Mount Samaria, . . ."

The pronouncement of woe by God is directed to those in "Zion," which is another name for Jerusalem, the capitol city of Judah, and "Samaria," which was the capitol of the northern kingdom of Israel. While this woe is directed to both the northern and southern kingdoms, it is primarily directed to the northern kingdom of Israel.

Why is God pronouncing woe on this people? What is the cause of the hardship about to fall on these people? There are five causes noted for the impending judgment of God upon this people. All of these causes are characteristic in one way or another of self-preoccupation, self-reliance, or self-centeredness.

Amos 6:1c-2 – ". . . And trust in Mount Samaria , Notable persons in the chief nation, To whom the house of Israel comes!2 Go over to Calneh and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?"

God first pronounces woe on His people because they have put their faith in their own proficiency. God refers to this people as those who, "trust in Mount Samaria." Samaria was the capitol city of Israel. Israel felt their cities and especially their capitol city of Samaria were strong and impregnable. Samaria was situated on a mountain. Ingeniously a tunnel had been constructed from the city to a spring a few miles away which enabled them to have a protected source of water should they ever experience a siege from an enemy. They were putting their trust in their personal proficiency, their ingenuity, their strong towers and thick walls, their strategic location and military strength. But to this God said, "Go to Calneh and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?" God cites the major cities of surrounding nations who depended on human wisdom and false gods for their success. "Calneh," was a city built by Nimrod located by the Tigris River in the land of Babylon (Genesis 10:10; Isaiah 10:9). "Hamath," was one of the main cities of Syria. "Gath," was one of the five main cities of Philistia. In other words God pointed out that Israel was acting like a pagan nation, depending on their own strength rather than God. In drawing this comparison God is rebuking Israel for not walking worthy of the call with which they were called. Rather than trusting in God, they were trusting in themselves. God is saying, "Look at these other nations, you aren’t any better than these pagan nations." This was a woeful condition. The Bible states repeatedly and emphatically that it is foolish to trust in the might of this world. Here are a few verses that testify to this truth:

• Psalm 20:7 – "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God."
• Psalm 33:16-19 – "No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine."
• Proverbs 21:31 – "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the Lord."
• Zechariah 4:6 – "So he answered and said to me: 1 "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts."

These people have also put their faith in politics. They trusted in, "notable persons in the chief nation." Politics or government is not the answer. We are directed by God to be good citizens and can support the political process (Romans 13: 1 Timothy 2:1-3). But we are not to put our faith in the political process because politics involves the rule of people and the answer to humankind’s problems are not political or to be solved in the government of peoples, but are solved in a personal relationship with God.

Those who framed the Constitution did so prayerfully and knew that any government without a personal relationship with God as its foundation would ultimately fail and fall. We have seen the steady decline of the United States since the early 1960s when the nation began moving away from God toward dependence upon self. Prayer, Bible Study, even the Ten Commandments were barred from the public schools and the result has been a steady decline in morality and academic achievement and an increase of immorality, teen pregnancies, teen suicide, and overall chaos in the schools and in society as a whole. We see an incredible example of this decline in the 2000 Presidential Election. On November 7^th, the populace voted for presidential and other legislative positions. We have seen the closest presidential election in our history. The nation is divided. Now all eyes are on the State of Florida where George W. Bush had apparently scored the decisive victory over Al Gore by a few hundred votes. The close margin of victory has led to a political struggle to recount both mechanically and manually. More than 200 lawyers have descended upon the State to squabble over the tallies. Both sides are accusing the other of voter fraud and voter manipulation. This is the result of a system void of God. Where God is there is peace and order. And where God is not there is chaos and disorder (1 Corinthians 14:33,40).

The leaders elected to public office need to be godly leaders. When God is brought into the political equation it minimizes the deception and carnality that human beings are so prone to cater to. The first President of the United States, George Washington was known to be a man of prayer and because of this was able to lead this nation in its most trying time of birth. Read and see the heart of this great man who said:

"Direct my thought, words, and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate Blood of the Lamb, and purge my heart by Thy Holy Spirit . . . Daily frame me more and more into the likeness of Thy Son Jesus Christ." (2)

Is it any wonder that this man was able to be so instrumental in the birth of this great nation? He was a man of prayer and prayer is a declaration of dependence upon God. He was great because he knew he was small without God.

The signers of the Declaration of Independence knew that without God they would not succeed. John Witherspoon, a signer of the Declaration of Independence stated:

"While we give praise to God, the supreme disposer of all events, for His interposition on our behalf, let us guard against the dangerous error of trusting in, boasting of, an arm of the flesh." (3)

Patrick Henry, American Revolutionist said:

"God presides over the destinies of nations." (4)

And read the words of Woodrow Wilson, 28^th President of the United States in this regard:

"There are a good many problems before the American people today, and before me as President, but I expect to find the solution to those problems just in the proportion that I am faithful in the study of the Word of God." (5)

Finally, read the words of Ronald Reagan, the 40^th president of the United States who said:

"America was founded by people who believed that God was their rock of safety. I recognize we must be cautious in claiming that God is on our side, but I think it’s all right to keep asking if we’re on His side. . . . The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America . . . . Out country is in need of and ready for a spiritual revival. " (6)

These men knew the basic truth that politics is not the answer. Men without God cannot efficiently and effectively govern. God must be in control. That was true in the time of Israel and that is true today, that will always be true. How far we have fallen in just a few short years!

Amos 6:3-4 – "Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near;4 Who lie on beds of ivory, Stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall;"

The people were laid back and living presumptively. They lived without any sense of responsibility or future judgment. They had no concern for any ultimate accounting of the way they lived their lives. This people had no heavenly perspective or godly concern. God tells such persons that sorrow and loss will come upon them.

In the New Testament we see that such a mindset will characterize people in the last days. Read the following verses to that effect:

• 2 Timothy 3:1-9 – "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was."

• 2 Peter 3:3-4 – "knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
• Jude 16-19 – "These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit."

It’s amazing to see the parallels between the condition of Israel just prior to her captivity and that of our world and in particular the United States today. We are frightfully similar to the woeful state of Israel in nature in the world and the United States today. Woe to us!

Amos 6:5 – "Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David;"

You can tell a lot about a society from the music it produces. Discretion prevents me from reprinting some of the lyrics of the various rap artists and contemporary music. Suffice it to say that its lyrics encourage rape, murder, riot, rebellion, self-indulgence, suicide, and sexual promiscuity and wantonness. This was not God’s intended purpose when He created music.

The term "idly," is translated from the Hebrew word parat (Strong’s #6527) which means, "to improvise carelessly, chant, stammer." (7) What’s so bad about the music of this people? It had no purpose, no direction. God said much the same thing through the prophet Isaiah who He inspired to write:

• Isaiah 5:12 – "The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the Lord, Nor consider the operation of His hands."

Here God tells us through implication that music that is acceptable and ordained by Him should, "regard the work of the LORD," and "the operation of His hands." Music should glorify God and point us to the work of His hands in the universe. This is God’s intended purpose for music. That is not what we see today in the world on radio or other modes of communication. Where of the Bachs of our day? I don’t mean to favor classical music in asking this, I only mean to point out that Bach, one of the greatest and most influential composers in history, signed every piece of music he composed with the phrase, "To the glory of God." Today it appears that music is composed more to the glory of me, than it is for the glory of God. Remember, it was Lucifer who was very possibly the worship leader of heaven who was cast down because of pride (Ezekiel 28:12-17). Could it be that Lucifer began his fall by composing music that exalted himself rather than God? I think that is a possibility. If that is the case how woeful is the music of our day when it exalts people or self to the neglect of God?

Music acceptable to God focuses on Him and is worshipful. The apostle Paul taught us the purpose of music when he wrote:

• Ephesians 5:18-20 – "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

It’s interesting how being "drunk with wine," leads into Paul’s exhortation to be "filled with the Spirit" and "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks for all things to God . . ." In our world today we see a very close connection between the music industry and the drug culture. This is a satanic perversion of a blessed gift of God. Instead we should be filled with the Spirit and let Him direct our music.

Paul also instructed us that music should be facilitate a rich indwelling of God’s word in people. Music should be based on God’s word and help us to take it to heart. Paul wrote:

• Colossians 3:16 – "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

Music is such a blessing from God. It has been misused, abused and perverted. Why not ask ourselves a simple question about the music we listen to and the music we create; is this to the glory of God? That’s all we have to ask, is this to the glory of God? Without that question our music will be woeful.

Amos 6:6-7 – "Who drink wine from bowls, And anoint yourselves with the best ointments, But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.7 Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives, And those who recline at banquets shall be removed."

Think of what good could be done if all the money spent on alcohol was redirected to feed the hungry and help the poor. For instance, the most recent figures suggest that beer consumption is on the rise. This is confirmed in the following article, which states:

JAN 11, 2000 - U.S. beers sales increased 1.6% in 1999, the biggest jump since 1990, according to Beer Marketer's Insight, an industry newsletter.

Anheuser-Busch was the biggest beneficiary, selling 96.8 million barrels of beer to increase its market share to 47.5%. Overall, beer sales rose from 196.6 million barrels to 198.8 barrels. . . .

In order, the top selling companies were: 1. Anheuser-Busch (96.8 million), 2. Miller (44.1), 3. Adolph Coors (21.9), 4. Pabst (14.0), 5. Heineken (4.0), 6. Labatt USA (3.6), 7. Gambrinus (3.4), 8. Barton (3.1), 9. Guinness (1.6), 10. Genesee (1.3). Both Gambrinus and Barton import the popular Mexican beer, Corona. (8)

The estimated retail/wholesale sales of the Beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages is $54,955 million. (9) What a woefully exorbitant profit this industry makes. Think of what could be done if such monies or even a fraction thereof, were diverted to more holy tasks? God pronounces woe on Israel because they didn’t care about the poor. They were insensitive to the needs of those around them and preferred to put themselves in a drunken stupor. How much more could this be said of us?

In the book of Proverbs the consumption of alcohol is directly linked to experiencing woe. Read these words:

• Proverbs 23:29-35 – "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly;32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper.33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things.34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:35 "They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?"

Rather than have our senses dulled by alcohol, believers are called to put on Jesus and be filled with the Spirit. Paul says exactly this in his letter to the Romans and to the Ephesians which bears repeating:

• Romans 13:13-14 – "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
• Ephesians 5:18 – "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,"

Alcohol dulls us to the needs of those around us and to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Why would anyone ever want that to happen? What a woeful state!

Amos 6:8 – "The Lord God has sworn by Himself, The Lord God of hosts says: "I abhor the pride of Jacob, And hate his palaces; Therefore I will deliver up the city And all that is in it."

The final and most rudimentary cause of God’s pronouncement of woe is pride. In fact, all of the above causes of woe are rooted in the sin of pride and self. . Simply put, God oppose the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Pride is self-obsession, self-reliance, self-promotion, self, self, self. The aim and outcome of pride is to see yourself as God and the master of your being. That is foolish and a very woeful state to be in.

Amos 6:9-14 – "Then it shall come to pass, that if ten men remain in one house, they shall die.10 And when a relative of the dead, with one who will burn the bodies, picks up the bodies to take them out of the house, he will say to one inside the house, "Are there any more with you?" Then someone will say, "None." And he will say, "Hold your tongue! For we dare not mention the name of the Lord." 11 For behold, the Lord gives a command: He will break the great house into bits, And the little house into pieces.12 Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into gall, And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,13 You who rejoice over Lo Debar, Who say, "Have we not taken Karnaim for ourselves By our own strength?"14 "But, behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel," Says the Lord God of hosts; "And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath To the Valley of the Arabah."

God’s judgment will bring reverence and fear to His name (6:10). His judgment will come because they have made justice and righteousness a bitter thing (6:12). "Lo Debar" means literally, "nothing." "Karnaim," means literally "horns," and is referring to the people trusting in their own strength. Because of this God, "will raise up a nation against you." That nation would be Assyria who would come down on Israel and take it into captivity in 722 B.C. The Assyrians were a particularly terrorist nation that would mutilate and torture their victims. This impending doom at the hands of the Assyrians justified the pronouncement of woe by the LORD.

God is righteous in all His ways and His desire is to bring people to repentance and relationship with Him. God seeks to accomplish this in as loving and merciful a way as possible. In Amos 7 we see that God’s willingness to "relent" or hold off on His judgment. What does this tell us about God?

Amos 7:1-6 – "Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings.2 And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said: 1 "O Lord God, forgive, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, For he is small!"3 So the Lord relented concerning this. "It shall not be," said the Lord.4 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, the Lord God called for conflict by fire, and it consumed the great deep and devoured the territory.5 Then I said: "O Lord God, cease, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, For he is small!"6 So the Lord relented concerning this. "This also shall not be," said the Lord God."

Here we see a number of things. First God shows Amos in a vision how He intends to bring locust swarms on this disobedient and rebellious people. Amos intercedes on behalf of Israel and God "relents." God then shows Amos that He intends to bring, "conflict by fire" on this rebellious people. Amos intercedes again and God relents again. Now this may cause the student of the word to take pause. How can God who is immutable, be said to "relent"? The word immutable is a theological term which means unchanging. The Bible tells us that one of God’s attributes is that He is immutable. The following verses testify to this:

• Job 23:13-14 - "But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does.14 For He performs what is appointed for me, And many such things are with Him."
• Psalm 33:11 – "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations."
• Isaiah 46:10 – "Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’"
• Malachi 3:6 - "For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob."
• Hebrews 6:17 – " Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,"

How God is immutable and then incorporates His responses to prayer is a testimony to His incredible omniscience and foreknowledge. It may not be fully comprehendible to finite humans, but it certainly is encouraging to know that God hears and responds to our prayers. But why this sequence in the opening parts of Amos 7?

In this process God is teaching Amos the importance of intercession for the lost and He is also revealing His willingness to respond to prayers. But most importantly God is communicating His willingness to be merciful to people. God takes no pleasure in the pain that comes in consequence to sin. God’s desire is that people turn away from the sin to Him for healing and salvation.

God responds to the prayers of His people. The idea of god relenting is that he lets up on the pressure He has brought to bear to discipline people. The word "relent," is translated from the Hebrew term nacham (Strong’s #5162) which is can mean, "to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted . . . to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion." (1) When this word is used in reference to people it is translated "repent," meaning a change of heart and mind. When it is used in reference to God the idea is closer to "relent," or God taking pity and mercy on people. God doesn’t change His mind, as He is all knowing. He is so great and all-knowing that His plans incorporate the answers to the prayers of people even before they are made. God is in total control. Does prayer then alter the ways of God? This is hard to comprehend. Suffice it to say God does move us from a state of lostness to salvation as we prayerfully put our faith in His Son and ask forgiveness. In that instance God changes our position. In all of this God remains true to His righteousness. God is not capricious. God desires to be merciful to people and the repentant call in prayer is the switch He has ordained to turn that mercy on.

That God is merciful and longsuffering willing to forgive people is evidenced by the following verses:

• Exodus 34:6-7 – "And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,7 "keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation."
• Psalm 30:4-5 – "Sing praise to the Lord, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning."
• Psalm 86:5,15 – "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. . . .15 But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth."
• Lamentations 3:22-23 – "Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."
• 1 John 1:9 – "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

God is willing to respond to our prayerful calls for mercy. He is ready and waiting; if only the sinful would call on Him."

Amos 7:7-9 – "Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand.8 And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said: "Behold, I am setting a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.9 The high places of Isaac shall be desolate, And the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste. I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam."

As we mentioned in our earlier study of Amos (See comments on 3:3), when we come to God we need to come on His terms. God now uses the vision of a plumb line to show how far His people have drifted away from His righteous ways. A plumb line is a weight on the end of s long string used to determine the straightness the trueness of a wall or other structure. Israel is leaning away from the true and righteous ways of God. What has caused them to lean away from God? The "high place" and "sanctuaries" where the Israelites have indulged in pagan idolatries involving immoral and lascivious conduct (7:9).

The peoples of this time in history lived in an agrarian society. Pagan religions saw a connection between the fertility of the land, (planting seed and flowering seed) and the act of human reproduction. Therefore, the sexual encounter in the reproductive process was incorporated into pagan worship. This involved prostitution to raise money for pagan temples on occasion and rituals often involved public displays in "high places" of sexual encounters that incited the sexual desires in people. These "high places" were no more than stages for immoral conduct incorporated by pagan people into their false worship. This was condemned by God as pornographic and immoral. God never intended sexual activity to take place outside of the marriage relationship. This was far from the plumb line of God’s intention and His people were indulging in these immoral acts.

The plumb line of God indicated that He was just in judging this people and that judgment was now inevitable.

Amos 7:10-17 – "Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.11 "For thus Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, And Israel shall surely be led away captive From their own land.’ "12 Then Amaziah said to Amos: "Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, And there prophesy.13 But never again prophesy at Bethel, For it is the king’s sanctuary, And it is the royal residence."14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: "I was no prophet, Nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheepbreeder And a tender of sycamore fruit.15 Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, And the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’16 Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord: You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, And do not spout against the house of Isaac.’17 "Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; Your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by survey line; You shall die in a defiled land; And Israel shall surely be led away captive From his own land.’ "

The messenger of God’s judgment, Amos, was persecuted for delivering the message of God. And this persecution reveals just how bad the spiritual climate in Israel had become. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, (which had become a center of idolatry – 1 Kings 13) falsely accused Amos of conspiring against king Jeroboam. If Amaziah is representative of the prophets of Israel, we now understand why God had to go to Judah to find a prophet for His mission. Apparently Israel had sunken so low spiritually that there were no prospective prophetic figures in that northern country.

In the book of Second Chronicles 16 Asa, king of Judah is warned by Hanani the seer concerning the reliance upon political alliances rather than God. In the process of this conversation Hanani gives an awesomely inspired word, which states:

• 2 Chronicles 16:9 - "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars."

If there had been a righteous man "whose heart is loyal to Him," in Israel, God would have called him. But apparently there was no one whose heart was loyal to God and so God’s eyes scanned south to the small town of Tekoa, to a sheep breeder and "tender of sycamore fruit" named Amos. This book reveals that Amos had a heart that was loyal to God.

Amos was commanded by Amaziah to leave Israel and return to Judah with his message. But this would not deter Amos. Amos said, "the LORD took me" and God said to him, "Go, prophesy to My people Israel" (7:15). He had been commissioned by God and he would obey God rather than any man who told him to shut up.

In the New Testament we see the same fire in the belly of those called by God. When the Spirit of God empowered the His disciples for service they went out preaching the word of the gospel of Christ with boldness. This got them in a lot of hot water with the religious leaders of their day. On one occasion Peter and the other apostles were taken into custody and brought before the council of religious leaders who warned them to stop preaching the gospel. What was the response of the apostles? Read:

• Acts 5:29-33 – "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.31 "Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.32 "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them."

Because of their response the apostles were beaten and if not for the restraint of one of the Jewish leaders, the apostles might have been executed right their. But they were let go and they didn’t go with their tails between their legs, but it says:

• Acts 5:41-42 – "So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

There are numerous accounts in Acts of the persecution of those used by God to proclaim the Gospel. But those called persisted in the face of persecution, just like Amos did and all those called and empowered by God to do so. The words of the apostle Paul bear repeating here:

• Acts 20:22-24 - "And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,23 "except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.24 "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

When God calls a person, He empowers them as well. God gives the called out one an assurance, courage to accomplish the task to which they have been called. God enables those whom He elects to do certain tasks.

Amos 8:1-14 – "Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, a basket of summer fruit.2 And He said, "Amos, what do you see?" So I said, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the Lord said to me: 1 "The end has come upon My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.3 And the songs of the temple Shall be wailing in that day," Says the Lord God—"Many dead bodies everywhere, They shall be thrown out in silence."4 Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail,5 Saying: "When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit,6 That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals—Even sell the bad wheat?"7 The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: "Surely I will never forget any of their works.8 Shall the land not tremble for this, And everyone mourn who dwells in it? All of it shall swell like the River, Heave and subside Like the River of Egypt.9 "And it shall come to pass in that day," says the Lord God, "That I will make the sun go down at noon, And I will darken the earth in broad daylight;10 I will turn your feasts into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist, And baldness on every head; I will make it like mourning for an only son, And its end like a bitter day.11 "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord.12 They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, But shall not find it.13 "In that day the fair virgins And strong young men Shall faint from thirst.14 Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, Who say, ‘As your god lives, O Dan!’ And, ‘As the way of Beersheba lives!’ They shall fall and never rise again."

The vision of "a basket of summer fruit," shows that Israel is ripe for judgment (8:1). God says, "I will not pass by them anymore" (8:2). Their secular inglorious songs will turn to songs of mourning (8:3). Judgment is coming down on those who just can’t wait to take advantage of the poor (8:4-6). Indeed, this people couldn’t wait for the Sabbath to end so they could make more money, so they could participate in slave trade and taking advantage of people by selling them bad products like, "bad wheat" (8:5-6). Sound familiar; it used to be that on Sunday stores would be closed and it was a day to rest in the LORD and enjoy family. Nowadays you would be hard pressed to find a store not open on Sunday as people are willing to work seven days a week and long, long hours to make as much money as possible. No thought is given to spending time with God in worship. Work takes priority over everything else. This only bears witness that the idol of our day is the almighty dollar.

Because of this materialistic attitude and hunger for buying and selling and all the rest of this people’s apostasy, it says, God "has sworn," which is a strong and certain way of God saying, "This is it!" God, "will never forget any of their works," referring to their idolatrous, materialistic and evil practices (8:7). God is going to make the land "tremble" in part with natural disasters (8:8-10). We are naturally inclined to gravitate to the promises of God which are positive such as that God has a future and a hope planned out for us, we are His workmanship and so on (Jeremiah 29:11-14; Ephesians 2:10). But what of the promises such as the ones in the book of Amos where it says, "The LORD has sworn" that He will bring judgment upon the persistently disobedient (6:8; 8:7)? Those are just as certain as the positive promises and just as important to take to heart. God is gracious and merciful, longsuffering and eager to forgive, but a time comes in the lives of people and nations where God says, "Enough!" Then there will be no escape, as we will see in Amos 9.

God says that He is going to bring, "a famine . . . of hearing the words of the LORD" (8:11). Remember from our earlier study that this does not mean that God would stop sending His word via the prophets to these people, but it means that they would not be able to hear it. During the period between Old and New Testaments there was a silence of approximately 400 years where there was no prophetic word spoken, but the problem here is more in an inability to hear God’s word than it is that the word of God is not available to them. They don’t hear God or His word. They aren’t listening to the LORD.

It’s interesting that of the human senses, hearing is one of the last senses to fail prior to death. The people can search far and wide in their sinful stupor, but they will "faint from thirst," they won’t be able to find anything or anyone that can fill the void left by rejecting God (8:12-13). This people who did not hear the LORD would "wander from sea to sea," they would be restless and searching for something that would satisfy them. That is much the same as people in our day. People are searching for fulfillment. They are searching in traveling, in education, in politics, in careers, in relationships, in recreation, but it all comes to naught and it will not fulfill them. Why is this so? Because in human hearts is a God-shaped void that can only be filled through Faith in Christ. No pagan idol such as the Samarian idol "sin" can quench a person’s spiritual thirst or fill that void; only God can do that (8:14). The bottom line is that pride and depending upon self will bring a person to poverty, spiritual poverty and very often material poverty as well. That is what is being taught hear. Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes wrote:

• Ecclesiastes 3:11 – "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, . . ."

Augustine once wrote:

"For Thou hast made us for Thyself, and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in Thee."

Life without God ends in ultimate ruin. You have to build on the rock of Christ and His word if you are to find fulfillment (Matthew 7:24-27). That truth and possibility is the last declaration of God in this book.

God does not bring judgment just for the sake of judgment. Even in His discipline God’s purpose is to bring about restoration, salvation. In the final chapter of Amos we see a threefold process of God’s restoration that is not unlike what we saw in the book of Hosea. Here we can see a process consisting of the following three parts:

• Shaking Up The Sinner
• Seeking Out The Sinner
• Salvaging The Sinner

Amos 9:1 – "I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and He said: 1 "Strike the doorposts, that the thresholds may shake, And break them on the heads of them all. I will slay the last of them with the sword. He who flees from them shall not get away, And he who escapes from them shall not be delivered."

The LORD stands by the altar (probably the altar at Bethel) which is the symbol of the people’s rebellion and rejection of Him and says, "Strike the doorposts, that the thresholds may shake." God is now trying to wake up this people from their spiritual stupor by shaking them up. He is going to shake them up by bringing their pagan altars crashing down on their heads. They have become so deaf to God that this is the only action left from Him to do that has a hope of getting through to them. Like a person who has consumed massive amounts of alcohol or taken an overdose of drugs and is now teetering on the brink of eternity in a near coma like state; like a person that needs to be awakened because if they are not their sleep may become permanent; that is what we have here. God is trying to shake and awake this people from their sinfully drunken spiritual lethargy. God will use strong means to accomplish this task. This is a matter of life and death and He is willing to take extreme measures if necessary. God is not willing to let this people slip off into eternity without a fight.

This is not unlike what we find in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 6-18 we have a definitive account of the seven-year Tribulation. This is a time of God’s outpoured wrath on a Christ-rejecting world (Revelation 6:16-17; 11:18; 15:1; 16:1; 19:15). But God does not pour out His wrath upon the earth to simply vent His displeasure; God pours out His wrath in an effort to shake Christ-rejecters out of their spiritual apathy and apostasy. Unfortunately, even the shaking of God goes unheeded at times as will be the case with many during the Tribulation (Revelation 9:20-21). But some definitely will respond to God’s shaking with repentance and the Tribulation, though a terrible time of trial and hardship will be a time of great revival (Revelation 7; 12; 14; 15). God shakes the world; He sometimes shakes us, but always with a purpose. His shaking is the last resort to try to reach the lost. God shakes in an effort to awake those in spiritual lethargy and darkness.

God desires none to perish (2 Peter 3:9). He has gone to the extreme of sending His own dear Son to the cross as our substitute and atonement for sin. This should get the attention of the sinner. Listen to the way Paul put it:

• Romans 5:8 – "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
• Romans 8:31-32 – "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
• 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 – "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

In effect, God tells the sinner, "If you go to hell, it will be over My dead body!" God will do whatever it takes to exhaust every opportunity to save the lost. Sometimes this means bringing the world of the sinner crashing down around him. Better to lose the world and find eternity than visa a versa. Jesus said:

• Matthew 16:24-26 – "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.25 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.26 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

God has proven the extent to which He will go to demonstrate His love for us; He is willing to send His only son to the cross for us. That image should wake us up, but if it doesn’t, God will continue the attempt to awaken people by shaking their tree of the things they have put their trust in instead of God.

Amos 9:2-10 - "Though they dig into hell, From there my hand shall take them; Though they climb up to heaven, From there I will bring them down;3 And though they hide themselves on top of Carmel, From there I will search and take them; Though they hide from My sight at the bottom of the sea, From there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them;4 Though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword, And it shall slay them. I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good."5 The Lord God of hosts, He who touches the earth and it melts, And all who dwell there mourn; All of it shall swell like the River, And subside like the River of Egypt.6 He who builds His layers in the sky, And has founded His strata in the earth; Who calls for the waters of the sea, And pours them out on the face of the earth—The Lord is His name.7 "Are you not like the people of Ethiopia to Me, O children of Israel?" says the Lord. "Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt, The Philistines from Caphtor, And the Syrians from Kir?8 "Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," Says the Lord.9 "For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.10 All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’"

"Though they dig into hell, from there My hand shall take them," God says through the prophet (9:2). There is no escaping God. You can run but you can’t hide from God. Down to hell or the lowest depths of the earth; up to heaven; hiding on mount Carmel; down to the depths of the sea; even into captivity; God will "bring them down," "take them," "I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good" (9:2-4). When a person has exhausted the mercy of God, there is no escaping His judgment. God controls the earth (9:5), sky (9:6), and the peoples of the earth (9:7), there is no escape from the hand of God. This is something to be considered and taken to heart by those who rebel against God.

But God is much more interested in pursuing a person or people to save them than to judge them. Read what David wrote in a psalm about God’s presence:

• Psalm 139:7-12 – "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me;12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You."

Yes, there is no escaping God’s judgment, unless you choose the one means of escape, faith in God’s one and only son Jesus Christ. It is much better to have God pursuing you to save you than pursuing you to judge you. If you want to turn to God for forgiveness and salvation, He is always there. This is made clear in the New Testament where in Hebrews it states:

• Hebrews 2:1-9 – "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.6 But one testified in a certain place, saying: 1 "What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him?7 You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands.8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone."

Humankind was given authority over the creation and chose to distrust God and follow the tempting words of Satan (Genesis 3). The consequence was that sin brought death into the world and man’s authority or dominion over the world was relinquished to Satan. The only way out was through Jesus who tasted "death for everyone" on the cross. What a great salvation we have in Christ. If we neglect that, indeed, how shall we escape judgment for such sin?

• Hebrews 12:25-29 – "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven."27 Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.29 For our God is a consuming fire."

It’s important that we respond to God when He reaches out to us. Sometimes He needs to shake us to attention so we will take notice of Him. There is no escaping God’s help, if you want it. If we reject His overtures and mercy, there is no escaping the consequences, God is a consuming fire!

Notice in Amos it says God "will destroy" Israel, but "not utterly destroy" it (9:8). Just when it sounds as though God has really just had enough of all the sinful rebellion and perversion He can take, He tempers His judgment with a glimmer of hope and mercy. He will "sift" and "all the sinners of My people shall die by the sword" but as verse 8 and the last verses of Amos 9 show, God is working to salvage some of those amongst the ranks of the sinners. God always leaves Himself a remnant to work with. There are always a precious few who do repent and do follow the LORD in holiness. We see this throughout the Bible in such verses as follows:

• Isaiah 37:31-32 – "And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward.32 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, And those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this."

• Zephaniah 3:12-13 – "I will leave in your midst A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness And speak no lies, Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, And no one shall make them afraid."
• Romans 9:27 – "Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved."
• Romans 11:5 – "Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace."

No matter how bad things get in the world, God always has a precious few faithful ones through whom He can work to complete His plans. This was true in the cases of Israel and Judah and it is true throughout history.

Amos 9:11-15 - "On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old;12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name," Says the Lord who does this thing.13 "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it.14 I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.15 I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them," Says the Lord your God."

These final verses of Amos are the basis of the assertion that God’s shake up of this sinful people has the purpose of hopefully waking them up to their need of God. God’s end desire is to "raise up," "repair," and "rebuild" what has necessarily been broken and shaken (9:11). God wants to bring the sinner and His people into a place where He can bless them. God wants us to experience places dripping with the fruit of the vine (9:13). He wants us to be freed from our captivity and become fruitful (9:14). God wants to bring Israel and plant them permanently in His Promised Land (9:15). This speaks of an end time fulfillment of God toward Israel. This may have started in the return of Israel as a nation on May 14^th, 1948. But, figuratively, He wants to bring us to a place of fruitfulness too.

God shakes us and seeks us out so He can salvage us from the garbage dump and junk-heap of sin. In the New Testament Jesus uses the term "Gehenna" to refer to hell. This is an interesting word because it refers to the Old Testament Valley of Ge-Hinnom situated southwest of the city of Jerusalem. It was in this valley that pagan idols were set up by God’s apostate people to offer human sacrifices (2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6). After the captivity this area was made into a garbage dump for the city as a kind of statement against the past idolatry of the people. It was here where the dead bodies of criminals and animals were burned with the garbage of the city. Gehenna was a place where the worm had plenty to eat and the fires perpetually burned the garbage. Gehenna became a graphic picture of woe and judgment. Read what Jesus said about this place:

• Mark 9:43-48 - "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell [Gehenna], into the fire that shall never be quenched—44 "where 1 ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’45 "And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell [Gehenna], into the fire that shall never be quenched—46 "where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’47 "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell [Gehenna] fire—48 "where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’" (Emphasis added.)

Jesus is of course speaking figuratively, but the message is clear, do whatever it takes to stay out of Gehenna, hell. God is willing to do whatever it takes to keep you out of this garbage dump. God has roared, have you heard?

God roars from Zion, have you heard Him, actively heard Him? His desire is to salvage people off of the junk heap of sin and He will shake them and seek them out to that end. Those who exhaust God with continual and persistent rejection of Him will not be able to hide or escape. Those who procrastinate in responding to God may find that they experience a famine in hearing His word. And since we receive spiritual life from His word that is a very dangerous place to be in. Seek God and live friend, seek God and live.

God has roared a major message to us in the minor prophet of Amos, have you heard it?

(1) Ronald F. Youngblood, general editor; F.F. Bruce and R.K. Harrison, consulting editors, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary: An Authoritative One-Volume Reference Work On The Bible With Full Color Illustrations [Computer File], Electronic Edition Of The Revised Edition Of Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995.

(2) Pray For Our Nation, Harrison House Pub. Inc., Tulsa, OK, 1999, p. 9

(7) Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1995.

(8) U.S. Beer Sales Up 1.6%  http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-000466.html

(9) http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104602.html