Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

At a Ligonier conference recently during the Q&A session that happens at conferences like this, the following question was posed to the panel

Since God is slow to anger and patient, then why when man first sinned was His wrath and punishment so severe and long-lasting?

R.C. Sproul called a time out and then he said this in answer to the question

That God’s punishment for Adam was so severe.

This creature from the dirt defied the everlasting Holy God, after God had said the day that you shall eat of it you shall surely die.

And instead of dying that day, he lived another day, was clothed in his nakedness by pure grace, and had the consequences of a curse applied for quite some time, but the worst curse would come upon the one who seduced him, who’s head would be crushed by the Seed of the woman, and the punishment was too severe?

What is wrong with you people?

I’m serious.

I mean this is what’s wrong with the Christian church today.

We don’t know who God is and we don’t know who we are.

The question is why wasn’t it infinitely more severe.

If we have any understanding of our sin and any understanding of who God is - that’s the question.

The beginning of this prophetic book contains 8 judgement oracles against various nations culminating in the judgement pronounced against Israel - the longest of all the judgements

Now whether this book was written down chronologically or not - whether tonights sermon from Amos followed immediately after the 8 judgments against the nations - we don’t know but tonight’s passage builds on and defends what Amos had to say to the Israelites.

The Israelites had forgotten who they were and who God was

They were under the mistaken impression that because all was peace and prosperity in their nations that it would always be so

In tonight’s text Amos is going to, in effect, ask the same question that Dr. Sproul did - what’s wrong with you people?

We’re going to see Amos build his case as to not only why the Israelites shouldn’t be surprised at the prophecy of disaster brought on by their choices but also why he must speak out

We’re going to see in verses 1 and 2 that the Israelites were chosen but that doesn’t mean they’re teflon

Then Amos is going to ask a series of rhetorical questions in verses 3-6 that build to the last question

And then in verses 7-8 we’re going to see him defend the necessity of his speaking up

Chosen not Teflon

Amos 3:1-2; Leviticus 11:45; Leviticus 26:12-13; Micah 6:4; Deuteronomy 7:6; Psalm 33:12; Isaiah 43:10; 1 Peter 2:9; Deuteronomy 28:7

Hear this word - listen up.

Pay attention.

against the entire family of Israel - this was not just for the Northern tribes but also for the southern tribes in Judah

God had delivered all of them from Egypt

Throughout the Old Testament, reminders of the exodus deliverance serve as reminders of Israel’s covenantal relationship to God.

Israel is who she is because of the exodus.

You only have I chosen

Israel was God’s chosen nation

They were chosen for a purpose

Israel was supposed to be a witness to the nations and to demonstrate for them God’s kindness and grace

Yet they repeatedly failed to do either - instead falling in line with the nations around them with regards to religion and social practices

But I will still punish you

It is important to note that the punishment is not simply because Israel is God’s chosen nation and not because of their sins.

The covenant between the Lord and Israel contained both promises of prosperity and curse Deuteronomy 28 lays out both the promises for their obedience and curses for their disobedience

The blessings run from verses 1-14 and then the curses run the rest of the chapter (another 54 verses) and yet Israel still couldn’t grasp that their disobedience and failures was bringing discipline down upon them

They had the misconception that because they were God’s chosen people that He would only bless them and never allow harm to come to them

Amos had to work to correct this misconception that because of their disobedience God must discipline them

The Lord does it?

Amos 3:3-6; Judges 7:19-20; Isaiah 45:7; Job 1:12: Luke 13:1-5

Amos is going to ask 7 rhetorical questions - with the expected answer to each being a “no”

He’s going to build to the last question using illustrative points that his listeners will understand

A popular comedy motif in film a few years ago was that of a road trip in which the main character picks up a random stranger and hilarity ensues

Think Something about Mary where Ben Stiller’s character picks up a stranger who turns out to be a serial killer

But this wouldn’t have happened in Amos’ day because they wouldn’t have traveled with a stranger because travel was more dangerous then - only upon making an agreement would two men travel together

Amos’s listeners would easily recognize this question and answer no

Next Amos turns to several examples from nature - the first being that of a lion on the hunt

Have you ever watched a nature show and watched a lion on the hunt?

A lion isn’t loud when it hunts - it’s not roaring at that moment.

It is only after it has it’s prey in hand that it lets out a roar of triumph.

Amos also reaches back to Amos 1:2 where he says “The Lord roars from Zion”

And then he says that a young lion growls from his den unless he has captured something

The second being that of trapping and the nature of traps

No prey is ever going to walk into a trap without proper bait

And no trap springs shut unless something trips it

Each of these illustrations could be stretched to have a theological component but I think it best to take them at face value, as illustrations that help Amos build to his main point

Amos now moves from the country to the city

If a trumpet is blown in the city will not the people tremble?

Trumpets were used as an early warning system in the event of attack

They were also used to marshal the troops or to give commands on the battlefield

Gideon used trumpets to great effect in executing God’s plan for the defeat of the Midianites

All of these questions have been asked to build to Amos main point

If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?

This may sound hard to hear but God is sovereign over all - and if He doesn’t create calamity He at least allows it

God either brings it or allows it

This is a particularly important concept to grasp in light of the last month and a half in our nation

Hurricanes - it’s not the false myth of global warming - God sends them

Earthquakes - it’s not fracking that takes place thousands of miles away - God sends them

Maniac shooters that kill 50+ people for no reason - it’s not ISIS - God doesn’t send him but He does permit him

Jesus gave us a clue as to why events like this happen

It is important for us to understand this because the world doesn’t get it - just like the Israelites in Amos day didn’t get it

I listened to one newscaster yesterday following the tragic events of Sunday evening and all he could say was why would this happen - and he had no answers to his questions

When the calamities that the Lord would bring on the Israelites befell them some would wonder why - life was so good, how could a good God bring this disaster upon us....

God brings calamities on people for a couple of reasons

To shake them up - maybe they are wandering away and God sends a calamity into their life to bring them back in line with His plans and purposes for their lives

To wake them up - for the heathens this is to wake them up to their need for Him and His grace

To wake us up - for the church to start following the primary command that He has given us…to speak up

Can I do anything but speak?

Amos 3:7-8; Act 4:19-20; Jeremiah 20:9; 1 Corinthians 9:16

Amos defends his right to prophesy on behalf of God

The Lord does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets...

This is not to beholden the Lord to share what He is doing in advance - it is not to say that He cannot move without revealing what He is going to do - it is to say that the prophets carry a message that is not their own

God always gives a warning - like a patient parent - to let His children know that

And Amos even alleviates himself of responsibility for the message saying he’s only speaking what God has given him

Rejection of Amos’ prophecies meant rejection of Yahweh.

If people were offended by what Amos preached, he was not to be blamed.

His reaction to Yahweh’s revelation was inevitable and proper: he repeated it.

Amos’ hard words were not his own, but Yahweh’s through him.

Now I’m not saying that each of us is a prophet in the Old Testament sense where we see visions or make predictions

Even those who “prophesy” that way will admit that upwards of 80% of their prophecies are wrong

But look at what Amos says in these two verses

The Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets....

We have His secret counsel revealed to us in the pages of Scripture....

He’s told us what He’s going to do

And even given us a commission to go and tell it

The Apostles in Acts 4:19-20

We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard