The Lord Roars
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Background to Amos
Background to Amos
1 The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa—what he saw regarding Israel in the days of King Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 He said: The Lord roars from Zion and makes his voice heard from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers.
The book of Amos concerns the prophecies of a man bearing the same name. Verse 1 identifies this book as the words of Amos. Amos was not a prophet from the school of prophets and did not come from a line of prophets. Amos was “one of the sheep-breeders” from Tekoa. Literally a sheep raiser a shepherd, also a cattleman, and a dresser of figs. Tekoa is a village that is about 10 miles South of Jerusalem in the territory of Judah - near to Hebron.
Though he was not a prophet he was called by God to prophesy to Israel. Though he was from Judah he was called to prophesy to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. During the 8th century BC and the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam II. He was a contemporary with Hosea, Isaiah and Micah and though we find him here third in the section of minor prophets, he was chronologically the first of the writing prophets
The name Amos means burden bearer which is fitting considering that most of his prophecies and messages center around the approaching judgment on not only the surrounding nations but also judgment on Israel itself. Truly he was a man bearing the burden of the nations.
Amos is quite structured and easily divides into three major sections. We will be covering the first section this morning - the Introduction which is chapters 1-2. Sermons or Messages chapters 3-6 and Visions covering chapters 7-9.
Amos is the prophet of righteousness of the Old Testament and his books reveals the principle that right religion requires right behavior. True religion is not observing all the right feast, offerings and worship in the sanctuary. Authentic religion and worship results in changed behavior, seeking God’s will, loving others and obeying God’s word. This is brought out by what I consider the theme verse for the book of Amos.
3 Can two walk together without agreeing to meet?
Two people can only walk together if they are going in the same direction. God was walking and leading one direction and God’s people were intent on going in their own direction. Walking with God requires walking by His direction
The Lord Roars
The Lord Roars
Introduction
Introduction
A lion’s roar is considered one of the most terrifying sounds in the animal kingdom. Especially if you are in the African savannas walking around and happen to hear that sound - it may indicate it is time to high tail it out of there. The lion’s roar can be as loud as 114 decibels which can rival some rock concerts. Why do lions roar? It is because they are a communicative species and are very social.
A lion’s roar is used to scare off intruders, warn another predator, show off - for mating reasons and it also roars to warn of imminent danger. A lion’s roar is terrifying and paralyzing as those within its range are filled with fear and terror.
Amos likens the voice of God to that of a roar with the lion in mind. God’s message he was given to share will be the roar of the Lion of Judah and would have a similar paralyzing and withering effect. God wanted to get the nations’ attention but they were not listening. To hear a lion roar like thunder would certainly alert them to the danger at hand. God was speaking and thundering from Jerusalem.
8 A lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who will not prophesy?
3 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Damascus for three crimes, even four, because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges. 4 Therefore, I will send fire against Hazael’s palace, and it will consume Ben-hadad’s citadels.
5 I will break down the gates of Damascus. I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven, and the one who wields the scepter from Beth-eden. The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir. The Lord has spoken.
6 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Gaza for three crimes, even four, because they exiled a whole community, handing them over to Edom. 7 Therefore, I will send fire against the walls of Gaza, and it will consume its citadels.
8 I will cut off the ruler from Ashdod, and the one who wields the scepter from Ashkelon. I will also turn my hand against Ekron, and the remainder of the Philistines will perish. The Lord God has spoken.
9 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Tyre for three crimes, even four, because they handed over a whole community of exiles to Edom and broke a treaty of brotherhood. 10 Therefore, I will send fire against the walls of Tyre, and it will consume its citadels.
11 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Edom for three crimes, even four, because he pursued his brother with the sword. He stifled his compassion, his anger tore at him continually, and he harbored his rage incessantly. 12 Therefore, I will send fire against Teman, and it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.
13 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing the Ammonites for three crimes, even four, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory.
14 Therefore, I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah, and it will consume its citadels. There will be shouting on the day of battle and a violent wind on the day of the storm. 15 Their king and his princes will go into exile together. The Lord has spoken.
1 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Moab for three crimes, even four, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime. 2 Therefore, I will send fire against Moab, and it will consume the citadels of Kerioth. Moab will die with a tumult, with shouting and the sound of the ram’s horn. 3 I will cut off the judge from the land and kill all its officials with him. The Lord has spoken.
4 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord and have not kept his statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray. 5 Therefore, I will send fire against Judah, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.
6 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals. 7 They trample the heads of the poor on the dust of the ground and obstruct the path of the needy. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name.
8 They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and in the house of their God they drink wine obtained through fines. 9 Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.
10 And I brought you from the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness in order to possess the land of the Amorite. 11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not the case, Israelites? This is the Lord’s declaration.
12 But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets, “Do not prophesy.” 13 Look, I am about to crush you in your place as a wagon crushes when full of grain. 14 Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not maintain his strength, and the warrior will not save his life.
15 The archer will not stand his ground, the one who is swift of foot will not save himself, and the one riding a horse will not save his life. 16 Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day— this is the Lord’s declaration.
Against Gentile Nations
Against Gentile Nations
The Lord’s roar first goes out against the seven surrounding nations of Israel. In doing so I can imagine a response of agreement, approval and cheering was elicited from Amos’ audience as he proclaimed the judgments. A repeated phrase “I will not relent from punishing for three crimes, even four...” comes from a device used frequently in the Old Testament in which a number followed by the next highest number in sequence is listed. The higher number is usually enumerated with more detail. Here Amos only cited the last of the crimes.
3 crimes perhaps being the fullness of the crimes and the fourth is indicative of the overflowing. The final or overflowing sin is the one mentioned.
The cause of judgment for each nation was its sins or violations of the covenant. The word crimes - pesa - rebellion against a divinely established and universally recognized agreement. I believe Amos has in mind their rebellion is against the universal covenant made with humanity at the time of Noah.
God’s promise in Genesis 9:11
11 I establish my covenant with you that never again will every creature be wiped out by floodwaters; there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
People’s responsibility in Genesis 9:5-7
5 And I will require a penalty for your lifeblood; I will require it from any animal and from any human; if someone murders a fellow human, I will require that person’s life. 6 Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, for God made humans in his image. 7 But you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it.”
Everlasting covenant for all
16 The bow will be in the clouds, and I will look at it and remember the permanent covenant between God and all the living creatures on earth.”
Damascus
Damascus
3 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Damascus for three crimes, even four, because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges. 4 Therefore, I will send fire against Hazael’s palace, and it will consume Ben-hadad’s citadels.
5 I will break down the gates of Damascus. I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven, and the one who wields the scepter from Beth-eden. The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir. The Lord has spoken.
Damascus the capital of Aram - Modern day Syria. They are guilty of threshing Gilead with iron sledges. Threshing is the separating of grain from the husks and the sledge was a pair of roughly shaped boards bent upward at the front with studded iron prongs or knives. Idea could be that of torturing prisoners or a thorough and harsh conquest. Aram’s armies had raked across Gilead slicing and crushing it as though it were grain on the floor. Israelite territory east of Jordan suffered greatly during these battles with the Arameans
In punishing Damascus the Lord declared He would smash the bar of the city gate and break down the gate effectively stripping the city of its defenses.
Gaza
Gaza
6 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Gaza for three crimes, even four, because they exiled a whole community, handing them over to Edom. 7 Therefore, I will send fire against the walls of Gaza, and it will consume its citadels.
8 I will cut off the ruler from Ashdod, and the one who wields the scepter from Ashkelon. I will also turn my hand against Ekron, and the remainder of the Philistines will perish. The Lord God has spoken.
Gaza - Philistines
Four of the five cities comprising the Philistine pentapolis are mentioned - Gaza, Ashod, Ashkelon and Ekron. The fifth would have been Gath and it was ruins in the time of Amos. The crime of the Philistines was that they captured whole communities in slave raids and sold them for commercial prophet. Defenseless people were mere objects and auctioned off to Edom.
For this sin they would be completely annihilated - buildings kings and people
Tyre
Tyre
9 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Tyre for three crimes, even four, because they handed over a whole community of exiles to Edom and broke a treaty of brotherhood. 10 Therefore, I will send fire against the walls of Tyre, and it will consume its citadels.
Tyre - Phoenicians - Lebanon today
They handed a whole community of exiles over to Edom and broke a treaty of brotherhood. Phoenicia’s city more calloused than Gaza sold whole communities of captives to Edom while in violation of a treaty of brotherhood.
Tyre’s punishment is similar to that described in verse 7. Alexander the Great would be the catalyst to this - overrunning the city in 322 BC after beseiging it for 7 months. 6000 were slain outright 2000 crucified and 30,000 were sold as slaves. Tyre had sold Israelites to Edom as captives and they themselves became captives.
Edom
Edom
11 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Edom for three crimes, even four, because he pursued his brother with the sword. He stifled his compassion, his anger tore at him continually, and he harbored his rage incessantly. 12 Therefore, I will send fire against Teman, and it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.
Edom - Modern day Jordan
Edom the nation from Esau - Jacob/Israel’s brother. Edom pursued his brother with the sword stifled compassion and anger tore at him and harbored his rage. Persistent hostility with his brother - Israel. Without compassion Edom let his anger rage continually
Because of Edom’s uncontrolled and unnatural anger God would send fire on Teman and Bozrah - the largest southeastern city and the fortress of Bozrah to the north - showing the entire nation would be under God’s wrath.
Ammonites
Ammonites
13 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing the Ammonites for three crimes, even four, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory.
14 Therefore, I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah, and it will consume its citadels. There will be shouting on the day of battle and a violent wind on the day of the storm. 15 Their king and his princes will go into exile together. The Lord has spoken.
a nation born from Lot daughters sin
Ammonites - the atrocity of ripping open the pregnant women of Gilead - a feature of ancient warfare was a method of terrorizing and decimating an enemy. The Ammonites commited this heinous act not for self-preservation but simply to extend their borders.
Due to the heartlessness of their act God would set fire to the walls of Ammon’s capital city Rabbah. Amid the flames the dwellers of the city would hear war cries of the attackers. Violent wind symbolizing God awesome power would lash the city and the enemy would conquer and take both king and princes to exile together
Moab
Moab
1 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Moab for three crimes, even four, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime. 2 Therefore, I will send fire against Moab, and it will consume the citadels of Kerioth. Moab will die with a tumult, with shouting and the sound of the ram’s horn.
3 I will cut off the judge from the land and kill all its officials with him. The Lord has spoken.
Moab - the other nation born from Lot daughters sin like the Ammonites
In ancient times much importance was placed on a dead man’s body being placed peacefully at a family burial site so he could be “gathered to his fathers”. Robbing disturbing or desecrating a grave was an offense of the highest order. Tomb inscriptions utter many violent curses against anyone who would commit such an outrage. Many laws exist today against the desecration of bodies, burials - etc.
Moab in war with Edom drover their enemy back and opened the royal graves and burned the bone’s of Edom’s king. So thorough that the bones became white powdered chalk - as lime.
Not a crime against Israel, but a sin of rebellion none the less - an assault against the Lord’s own image in people. God would militarily annihilate Moab. Kerioth would be consumed in fire and Moab would go down with the sound of trumpet blasts.
Against Judah
Against Judah
4 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord and have not kept his statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray. 5 Therefore, I will send fire against Judah, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.
Now we see the same formula applied against the kingdom of Judah - the people of God. Judah likewise with the Gentile nations piled sin upon sin against the covenant of God. The Gentile nations rebelled against the everlasting covenant with God but Judah’s sins (pesas) were against the Mosaic Covenant. Notice the Lord says - though they are my people - I will not relent from punishing Judah.
They have rejected the instruction of the Lord. They have rejected His law and have not kept its statutes, its commands, stipulations, and decrees. His agreement made uniquely with them and they rejected it. They rejected His truth for the lies that their ancestors followed and have been led astray. When you reject God’s truth you will be led astray. God’s word brings us truth
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
The punishment for their faithlessness and rejecting the truth would be the destruction of the nation. 586 BC Nebuchadnezzar will besiege the city of Jerusalem and slaughter the royal family - burn the temple, palace and all the houses of the city as well as deport the population to Babylon.
Against Israel
Against Israel
6 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals. 7 They trample the heads of the poor on the dust of the ground and obstruct the path of the needy. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name.
8 They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and in the house of their God they drink wine obtained through fines. 9 Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.
10 And I brought you from the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness in order to possess the land of the Amorite. 11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not the case, Israelites? This is the Lord’s declaration.
12 But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets, “Do not prophesy.” 13 Look, I am about to crush you in your place as a wagon crushes when full of grain. 14 Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not maintain his strength, and the warrior will not save his life.
15 The archer will not stand his ground, the one who is swift of foot will not save himself, and the one riding a horse will not save his life. 16 Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day— this is the Lord’s declaration.
By now certainly Israel knew it was their turn. The Lord is sovereign over the universe and will hold all nations accountable for their rebellion against Him. Israel had broken their covenant against God also despite many gracious acts on God’s part.
Israel is guilty of injustice, legal perversion, sexual sin, abuse of collateral, and also idolatry. Callously they sold into slavery the righteous and the needy. The sandals perhaps refer to a custom of giving the sandals as a kind of mortgage or title transfer.
7 At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel.
Indicating these were sold perhaps for land acquisition - heartless acts against Israel’s OWN people!
Legal procedures also being perveted to exploit the poor trampling the heads of the poor and obstructing the path of the needy. Father and sons having the same loose relationships with the temple prostitutes. Such disregard for the Lord and His name.
God’s law specifically forbid the use of certain items as collateral. Millstones essential to grind grain and for sustaining life. The cloak of the poor was not to be kept overnight and a widows garment could not be taken at all
26 “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him before sunset. 27 For it is his only covering; it is the clothing for his body. What will he sleep in? And if he cries out to me, I will listen because I am gracious.
10 “When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not enter his house to collect what he offers as security. 11 Stand outside while the man you are making the loan to brings the security out to you. 12 If he is a poor man, do not sleep with the garment he has given as security. 13 Be sure to return it to him at sunset. Then he will sleep in it and bless you, and this will be counted as righteousness to you before the Lord your God.
17 Do not deny justice to a resident alien or fatherless child, and do not take a widow’s garment as security.
Yet here they were lying the garments down on the altar taking for collateral
Instead of announcing the punishment God decided to heighten Israel’s guilt by contrasting their unfaithful and sinful violations and acts against the covenant against His faithful and gracious acts towards them.
Exodus from Egypt, preservation during the 40 years to possess the land of the Amorite who He uprooted. Raising up prophets and Nazirites
In spite of these things - you took the prophets and commanded them to not speak My Word and the Nazirites you drove to drink wine though it was prohibited.
I will crush you in your place under the weight and escape will fail even the swift. You will fail where you were once strong. The swift wont be fast, the strong will not remain so, the warrior cannot save even himself, the archer will not stand and the swift will not save himself either - nor the one riding a horse. The courageous will flee naked.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The six Gentile nations show us that God cares about how people are treated - especially as a whole by nations. God saw what the nations did and judged them accordingly and He still sees and will still yet judge accordingly. World news may give the impression evil leaders, dictators, harsh regimes, and violent subversive groups are getting with their terrible crimes, but God is still on His throne and will punish evildoers in His good and perfect time. Remember this - God controls the rise and fall of nations, their leaders and their empires. He will judge and His judgments are always just.
Judah hearing their judgment come the same formula as the Gentiles - we arent pagan like them we worship the true and living God! It is true Judah had its temple full of worship but they as a nation had turned to idolatry. They rejected the truth of God’s word for the lie of idolatry and were led astray.
The Gentiles sinned against conscience and brotherhood and humanity but Judah rejected the laws of God given by Moses with much great responsibility.
“I don’t know why you preach about the sins of Christians,” a church member said to the pastor. “After all, the sins of Christians are different from the sins of unsaved people.” “Yes,” replied the pastor, “they’re worse!”
Amos has revealed the sins and also has announced what God would do to six Gentile nations and to the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. The lion has roared! As we consider these judgments we would be remiss if we did not ask ourselves whether we truly fear the Lord and seek to obey His will. Peace and Prosperity are not a true indicator of God being pleased with us - it may be His goodness and kindness towards us.
30 For we know the one who has said, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people. 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
14 and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.