We are going to continue in the book of Amos today.   The past two posts  were about this old testament book, and there’s a lot of material.   To summarize what we’ve gone over so far,  a man named Amos was prophesying in the land of Israel.  He was from Judah.  These two countries were both Jewish of origin, but they split apart.  Both nations were wealthy and had a lot of territory.   Amos’s prophetic message was not for continued prosperity and good times.  The prophesy of Amos was one of condemnation and impending suffering.  He spoke about destruction and war, not just for Israel, but also for 7 other nations in the region, including his home country of Judah.

He listed the various ways that Israel had sinned against God.   There were a bunch of them, but I will go over some major themes.  First, there was frequent mention of how the rich would take advantage of the poor.  It is unavoidable to have rich and poor in a society, but the rich Israelites were oppressive and many of them became rich using methods that were unfair and unlawful.  Second, the Israelites had become lazy.  They didn’t live in ways that would prepare them for trials.  Third, they were self-indulgent. They pursued comfort and leisure.  Now comfort and leisure can be good things, when they are in their proper place.  But if those things hold a higher place in your heart or on your list of priorities, they can take the place of God, and can become idols.  Fourth, they did not return to God no matter the circumstance.  When they were faced with trials, they didn’t return to God.  Whether they were at peace or in war, there was no time for God.  When they were suffering or hungry, they didn’t want God’s help.

Finally, they had a pride that kept them from God.  They took credit for their own success, and blamed others for their failures.  Because they were Israel, they felt entitled to a relationship with God.  They looked at their sins and felt justified in their wrongdoings for no reason besides their ancestry or the country they lived in. That brings us to Chapter 7:

7 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up. 2 When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”

Up until now, Amos had just told Israel their sins and explained that a punishment was coming.  Now we get to the part where we see what’s gong to happen.  God shows Amos him some of the ways that He had prepared to punish Israel.  The first way was a swarm of locusts to eat all of the “second crop.”  For a bit of history, the king would take the first crop for himself.  The second harvest went to the actual farmers, but the King got his share before everyone else.  When you take the first share, you symbolically claim ownership of everything.  It’s a little bit similar to how God asks for his first fruits.  But the HUGE difference is God doesn’t steal firstfruits or take them by force with an army.  God just asks.  And he says “test me in this.”  So the giving is voluntary. It’s up to you. That’s how God asks for his offerings and tithes. He asks for the first portion, because he is God over everything.  But he asks for it. The Bible says God loves a cheerful giver. To God, the attitude of the gift is as important as the gift itself. When you give, it should be a joyous experience. That’s why God asks. The heart is important.  On the other hand, Kings don’t ask.  Governments and authorities of this world don’t ask.  They take what they want. In Amos’ day, the King would get the first crop, and everyone else would share the second crop. Today, our taxes are withheld from our paychecks automatically. When you go to the store, the sales tax is figured in your total.  But with God, it’s different. God wants your heart to be in it. In the case of Israel, God gave them a clear warning before giving them their first King.  Before Saul, God warned His people.  He warned them that any leader that wasn’t God Himself would steal from them and send their kids to wars.  But even then, Israel didn’t listen to God.  Israel wanted a King like the other nations. All this is a different sermon.  But if you are interested in this.  If politics and government interest you, read 1st Samuel 8.  It explains very clearly the difference between human Governments and God’s desire for us.

But anyway, Amos saw locusts devouring a crop.  Not the King’s crop, but the people’s crop.  Losing that crop leads to the masses starving.  If the locusts came before the first crop, the second crop might still have a chance to feed people.  So Amos begged God to forgive Israel, saying, “How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”  Let’s read on:

3 So the Lord relented.  “This will not happen,” the Lord said.  4 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. 5 Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”

God relented and did not send the locusts.  He instead called for judgement by fire, which would dry out the deep and devour the land.  What’s that mean?  What’s the Deep?  It means first and foremost the water supply.  So God is going to send a fire that is supernatural and can burn water. Or it’s hot enough to evaporate all of it. Some people think the Deep or the water represents a very large number of people. Their explanation comes from Revelation 17:15, where John uses the “waters” represent peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. If it literally means water, then the people of Israel will all suffer and starve or die of thirst.  If it means people, it still means Israel is targeted for God’s wrath.  Amos again begged God to stop, asking, “How can Jacob survive?  He is so small!”.  And again God relents in verse 6.  He doesn’t bring the destruction he showed Amos.  So God shows Amos something else:

7 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied.  Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.

Finally God shows Amos a plumb line.  What’s that?  Plumb lines are weighted lines of string which are used to make straight lines on walls.  God is comparing his people in Israel to a crooked wall.  The first two judgements don’t discriminate who suffers and are designed as an event that destroys a population of people.  This third punishment, the Plumb line,  seems to allow for some to remain standing, if they aren’t making the wall crooked. Look at the punishments quick. The purpose of a plague of locusts is starvation, and the purpose of a huge fire is to burn people, dry out their water, and scorch the land. But the purpose of the plumb line is to make something correct and true. The first two judgements that are designed to punish and destroy, but this judgement, the plumb line, is different. It’s designed to fix a problem. The goal of the plumb line is to have something correct.  Something Right.  Something True.  Something Without blemish.

9 “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed
and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.”

But in order to make the wall straight, God will destroy the high places and sanctuaries of Israel. Everyone knows what the high places and sanctuaries of Israel are, right? Are they really sanctuaries? No. Those things had become places to commit idolatry against God.  We will talk a bit more about that later. God says “with My sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.”  This means God will move with a judgement that not only punishes Israel, but also the royal family, who was called to lead the people.  Unlike the plague of the locusts, which seemed to come after the King got his piece of the crops, and unlike the fire which will affect the whole nation of Israel, God wants to send a punishment that punishes the right people.  And verse 9 says the house of Jeroboam and all the idol worshippers will suffer the most.  Amos 7:10-11.

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11 For this is what Amos is saying:  “‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’”

Verse 10.  Amaziah the priest of Bethel sends a message to Jeroboam, the King of Israel, warning him that there is a conspiracy against him. Who are these guys? Well Amaziah is the priest of Bethel. And Bethel is the city that the Israelites are using as their spiritual capital city. Beth El, literally translated means the house of God. Bethel was for Israel kind of like what Jerusalem was for Judah. Since the United Kingdom of Israel divided, the northern Kingdom of Israel needed a new capital city, and they needed a new Zion. More history; many years before, when the Kingdoms divided, the very first King of Israel was also named Jeroboam.  One of the first things he did was name Bethel as the new city of God. That sounds like a noble goal, but he did it totally wrong. It was unBiblical. He set up centers to worship the golden calf, and appointed non-Levites to work as priests. So from the beginning of it’s separate existence, Israel had strayed from God’s truth. By this time, basically Bethel was a cult center used by the Israelites, and this guy, Amaziah was the chief priest of the golden calf shrine. He shouldn’t be confused with the previous king of Judah, who is also named Amaziah. And the current king Jeroboam II shouldn’t be confused with the very first King of Israel, Jeroboam I.

So now we either understand the different characters here a bit more, or I just really confused everyone.  But let’s move on, and figure out what the scripture means.

A prophet of God, Amos, came to an unfriendly nation of idolaters, Israel, with a warning.  The head of idol worship, Amaziah, in their religious cult city didn’t like the warning, and told the king at the time, Jeroboam II, that Amos was conspiring against him. The head of Idol worship then misquoted the prophet, Amos. Amos said, God will rise against the house of Jeroboam with his sword. But Amaziah said Jeroboam will die by the sword. Not quite the same message. Amaziah tells the King that the land could not bear the prophet’s words.

There’s an important take away at this point.  We might wonder what Amos has to do with Christianity. It’s 2015, or about 2750 years after this was written.  What does this prophet’s life story mean to us? Like Amos, we have the truth. We have it right here in the Bible. Like Amos, we have an obligation to share the truth with others who need to hear it. And Like Amos, the people that we end up sharing this truth with do not want to hear it. They will tell us that their ears can’t bear the words we are telling them. This is what it means to be dead in sin. This is what it means to be blind to God and Deaf to his word. Now, our message is a little different than Amos’s. While we need to explain the concept of being condemned, It is Christ who was condemned for us. He was forsaken for us. While we need to recognize and teach about the wages of sin, we also have the Good news of God’s grace for all who believe in Christ Jesus. In theory, our message SHOULD be more palatable to hear than Amos’s. But it’s surprising how few people want to hear this message in this day in age. Modern Civilization is a lot like the Kingdom of Israel was. We have rich people treating poor people badly. We have laziness. We have people pursuing leisure, comfort, entertainment. We generally meet people who have no place for God in their lives. And the ones that DO claim to have God? They are sometimes the ones who have the worst prideful, superior mindset.  Sometimes they are the ones who feel entitled or who have an expectation to be justified in their sins, despite having no remorse or repentance. And yet, here we are with the words of eternal life.  With the only way for true freedom. It puts us in a weird position. God understands this.

It can be frustrating to speak the truth to a people who don’t want to listen. It can be discouraging when you are called to follow God in a world where it looks like everyone else is going in the other direction. But these feelings are nothing new. There has always been a certain kind of loneliness for the followers of God. Noah, as he built the arc. Isaiah, speaking of a voice crying out in the wilderness.  John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy. And here’s Amos, giving a message that nobody wants to hear. I think God wants us to be encouraged. Even though it can feel lonely to do the right thing, or say the right thing, you need to remember: we are among some great men and women through history. It can be easy to read these stories and comprehend what happened. But it’s important to actually put yourself in the shoes of these people. OK I get it. Noah built an arc. But think about what it was like for him. He was the only man in the whole world who had this conviction. He didn’t know exactly what God had in store for him, but he lived with obedience in his heart, and NOBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD believed him enough to build their own arc.

After Amos 7:10-11 The Bible never tells us that King Jeroboam II ever listened to or responded to the words of Amaziah OR Amos.  Let’s read 12-13

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”

In Chapters 10-11 We read that Amaziah sent a message directly to the King. But where did the King respond? He didn’t. For years, I have read Amos and assumed that King Jeroboam II was telling Amos to get out of his nation, his Kingdom. But the Bible never really says that. Who is talking in verses 12 and 13? Is it a message from the King? No. It’s Amaziah. Amaziah took it upon himself to respond to Amos directly. He basically told Amos to go back to Judah.  Go earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. You aren’t welcome in Bethel, because this is the King’s sanctuary, and the temple of the Kingdom.

What?  Read these verses again.  What’s wrong here?  Where do I even begin to discuss all that’s wrong with what this guy Amaziah is saying? First, he is speaking on behalf of a King, although we don’t know if he has the authority to do that. Second, he basically told Amos that Bethel is the King’s Sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom. What King are they talking about? Is it God? No! The “King” is Jeroboam II. So what is a sanctuary? It’s supposed to be a holy place. A place set apart. Who set this sanctuary apart? Who made Bethel what it was? Some guy who committed idolatry about 100 years before, whose name happened to also be Jeroboam. He set up golden calves. And what about this temple in Bethel? It’s a temple of God? No. The name Bethel implies it is, but it isn’t! Amaziah himself refers to it as “a temple of the Kingdom” of Jeroboam II. It’s almost amusing to hear such a badly put together argument. So to summarize, what Amaziah basically says is “you need to go because” Well, there’s a man named Jeroboam who claims to have a divinely appointed role as King, even though in reality he’s just some delusional guy. And if he were to respond to my message (he hasn’t yet, but if he did), I think he would probably say that this place here is holy. Why is this place holy?? Not because God set it apart. No, because by this King’s authority he says it is.  And that place over there is a temple. A temple? A temple for what?  An illegitimate kingdom. A temple to a false God known as the Israeli royal family. And they probably don’t like to hear the truth that you are saying. Verse 12. Amaziah also called Amos a seer, which is a kind of insult. It has occult connotations. And he’s a seer who’s trying to earn his bread.

I want to explain something. If you are trying to make lots of money and earn some bread, here’s a quick tip. Don’t go somewhere and tell people that they will be condemned. If you want to make a lot of money, tell people things that they want to hear. You will make more money that way. Entertain them, make them happy, but don’t say, “your country is headed for destruction.” That doesn’t pay off. Second, if you ignore the first part, and you DO go somewhere, and happen to tell them they are condemned, then at least ask them for money. Amos didn’t do that. He wasn’t looking for money. Nowhere in His prophesy was he asking for a collection. He didn’t tell anyone that they could avoid the impending destruction if they just donated right NOW. Let’s read his response.  Chapters 14-15

14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

Amos denied being a career prophet. Spreading doom and gloom wasn’t his livelihood. He wasn’t from a family of prophets, nor did he even consider himself a prophet. He was a shepherd. He hung out with sheep all day. When he wasn’t hanging out with sheep, what was he doing? Hanging out with trees! Sycamore-fig trees, to be exact. What does it matter what kind of trees Amos tended?  Personally, I don’t know. It doesn’t matter to me. But for some reason, it mattered to him. He was happy to describe the absolutely boring life that he led. Think about that for a second. If you were a false prophet, trying to make some money, and go on an international tour, you might at least make up some interesting background. I come from parts unknown. I was raised by wolves and wrestled mountain lions. At a young age, I was taken in by a family of oracles and seers who were Anointed by the Most High..  We saw things unseen by any mortal. Nope. Not Amos. Even though he has the words of God, he says, “Look, I watch sheep. And when I am not watching sheep, I watch trees. Sycamore figs are my specialty.” But what we know about God is that He can pull anybody away from the things they were doing, and call out to them with a call that we can’t refuse. He will tell us what we need to say or what we need to do, and we can’t resist Him.

For Amos, he was called by God to Prophesy to his people Israel.  This is important wording. When Amos first received the call of God away from the sheep and trees, verse 15 says God wanted him to “prophecy to His people, Israel.” There was hope. God still considered Israel to be His people. He wants a people to call His.  “So you will be my People, and I will be your God”.  That’s God’s Plan! That was even God’s plan when he called Amos. God said Prophesy… TO… MY… people. Amaziah didn’t hear that.  Read Verse 16.

16 Now then, hear the word of the Lord. You say, “‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and stop preaching against the house of Isaac.’

God tells Amos to prophecy TO his people. Amaziah Says Do not prophesy AGAINST Israel. Stop preaching AGAINST the house of Isaac. Did Amos do something wrong? Did he bring the wrong message? Was Amos supposed to preach TO them, or AGAINST them? Amos said the right message but the problem was with how Amaziah heard the message.

This verse shows us how people respond to correction and discipline. If someone tells me not to do something. They are giving a warning TO me. They aren’t speaking AGAINST me. For example, if a mother tells her son to keep away from a hot stove, she is sending a warning to her son. Restricting her son’s movement near the stove is not something that is AGAINST the child. It’s ultimately FOR the child’s benefit. And that’s how all correction is in our lives. It’s a warning TO us, FOR our benefit. But when we are stubborn, our minds can turn things around so that we feel wronged. Even if somebody is just trying to help, we feel they are speaking AGAINST us.

It would have been easier for Amos to continue tending sheep, eating figs, and taking naps under sycamore trees. But Amos did something that was difficult. He went to another country to warn people that didn’t really want to hear the warning. The truth is, Correcting other people can be difficult. It can be awkward, and embarrassing. But when it’s done for the right reasons, it’s done for their benefit.

Jesus warns people not to try and take the speck out of someone else’s eye when we have a plank in ours. But he says. Take the plank out of your eye, and THEN take the speck out of the other person’s eye. What Jesus doesn’t say is “somebody else’s eye is none of your business.” We are called to help each other and correct each other, but we need to be humble and open to correction ourselves.

Our attitude matters, whether we are giving correction or receiving correction. And if we are Christians, we should be open for correction. We should always be looking for ways that we can improve ourselves, because the last thing we want to do is become a stumbling block for somebody. We never want our own personality or our own character flaws to get in the way of someone else’s impression of who God is. As Christians, we bear the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We aren’t Jesus, but we do represent him.  That’s a noble calling. That’s also kind of scary because we know how flawed we are. But we are representing something greater than ourselves. So we want to do it as best we can. That’s why our hearts and attitudes are so important. Sometimes our correction comes directly from Scripture or prayer, but other times it comes from interactions with our brothers and sisters in Christ. No matter where it comes from, when we receive correction, we want to take it to heart and pray about it.