Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

If you have not done so yet, please turn your Bibles to the book of Amos.

We opened up our study of Amos last week.

We saw in our lesson that Amos prophesied during the days of King Uzziah in Judah and Rehoboam II in Israel.

These times were good for God’s people politically and economically.

Their borders had spread to the farthest they had been since the days of Solomon.

But unfortunately, even though things were dong so well physically, things were not doing so well spiritually.

We began seeing many of the sins that, if they would not repent, would bring destruction upon Israel and Judah.

This contrast between the lives of God’s people physically and spiritually will be the main idea that we see in chapters 4-6.

We see in these chapters that many of the Israelites were living double lives.

Outwardly, everything looked good, but inwardly and spiritually, they were a mess and were not changing.

Their Comfort & Security

In Amos 4:1, Amos begins by giving a prophesy to some of the leading women of Israel - who he refers to in verse 1 as “cows from Bashan.”

He is not just calling them names here.

He is using this language to talk about their luxury and laziness.

The area of Bashan was known for it’s rich pasture lands.

It was choice land to the the east of the Sea of Galilee.

If you fed your livestock there, they would be well fed and fattened up.

The point Amos is trying to get across here to these women is their luxury and their gaining of comfort at the expense of the poor in needy makes them like cows that are eating well and getting fattened up for slaughter.

In Amos 4:2-3, the LORD swears by His holiness that He is going to judge these women who are only concerned for their pleasure and comfort.

It would all be taken away.

This theme of their comfort and wealth carries into chapter 6 also, and we see that this was not just a problem among the northern kingdom, but Judah also.

Look at all of these things that are said in the first 8 verses about their comfort and security physically…

Ease in Zion (Jerusalem) Security on the hill of Samaria Beds and couches Bowlfuls of wine Fine anointing oils Songs and instruments Feasting

But appearances can be deceiving.

Physically speaking once again, things seem to be going great.

There is great wealth (at least among those who are in society that are higher up (such luxurious living).

But they are much like the church in Laodicea who were saying, “I am rich and have need of nothing” when in reality, spiritually speaking, they were poor, wretched, and naked...

This is how Israel and Judah are at this point.

It is as though they look at all that they have and are filled with pride and think they have all that they need.

And the LORD has blessed them - so of course, He is pleased with us, right?

Well, no.

The physical blessings that they had from the Lord did not prove that they were right with him.

They were not servants of the LORD.

This is seen in verse 6, where Amos, after talking about all of the great wealth and comfort that they have, says that this people “does not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.”

They may have looked good on the outside, but they did not care about the corruption and sin within the nation.

Their wealth, security, and comfort led them to trust in themselves instead of the Lord and to ignore the sin that was surrounding them.

They became self-infatuated.

The Lord’s response in Amos 6:1 & Amos 6:8 is this:

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria, The distinguished men of the foremost of nations, To whom the house of Israel comes.”

(Amos 6:1, NASB95)

“I loathe Jacob’s pride and hate his citadels, so I will hand over the city and everything in it.”

Their pride made God their enemy and they would lose the blessings the Lord had given them because of it.

APPLICATION

Woe to those who are at ease in Zion… If you were going to point at one passage in this book which describes the nation that we live in, isn’t it this one?

We live in a culture that is self-infatuated.

A culture that, compared to most in the world, is rich and focuses on comforts and pleasure.

But may this passage describe, not just our physical nation, but some of those who claim to be Christians.

We focus so much on our blessings and are so concerned with being comfortable as Christians that we forget that we have a mission given to us by God that is anything but comfortable - to call men and women in this lost and dying world to repentance .

Also, to deal with sin among God’s people.

It is much easier and more comfortable for our lives to ignore these things.

We get so focused on all of our blessings and just assume someone else is fulfilling the mission.

We are not grieved that there are so many souls around us that are lost and dead in sin.

Wealth and comfort has this kind of effect on people.

It makes them content with how things are right now.

It makes them not want to do anything to change the situation or to make things uncomfortable.

How often is it that this is how your life looks?

Or mine?

Their “Worship” of God

Now, it wasn’t only the case that their wealth and comfort led them to deceive themselves, but also their worship.

This is another theme that carries through this section of Amos.

They were a people that worshipped.

Here are some examples of the things they did in worship:

Sacrifices every morning (4:4) Tithes every three days (4:4) Offerings of thanksgiving (4:5) Freewill offerings (4:5) Songs of praise (5:23) Etc.

And you could even say, as the LORD does in Amos 4:5 that they “love to do” these kinds of things.

But then you look at all of the worship they offer, and you see that it is not about the LORD at all!

It is self-centered.

They are just doing what they think is right to do.

Even though they may claim, “we worship the God of Israel,” this is not the case.

Look at this section in ch4 in more detail.

In this passage, God tells them that they go to these places to sin.

Their worship is sinful.

In Amos 4:4, Amos talks about Bethel and Gilgal… These were two places of worship for the northern kingdom.

These are not the places that the Lord had commanded His people to bring their sacrifices.

He wanted them to bring their offerings and sacrifices to Jerusalem.

These places were made worship centers out of convenience.

Verse 5 - they were bringing leavened bread for their offerings of thanksgiving when they were supposed to bring unleavened bread according to the law (Lev 7:12-15).

And their motivation for bringing their offerings is so they can “loudly proclaim them.”

It was about getting others to see that they were pious and religious.

It wasn’t for the Lord.

So when the Lord says here that they love to perform these things in worship, it isn’t because they love God and love worshipping him, it is because of what they get out of it.

Over in 5:18, the LORD also talks about how Israel was greatly anticipating the “day of the LORD.”

They longed for it, as though expecting that day would mean further blessing for them.

They had deceived themselves.

Lets look at what the LORD thought about their worship.

Let’s read Amos 5:18-26:

“Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you?

It will be darkness and not light; As when a man flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him.

Will not the day of the Lord be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it?

“I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.

“Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.

“Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.

“But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

(Amos 5:18–24, NASB95)

How is this for strong language… “I hate, I reject your festivals…” I won’t accept your offerings… Get the annoying racket of your singing away from me… If the Lord did not have their hearts and if they were not living for Him, their worship sickened Him.

He didn’t want it.

It was 100% in vain.

It was worthless.

APPLICATION:

Do you think that there are some people today that the LORD may say these kinds of things to?