Amos
1
Someone has said that Old Testament prophets are members of God’s awkward squad. Their methods may be unorthodox and their message unwelcome to those in power, but their refusal to let the status quo go unchallenged marks them out as men of courageous faith.
I like the way The Living Bible introduces us to the prophet Amos. (LB Ch 1: verses 1 and 2) “Amos was a herdsman living in the village of Tekoa. All day long he sat on the hillsides watching the sheep, keeping them from straying. One day, in a vision, God told him some of the things that were going to happen to his nation, Israel.”
Tekoa was about 12 miles south of Jerusalem in the southern kingdom of Judah and God was going to send Amos, a southerner, up north to the northern kingdom of Israel. He had a very unpleasant message to deliver, but he did it in a very strategic manner.
Working on the principle that we’re all ears when someone else is going to be on the receiving end, but switch off quickly when we are ourselves targeted, Amos gained the full attention of his hearers by first delivering six judgements from God on the surrounding nations.
Let’s set the scene. The date is around 760 BC. Both kingdoms were enjoying great prosperity. The southern kingdom of Judah under Uzziah: the northern kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam . Outwardly everything appeared to be just fine – a time of affluence, political strength, national stability and expansion – surely this indicated the favour of God. However, the inner life of the nation was decadent – rotten to the core. To a spiritual person the ‘feel good’ factor was a mirage. Idolatry, immorality, exploitation of the poor, corruption in the courts, and excessive indulgence in luxurious living – all this invited the wrath of God. Justice and righteousness were conspicuous by their absence.
There was also a growing military danger looming on the horizon. The Assyrians to the north were ambitious to extend their territory and God was going to permit this to happen.
God raises up a man with a fiery message and makes him roar like a lion. Chapter 1 verse 2 “The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem.” Amos, a shepherd, was sent to Israel to warn her that he had heard a lion roar and the lion is none other than the Lord Himself who has only wanted to be Israel’s shepherd.
The divine lion roars first to denounce the outrageous sins of Israel’s Gentile neighbours.
You may recall that in Judges 14 Samson heard such a roar as he walked through the vineyards of Timnah. "Suddenly a young lion came roaring towards him." A savage, vicious word. Can God really be likened to a roaring lion?
We forget, to our cost, that salvation which rescues and judgement which punishes are equally aspects of God’s fiery holiness. Wrath comes late in the day – long overdue, but it comes after mercy has waited and patience has watched and sin still abounds. At last judgement will fall. The roaring lion, who hates sin, will pounce upon it, sooner or later.
Swingeing judgements are announced on 6 nations surrounding the northern kingdom of Israel. They will be judged because of their inhumanity to man.
Here’s the sorry list:
In verse 3 against Damascus – God says “ I will not turn back my wrath, I will send fire upon the house of Hazael.” Divine judgement has been provoked by the barbarity of King Hazael who treated people as if they were things. Such unjust violence angers God.
In verse 6 against Gaza – God says, “I will not turn back my wrath - I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza.” These Philistines have been engaged in slave trading. There is not the slightest remainder of their community surviving nowadays.
In verse 9 it is Tyre – God says “I will not turn back my wrath – I will send fire on the walls of Tyre.” These Phoenicians were guilty of promise breaking. A treaty of brotherhood counted for nothing.
In verse 11 judgement is proclaimed against Edom – who were guilty of unnatural hatred: God says, “I will not turn back my wrath ... because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked.” All compassion was stifled. They showed no mercy.
In verse 13 against Ammon – God says, “I will not turn back my wrath” Guilty of sickening atrocities against helpless people. “He ripped open pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders.” The Ammonites were guilty of the most awful war crimes.
And finally, in chapter 2 verse 1 - Moab – God says, “ I will not turn back my wrath – I will send fire upon Moab.” Guilty of blatant disregard for the dead and for royalty “He burned, as if to lime, the bones of Edom’s king.” Such vindictiveness brought down God’s wrath.
These six nations did not have special revelation like God’s chosen people, but they still had moral responsibility and were still accountable to God. Everyone is. Believer or non-believer. Ultimately we are all answerable to Him. As it says in Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
It is a sobering thought to recall that none of these six nations mentioned at the start of Amos exists today. All have been wiped out of existence, but Israel endures.