Amos 3

Amos 3

God’s Way

I.                    God’s people must continually seek to see things God’s way, because to those who’ve been given much, much is required       (Vv. 1-8)

a.        Amos’ accusations that Israel’s moral crimes against others, violation of God’s law, selfishness, idolatry, and impending judgment by God left the people incredulous. Afterall, they were living in a time of unprecedented peace, prosperity, and religious activity, surely God was delighted with them and blessing them? Besides, they were God’s people, surely He wouldn’t come down on them like the pagan peoples who deserved it! But Amos says that God will judge the harshly precisely because they’re His people. God chose Israel as His covenant people solely as an act of His gracious unconditional love, not because of their merit. God called Israel out from among the nations, and promised to preserve and bless them as a condition of their obedience. Their responsibility was to reveal God to the world as His light to the nations, but Israel had grown selfish and self-centered. All the “blessings” of peace, prosperity, and religious revival they were currently enjoying were an empty façade, acquired in their own strength, and did nothing to glorify God or reflect His light into the world. They had been given much by God, thus He required much of them, and therefore He would hold them accountable. As Christians we’ve received the full revelation of God in Christ at an incalculably high cost to Him. As such, we’re responsible for growing to understand, submit, and commit every aspect and area of our lives to glorifying the Name of Christ and serve others. That’s to be the ultimate purpose of our marriage, our relationships, our friendships, our children, our possessions, our abilities, our talents, our time, and our church. Are we growing to increasingly reflect the image of Christ through all areas of our lives, or are we seeking our own comfort and desires? (Vv. 1-2; Deut. 7:7-15; 8:19-20; Ps. 90:12; Isa. 42:6-10; 49:6; John 15:16; 1 Cor. 6:17-20; 7:23; Eph. 1:3-14, 18-23; 5:15-21)

b.       But while God expects more from His children, and holds us accountable for what we’ve received, He never passes judgment without a preceding warning. Amos communicates this reality to the Israelites through a series of cause and effect questions and statements. The Israelites were to walk with God because they had covenanted to do so. God is the lion who is roaring because He has caught His prey. Israel is the bird in the trap that took the bait of the world and God had to spring the trap. His trumpet was sounding in warning that calamity was coming, but the people wouldn’t heed the warning, and now will suffer the consequences. When the people of God do not walk with God, they stray from Him and become like those with whom they walk. God’s people are responsible to Him for revealing His light to the world. God uses all things to warn and direct His people, to glorify His name, bless them, and help them avoid His judgement. The warnings we see in life aren’t just for everyone else, God is calling us to evaluate ourselves, all we have, and all we do, to see if we’re meeting our responsibility to glorify Him and reflect His light into the world by seeing things His way, agreeing with Him, and walking with Him. (Vv. 3-8; Deut. 6:4-12; Judg. 17:6; 21:25; Job 1:12; 2:6; Prov. 29:18; Isa. 45:7; Jer. 29:4-13; Hos. 5:12-15; Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; Heb. 12:4-11; 1 Pet. 4:12-19)

II.                 God’s people must continually seek to see things God’s way, because those of whom much is required are accountable for much (Vv. 9-15)

a.        The Israelites had chosen affluence, sin, and idolatry. They clung so tightly to the things which they could obtain in their own strength, and so greatly valued the things which the world valued, that they no longer knew “how to do what is right”. They had grown to look like the world, but their wickedness and hypocrisy was so great that it even stood out to the world. However, all they actually stored up for themselves was certain and complete judgment. God had given them much, thus He held them responsible for much, and would hold them completely and rightly accountable for much. God will be faithful to His unconditional covenant, and preserve a remnant of His people; those who continually sought to see things His way and walk with Him. But there would be no hiding place those who had ignored God’s warnings and habitually rejected Him. Their fortresses would provide no protection, their perverted alters would provide no refuge, and all of their great wealth and possessions would be stripped away because it was self-serving, not God-serving. The church today is looking increasingly more like the world, but if we’re continually seeking to see things God’s way and live in agreement with Him, we should be distinct. Jesus died in our place to give us life, and bring us into relationship with God. Trusting in Him means we’re expected and accountable to reflect His light into the world by growing in His image. But it also means that He’ll be faithful to equip us, enable us, and walk with us, to bear eternal fruit for His glory and our true joy in life. (Vv. 9-15; Deut. 15:11; 2 Sam. 22:1-4, 33; 1 Kgs. 1:50; Ps. 18:1-3; 31:1-2; 71:1-8, 14; 91:1-4; Isa. 63:10; Matt. 16:18; 25:14-30; 28:18-20; Luke 12:16-21; John 3:16-21, 36; 15:1-11; Rom. 5:6-11; Rev. 1:10-3:22; 6:16-17)