In our study of Amos chapter six, we look at the condition of the northern kingdom during Amos' day and apply it to our world today. We look at the causes of God's impending judgment on them and what it means for the people of today.
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Woe to those living at ease in Tziyon and to those who feel complacent on the hills of Shomron, renowned men in this foremost of nations, to whom the rest of Isra'el come.
Although Amos went to the rulers of the northern kingdom, he also proclaims woe for Judah & Jerusalem. This was a time of relative power and prosperity in the northern kingdom. The rulers and upper class people felt secure and well protected in their palaces on the hill.
Travel to Kalneh and see; from there go on to Hamat the great; then go down to Gat of the P'lishtim. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?
Amos tells them to look at the fact that there is no greater power from the north (Kalneh) to the south (Gath). These were all ungodly people that were worse off that them. Theyshould be grateful and be giving God the praise but they were not. It reminds us of the fact that to whom much is given much will be asked.
You put off all thought of the evil day but hasten the reign of violence.
The rulers knew that what they were doing was wrong and they expected judgment from God but they did not expect it to happen in their lifetime so it was "all good". Doesn't that sound like our world today and even the attitude of many Christians? Most people realize that God will not let things go on like this forever and we know that judgment is coming soon but do we act like we believe it? The leading men of Israel set an example that the common folks followed and that was an example of complacency. As Christians, we are the appointed leaders of this world but are we preparing the other people for what we know is coming soon?
You lie on beds of ivory and lounge sprawled out on your couches, dining on meat from lambs in the flock and from calves fattened in stalls.
Now, Amos gives us more details about what was going on with the high society folks of the northern kingdom. Here, we see the first of three sins which is gluttony. The rich folks were living it up and had forgotten the poor and the fact that all they had was a gift from God. The gluttony even extended into sexual immorality. They basically had the attitude that they earned and deserved this lifestyle even though it was contrary to the ways of God. They did their "religious duties" but did not let God into the rest of their lives. This is similar to what is happening in our world today where many people do their "religious duties" on a Sunday and then its all about them the other six days of the week.
You make up wild songs at your parties, playing the lute and inventing other instruments - [imagining that you're] like David!
The second of the three sins is that they perverted the God given gift of music and it was no longer used to praise and glorify God. Music was initially used for praising God and, in fact, Satan was the leader of worship in heaven. Since his fall, he has been behind the decline in music to where it is today. Although there is some wonderful praise music and songs, the vast majority of music in the world today is about things that do not honor God. The danger in this is that what goes into your mind through your ears has an impact on the way you live.
You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but feel no grief at the ruin of Yosef.
The final sin that Amos mentions is drunkenness. Although wine is a gift from God and even Jesus turned water into wine, the excessive use of it to get drunk is sinful. That brings up the question of why people get drunk and even become alcoholics. The simple fact of the matter is that people get drunk to forget that they are disobeying God. In the example of Israel, they were living it up and knew it was wrong but they could forget about the coming judgment for awhile by getting drunk. We easily forget that alcohol (when taken in excess) is a mood altering drug but at that point it is no different than any other illegal drug. As we see in Revelation 9 & the last days, people will turn more and more to drugs to try to escape the horrors of disobedience. All that is really needed is to accept Jesus Christ; He is the one step approach to recovery.
Therefore now they will be the first to go into exile with those being exiled, and the revelry of those who lounged, sprawling, will pass away.
Because of their excesses, the rich would be the first to be judged. This reminds us of the fact that prosperity also brings responsibility. It is also a reminder that we, as Christians, are entrusted with the responsibility to share the most valuable thing that we have which is our testimony of what God has done and is doing in our lives.
"Adonai ELOHIM swears by himself," says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot, "I detest that Ya'akov is so proud, and I hate his palaces. I will hand over the city, along with everything in it."
When God declares something, then, it is done. There is no court of appeals or nothing with the power to overcome the will of God. We see that the root cause of all of the sins and the coming judgment was the pride of the people. They forgot that everything that they had was given to them by God and began to think that they had earned it for themselves. We remember that pride was the original sin that caused Satan to be cast out of heaven. It was what was at work in Israel during the days of Amos and it is what is widespread in our world today.
When that day comes, if ten men remain in one house, they will die. And if a [dead] man's uncle, coming to bring the corpse out of the house and burn it, finds a survivor hidden in the inmost recesses of the house and asks, "Is anyone else there with you?" - then, when he receives the answer, "No," he will say, "Don't say any more, because we mustn't mention the name of ADONAI."
The judgment will be so terrible that, if any survive, they will be afraid to even mention the name of God. The purpose of the judgment is to plant the fear of God into the people's hearts. The purpose of the fear is to bring them to repentance so that they might be saved.
For when ADONAI gives the order, great houses will be shattered and small houses reduced to rubble.
The judgment will be total; on the poor as well as on the rich as we see by the sizes of houses.
Do horses run on rock? Does one plow there with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitter wormwood. You take pleasure in worthless things. You think your power comes from your own strength. "But I will raise up a nation against you, house of Isra'el," says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot, "and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamat to the Vadi of the 'Aravah."
Once again, Amos shares the judgment of God. Lebo Hamath would be northern Lebanon and the valley of the Arabah would be the Dead Sea area. This shows that the judgment will be on all of Israel. It also hints at the fact that Assyria would be the tool used for the coming judgment.
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