Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Measurements are used for many different methods and purposes - but the one thing all measurements are for is to measure up.

To see how something compares.

When building something the measurement standard matters and therefore the measurement distinguishes between that which fits and that which doesnt.

While there are many different ways to measure you must use a standard or no measurement means anything.

Any carpenter knows use one and the same tape measure through out a project.

Well in life people find all sorts of ways to compare themselves and see how and if they measure up.

Are they as good, as funny, as smart, etc.

Those who feel bad about themselves - find those who are better than they are and those who feel good about themselves find people who dont measure up to compare themselves to so that they come out on top.

Spiritually people come up with all sorts of ways to evaluate if they measure up and they use this to determine if they are good and spiritual people.

By comparing ourselves to those around us we can give ourselves a false idea of measuring up more than we actually do.

We are using the wrong measuring standard - each other.

This leads to self-righteousness and being turned off to hearing the truth when the actual standard is being applied - God’s standard.

Amos in chapter 7 goes from sermon messages to prophetic visions to speak to the nation of Israel.

Amos is given 5 visions and we are going to look closely at the first three.

For these first three call out to Israel that God declares that He will judge between and those that dont measure up will be judged.

As we look at this message from long ago about how the nation measured up to the true standard - God’s standard let God’s word work in us to make sure we are using the correct measuring standard and for that standard to reveal how we truly measure up in our walk with the Lord.

That Which Will Not Be

Amos as we can see is given first a vision of the Lord forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout and after the cutting of the king’s hay.

These locusts are being readied for the time after the king’s share is harvested (the first crop) and the second crop is just beginning to sprout - this is the nation’s most vulnerable time of the year.

After this crop there would be no more season to harvest and grow until the next year.

If this crop is lost the people would have nothing to eat until the next harvest if they could survive.

Amos at the sight of this vision saw the devastation left behind by this swarming locust - the whole vegetation of the land had been consumed.

At the sight of this terrible judgment and being a farmer who could sympathize with this judgment and the devastation it would cause - Amos - cried out for the Lord to please forgive.

A locust plaque so timed that survival would be impossibly out of the question - so the Lord must forgive so that they can survive.

At Amos’s prayer for Jacob to survive - the Lord relented concerning this judgment and this vision.

The Lord replied “It will not happen”.

Relented means to cease an activity and carries with it the implication that relenting is a gracious act.

It also suggests that the turning away from a previous decision is because one has been deeply stirred by the appeal of another.

We read that Amos prayed and the Lord relented.

Is it that simple?

What if Amos didnt pray?

We must believe that God would not have relented.

We are given here a bird’s eye view of how much prayer changes things.

“We may debate endlessly how this incident reflects on the issues of predestination and human responsibility, but clearly we are left with the impression that the plague either came or was held back based on the prophet’s prayer.”

David Guzik Amos’s heart agonized for his people and he prayed and stood in the gap joining a group of intercessors in —Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Elijah and Paul.

We next read about Amos’s second vision that the Lord had given him concerning the nation of Israel.

The Lord God showed Amos that God was calling for a judgment by fire.

It consumed the deep and devoured the land.

God showed Amos a fire - a judgement fire so great and powerful that this fire consumed the deep - the ocean as well as the land.

Not even the waters of the ocean could quench this fire.

Again Amos at the sight of this complete and total judgment and consuming fire pleaded with the Lord to stop.

Again because the consuming fire is unquenchable Jacob would never survive.

Again the Lord relented and said that “This will not happen either.”

Intercession was part of the prophet’s calling.

Amos in praying does not pray against judgment but against the form that he sees that Jacob would not survive.

Amos pleaded against the utter destruction of Jacob and his plea was heard.

Because one interceded with the Lord and stood in the gap total destruction is ruled out and hope is established.

Standard of Measure

The next vision God gave to Amos was with Him standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand.

The Lord asks Amos what do you see and Amos replies a plumb line.

The Lord then explains what it means.

God says He is setting His plumb line among His people - Israel.

A plumb line is a cord with a lead weight used by builders to make sure that walls were constructed straight up and down.

A plumb line was also used to determine is walls had settled and tilted and thus needing to be torn down.

The plumb line is what will be used to see if the nation measures up.

The nation was built true to plumb according to the double specification of law and grace.

As those redeemed they were to obey His law, but equally as His redeemed they were under the blood and given the sacrificial code so that even in failure of obedience they could still live upright in the presence of the Lord.

It is in holding these two in balance that establishes the true life of God’s people and it also keeps the extremes in check.

Legalism which makes obeying the law everything and ritualism which makes the sacrifice or ritual everything.

The nothern kingdom was also established plumb in 1 Kings 11:35-38 God called them to be established in His righteousness.

From the birth of the Northern Kingdom the nation was established “plumb” in God’s eyes.

He had laid the foundation.

He had set their course.

The question would be would they maintain that plumb line or would they settle?

We know from history and God’s word what they chose to do.

The plumb line is being set among God’s nation to measure how true they are to the pattern of His word and if their are upright in character and conduct.

God declares according to His plumb line - Israel is out of plumb and therefore like a wall out of plumb must be torn down and destroyed.

God leaves no room for Amos to intercede at this declaration and at this vision.

He says I will no longer spare them.

The nation was to crooked and too far gone there was no hope.

Specifically called out were Israel’s high places and sanctuaries where they worshipped contrary to God’s law.

When Jeroboam became the king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel he surveyed the political situation and saw a troubling problem.

The Law of Moses called for the people to worship in Jerusalem.

Jeroboam did not want the people traveling to Jerusalem and begin to desire the old days, when the kingdoms were united under David’s family.

Jeroboam decides to get two golden calves and setup to alternate places for worship - Bethel and Dan.

Jeroboam - whether to convince himself or the people (probably both) used the excuse of the difficulty to go to Jerusalem to setup the false places of worship.

Worship and religion for the first time had become a matter of convenience.

Be careful in changing how you worship and serve God because of convenience it causes the walls to settle and lean and move out of plumb.

Observing worship of God is about His plumb line of righteousness not our comfort or convenience.

As the goal of religion becomes convenience, then religion also becomes non-judgmental.

Jerusalem is fine – so is Bethel, so is Dan – what’s really the difference?

“Is it enough for us to have wonderful times of worship, solid biblical teaching, and a correct theology?”

The answer to that question is “No!”

Not if it does not translate into a transformed life that seeks to live out the call of God in our everyday life.

Not only was the church corrupt because the people and their leaders were crooked, but the government was corrupt as well.

Having failed to measure up to the plumb line the nation’s chief structures (religious - high places; and political Jeroboam’s kingdom) would be demolished.

Revealing Each One

Amaziah was the priest of Bethel and he sent word to King Jeroboam of Israel accusing Amos of conspiring against him.

Amaziah took Amos’s message and instead of attributing his words to God’s declared message He said they were the words of Amos and He changed what Amos said.

Amos has said - Jeroboam will die by the sword - which is not the same as what Amos said “ I (the LORD) will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword”

Amaziah has the opportunity to hear and heed the word of God proclaimed by Amos, and instead chooses to ignore and outright reject the word of the Lord.

History is full of hireling religious leaders, who were great enemies of the true leaders of God; when they could find no charge of false doctrine or immorality they instead accused them of conspiring against the government.

Amaziah then speaks to Amos directly telling him to leave and to flee.

Go away you seer and flee to Judah.

Earn your living and give your prophecies there.

Do not prophecy in Bethel again it is the king’s sanctuary and temple.

Amaziah had no interest in whether or not what Amos was saying was true.

He had a good job, he was comfortable, and things seemed to be going pretty well in society.

Amaziah desired to maintain his comfort level more than he desired to hear a word from God.