Sermon Tone Analysis

**Amos ch.1**,2*

*[1] Read v.1,2 [OHP1]*

- 765-760 B.C. time of Amos' ministry - contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah – Uzziah king of Judah, Jeroboam II king of Israel – two Jeroboams: the other was the first king of Israel, he split ten tribes of Israel away from Judah to the south.

Had no temple so to break the link with Judah and the temple he set up calf idols at Bethel and Dan – that idolatry had continued right through to Jeroboam II's reign almost 250 years later.

Jeroboam was idolatrous and his reign was at a time of material prosperity in Israel, an economic boom with luxurious living, moral corruption and rampant idolatry - Religious – form, no spirituality – must effect our lives – fruit of righteousness and justice.

Amos directed his fiery oratory against these sins - Theme:God impartial – justice and righteousness

- Amos ("burden") not a trained prophet was a simple shepherd and dresser of sycamore fruit from Tekoa, a hill country town about 10 miles south of Jerusalem, from Judah (to the south) prophesied to northern kingdom.

Assyria the great empire of the time (c.50 years before exile) Amos predicted this exile.

But that seemed far away – everything prosperous, economy doing well.

\\ Amos opens with prophecies of judgement - judgement upon nations surrounding Israel, then zeroing in on Israel herself.

The LORD "roars" as a lion in mounting wrath against increasing sin.

Repeated phrase: "For three transgressions .... and for four," - means sin multiplied on sin, more than enough

Not only did God speak against these sins by His prophet Amos but also by "natural" events – 2 years later He warned the nation with an earthquake - it must have been a major one for it was still recalled after the exiles returned in the time of Zechariah, some 200-250 years later!

(cf.

Zech 14:5 y/ou will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah//./)–

judgement came and shook them out of their affluent complacency.

-Amos speaks, immediately his words would get the backs of Israel up: he speaks of יהוה roaring - they have rejected יהוה for their own gods, they don’t want to be reminded of the God they’ve forsaken.

"From Zion" "from Jerusalem" - they had cut themselves off from Judah and would not appreciate being reminded that it was from there God spoke and not from Dan or Bethel.

יהוה "roars" - His words were in anger, fierce.

His words were of judgement - the pasture would mourn, Carmel dry up - drought and devastation.

To those living at ease in luxury these disturbing words would not be welcome.

Immediately the words went straight to the heart - the antagonism to Amos’ words would be immediate - he had barely started!

When a man speaks יהוה*’s** words* they make an impact!

We may not like them but we cannot be indifferent to them.

- time of prosperity, taken up with material possessions, religious – but just culture, no reality – just like our own day

*Read v.3-5 Syria -* violence (north-west) *[OHP2]*

Having caused instant antagonism, the pressure eases as Amos, speaking יהוה’s word, directs his attention to Syria.

Syria’s sin had built up - יהוה had been patient and overlooked their transgression but they kept multiplying it, adding sin to sin until יהוה could no longer ignore it but stepped in and decreed judgement - a punishment that He would not revoke or turn back from Their cruelty and viciousness towards God’s people was the repeated sin for which יהוה judged them.

They had no mercy on Gilead but cut it to pieces, thrashed it, crushed it, trod it down with vicious sharp weapons of iron.

It was Hazael, the usurper who threshed Gilead in Transjordan "with threshing sledges of iron" (*2 Kings 13:7**/ For he left to Jehoahaz of the army not more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and 10,000 footmen, for the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing./*).

The nations will be judged on the basis of how they have treated God’s people and land.

As Hazeal and Benhadad had done to Gilead so would יהוה do to them.

God will have a day of vindication when He will pay back according to what men have done.

They had consumed territory of Israel, so they themselves would be consumed.

יהוה would send fire, even their citadels and fortresses in which they trusted would not be refuge - even they would be destroyed.

When יהוה decrees judgement, who can stand?

Who can resist?! Therefore the lesson we must learn is that we must be very careful how we treat God’s land and people - for as we deal to them so will it be dealt to us.

Kir is in Mesopotamia and is the place from which the Arameans migrated (9:7) and to which they were exiled (2 Kings 16:9).

The word of יהוה was fulfilled./

Sin: inordinate violence.

Consequence: fire, dynasty ended, people exiled/

*Read v6-8 Philistia -* sold into slavery (south-west)

*-* Gaza deported God’s people.

They took delight in it and carried out with such zeal and enthusiasm, without a trace of mercy, that they spared none.

They exiled the whole population

it is יהוה in action!

His hand at work in judgement!

It is a fearful thing!

Who can resist it?! (cf.

Heb 10:31; 12:29).

יהוה’s hand is mighty!

Woe to him upon whom it falls!

The judgement is thorough and complete.

/Sin: inhumane, pitiless action in war.

Consequence: fire, dynasty ended and death to entire population./

*Read v.9-10 Phoenicia - *inhuman cruelty against Israel - (north-west)

Again יהוה's judgment is because of their treatment of His people.

Like the Philistines, they delivered them over into exile, to captivity of Edom.

The deportation was thorough, complete, without mercy.

Furthermore in doing so they broke a covenant of brotherhood that had been made "Covenant of brotherhood" refers to the covenant David and Solomon made with Tyre (cf. 1 Kings 5:1-12).

Tyre was inhuman in its cruelty against Israel (cf.

Joel 3:4-8).

Again it was יהוה Himself who would act in judgement.

He would send fire, it would consume the defences in which they futilely placed their trust - their walls and citadels.

They would not stand before the consuming fire of יהוה (Heb 12:29; 10:31).

/Sin: merciless breaking treaty and moral obligation.

Consequence: fire/

*Read v.11-12 Edom -* though closely related to Israel Edom was pitiless in his hatred and cruelty (south)

His sin was particularly heinous because it was against his brother - Edom (Esau) being the brother of Israel (Jacob).

He pursued his brother mercilessly, relentlessly and would not give up.

He completely stifled the natural compassion.

Edom was God’s instrument to punish Israel, the judgement was because he carried it out with enthusiasm and without let up, constantly maintaining it beyond what was reasonable.

Cruel, unrelenting, merciless.

Though closely related to Israel Edom was pitiless in his hatred and cruelty They had been relentless, so too would יהוה’s judgement.

/Sin: merciless fury, contrary to natural compassion.

Consequence: fire/

*Read v.13-15 Ammon -* barbaric cruelty (East)

Their sin was particularly disgusting and debased - cruel and immoral, lacking any human compassion or decency - they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead - aborting the life יהוה had planted in their wombs.

Their motive was entirely selfish - they wanted more territory and they would stop at nothing to obtain it - they stopped Gilead’s population growing so that they could enlarge their own.

These sins are practised by our present society without anyone turning a hair!

We perform abortions for our own selfish reasons, for our own self interest.

We increase our own possession at the expense of others, with no regard for them or for ethics - we call this "good business", "getting a good deal".

We will stop at nothing to obtain what /we want/.

"Extend", "enlarge", "expand" - these are our motives in business and in private life.

But the LORD sees and will act in judgement.

He will send his fire to consume our man made palaces and fortresses.

Hallelujah! יהוה has spoken!

Judgement will come!

Judgement will come upon all those who pursue their own self interest and gain at the expense of the defenceless.

Calamity will strike - both by the hand of man (enemies in war) and by the hand of God (in nature, storm).

Their rulers will be exiled, the king and the leaders.

יהוה has spoken!

Disaster is in store for those who pursue their gain at the cost of the lives of the innocent and defenceless, killing God’s people.

/Sin: barbaric cruelty, greed.

Consequence: fire, war/[2]

*Read 2:1-3 Moab *desecrated the body of the Edomite king by cremation (south-west).

\\ now He speaks again a word of judgement against Ammon’s cousin, Moab.

The crime recorded against Moab is the only nation not to be judged for action against God’s people - her crime was against Edom.

Not only was Edom’s king killed, he was disgraced even in death by burning his bones.

The crimes have one feature in common: relentlessness - taking their sin too far - not satisfied with ending the king’s life they kept on in vindictive hatred even continuing to destroy him even though his life was ended.