That is our fourth look within the ebook of Amos. A bit of ebook which comes in the direction of the top of the Previous Testomony however it’s useful to keep in mind that Amos spoke earlier than the individuals of God had been overtaken. So though the ebook comes late within the structure of the Previous Testomony, Amos’ ministry was about 760 BC.

I’m appreciating going by Amos. Yesterday at a marriage someone informed me that at their church, they’re additionally going by the ebook of Amos and their congregation had been fairly fed up with Amos. And I felt the other, possibly that’s as a result of I’ve been preaching the sermons.  I hope you admire that there’s a ebook within the Scriptures which tells us that there’s a God within the universe who’s deeply dedicated to you and isn’t going to place up with distance or recreation enjoying or superficiality or vacancy or deadness however needs a detailed and joyful stroll with you.

In case you Google ‘The Hound of  Heaven’, the good poem by Francis Thompson, that’s what Amos is telling us that God is the Lion of Heaven who pursues his individuals with an important devotion and an important ardour and an important concern.

So we’ve regarded thus far at:

• the primary two chapters the place God the Lion roars
• the second two chapters we noticed that God declares that he’ll go to his individuals
• in chapters 5 & 6 God makes an attraction to his individuals to return to him in order that he won’t have to go to them in some judgement.

And also you surprise as you come to chapters 7 & 8 whether or not there’s something extra to say from the ebook of Amos. And the reply is, there may be as a result of in any other case, the ebook would end at chapter 6.

What we uncover in chapters 7 & 8 is one thing very valuable.  We’re going to see a bit window into the turmoil that takes place in God’s coronary heart as he wrestles with the choice to be simply or compassionate and it’s a wrestle. Think about a President or a Prime Minister who wrestles drastically with the difficulty of whether or not to hitch a struggle for the great, understanding the price otherwise you consider a mum or dad who lies awake at evening making an attempt to work out what to do with a wayward son or daughter – whether or not to essentially step in or whether or not to maintain again, whether or not to talk or whether or not to maintain quiet.

The identical with a pastor, Bible examine chief or a Youth Chief involved about someone underneath their care who’s strolling in sin.  Do you say one thing, do you pressure the friendship or do you simply preserve quiet and preserve it in prayer?

It’s the type of turmoil that takes place within the human coronary heart and it’s a microcosm of what’s going on in God’s coronary heart, as a result of God is making an attempt to work out whether or not to train nice justice which after all has repercussions for his popularity on the planet and naturally the struggling of individuals, or whether or not to proceed in compassion and endurance.

What we’re going to have a look at in Chapter 7 is, What God’s compassion seems to be like after which we’re going to look in Chapter 8 What God’s justice seems to be like. I need to start by studying Chapter 7:1-6.

What God’s Compassion Appears to be like Like

Amos 7:1-6 (NIV) Locusts, Hearth and a Plumb Line
That is what the Sovereign Lord confirmed me: He was making ready swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and simply because the late crops had been arising. Once they had stripped the land clear, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He’s so small!”

So the Lord relented.

“This won’t occur,” the Lord stated.

That is what the Sovereign Lord confirmed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fireplace; it dried up the good deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I urge you, cease! How can Jacob survive? He’s so small!”

So the Lord relented.

“This won’t occur both,” the Sovereign Lord stated.

To begin with, let’s assume this morning about what God’s compassion is like. Within the first half of Amos chapter 7, there are three temporary visions. There are three issues the Lord reveals Amos and reveals us as a result of we’re studying Amos.

The primary imaginative and prescient, as I’ve simply learn, is a locust plague, getting studying to eat the crops they usually eat the crops, they usually eat the crops earlier than there generally is a correct harvest.  This can be a tragedy; it’s the No.1 tragedy for an agrarian financial system and the response from Amos (chapter 7 verse 2) “Lord forgive, Jacob” that’s Israel is so little, and the Lord relented and stated ‘this disaster won’t occur.

The second imaginative and prescient is a fireplace (verse 4).  It’s clearly not an strange catastrophe as a result of this hearth swallows the oceans and the land.  And once more Amos’ response ‘Sovereign Lord cease, Israel is so little’.  And the Lord relented that this disaster won’t occur.

Now it will need to have been terrifying for Amos to see the visions as a result of they had been so comprehensively horrible and what we’re seeing is that there’s a wrestle occurring contained in the very coronary heart of God to be simply and to be compassionate.  He needs judgment to exit for sin (that’s proper), however he needs compassion to cease the disaster.

So I’ll make three fast feedback on this, and I hope that is very useful for you.

The primary is that Jacob in these visions seems to be little.  That’s shocking as a result of the nation of Israel, was distinguished and affluent however within the face of the judgments of the locusts and the hearth, Israel regarded fairly little.

It’s like the person who we see in some sphere who’s being very proud and scoffing on the thought of God, shaking his little fist at God, they usually appear to be a really spectacular and influential particular person, and then you definitely get in an aeroplane and also you fly up within the sky and also you look down, and you’ll hardly see that particular person.  And then you definitely go into area, and you’ll barely see the earth that they’re standing on and all of it falls into perspective.

In order that’s the very first thing. Jacob within the face of what God may do seems to be little or no.

The second factor is Amos cares for Israel, and that’s uncommon as a result of Israel is the Northern land and never a pal of the South and Amos comes from the South and so why ought to he care that this Northern land of Israel which they aren’t significantly near would get into bother.  You’d assume that he could be delighted.

And the rationale that Amos cares for Israel is that God has made him a caring prophet. God has put his fact into Amos and he has put one thing of his love into Amos and Amos turns into a bit consultant of what God is like. So God who’s the Shepherd of his individuals has chosen a bit shepherd referred to as Amos and made him a mannequin of fact and like to symbolize this nice God of the universe.  And when Amos maybe will get down on his knees and begs for Israel’s security, he’s the instrument of God calling on the compassion of God which is the delight of God.

So Amos isn’t a greater particular person as if God is harsh and unyielding and Amos is available in as a pleasant particular person to steer the nasty God to be gracious – by no means.  Amos is someone who God has raised as much as converse to males about his compassion after which to wish to God for compassion.  And I feel it’s essential for us to see this.

God doesn’t cease being compassionate, ever.  There may be not a second of an hour of a day of every week of a 12 months of a decade of a century the place God stops being compassionate.  You’ll be able to’t take compassion out of him as if he all of a sudden strikes from the compassion channel and strikes on to the simply channel.  He’s all the time compassionate, and he’s all the time simply on the identical time.  And all the things he does entails compassion whether or not he’s, so to talk, leaning down with a spoon to feed somebody or whether or not he’s leaning down with a scalpel to function on somebody. It’s all pushed by compassion.

So if Amos calls out ‘forgive and cease’, it’s as a result of God has put him ready to name down his functions as a result of God is the inventor of the mediator.  The New Testomony tells us that there’s One Mediator who God has put in place, the Man Christ Jesus – 1 Timothy 2:5 – who gave his life as a ransom as a result of God is the God of mediation and Amos is a bit preview shadow of the good mediation accomplished by Jesus.

Now the third remark is that God relents and that’s complicated to some individuals, however it doesn’t imply that God is being talked out of his prime precedence which is to be vengeful – it signifies that God is being talked into his prime precedence which is to be merciful.

Let me see if I can clarify a bit of this as I feel I’ve accomplished up to now, however it might be value going over this once more.  Theologians discuss God as having two wills on the identical time.  This isn’t uncommon, this isn’t inconsistent, and a great mum or dad has acquired two wills on the identical time;

• A mum or dad has a will that my little one won’t undergo – that’s a real and wonderful will to have
• A mum or dad will say in a given scenario; I’m prepared for my little one to be minimize and operated on.

The need that they might not undergo is actual.
The need that they are going to undergo is actual.
They’re each working on the identical time.

So God has a will that theologians name “his will of decree” – that is what I decree – that is what’s going to occur.  And it might be that the decree is that one thing would occur which may be very painful and dear.

• God ordered that his personal Son, Jesus could be murdered
• God ordered that his individuals Israel could be overrun by the Assyrians and what was a big group grew to become a small group
• God typically decrees {that a} devoted Christian will expertise illness or disappointment or grief or loss or bother, that’s his decree.

And this order could overrule his Will of enjoyment, that’s what he likes to see occur.

• He likes to see his Son honoured and spared
• He likes to see Israel repent and never be run over
• He likes to see his youngsters joyful and spared

However the decree will of God overrule the delight will of God with out cancelling the delight will of God.  The 2 of them are working on the identical time, however the decree overrules the delight.

And it overrules the delight as a result of a larger function is going down.

• Jesus will undergo as a result of there’s a salvation plan going down
• Israel will likely be overrun by the Assyrians as a result of there’s a purifying course of going down
• Any individual is struggling or struggling or in bother as a result of God is understanding a larger function.

And that’s the place the Christian has to study to belief God if the upper function is a secret as a result of there are issues that God reveals (and they’re straightforward to observe), however there are issues that he retains secret. And we could expertise the issues that God has decreed to happen in our life that are very troublesome, and they aren’t defined to us however he continues to please in our welfare, and he continues to please with nice love for us.

How do we all know this? As a result of the remainder of the Bible tells us that he by no means stops loving his individuals, he has cherished his individuals on the cross and he loves his individuals on a regular basis.

So the 2 visions that happen in Amos chapter 7 verses 1-6 give us a bit window into this interior turmoil or wrestle that takes place within the character of God between the justice of God which he has acquired each proper to execute, the sending of locusts and fireplace, and the compassion of God which he delights to supply which is to forestall an actual disaster from going down.

After which we come to the third imaginative and prescient in verse 7, and that is the place the Lord holds a plumb line. Amos sees the Lord holding a plumb line, and we assume that that’s what the phrase within the Hebrew says as a result of it’s the one time it is available in the entire Bible and subsequently it’s all the time troublesome to be precisely exact, however it seems to be very like a plumb line.

Right here is the Lord holding a plumb line which is displaying as clearly as clearly that his individuals are crooked. And since his individuals are dishonest, that is what he’s going to do (verses 7-9).

“Then the Lord stated, “Look, I’m setting a plumb line amongst my individuals Israel; I’ll spare them not.

“The excessive locations of Isaac will likely be destroyed
and the sanctuaries of Israel will likely be ruined;
with my sword, I’ll rise in opposition to the home of Jeroboam.””

Now, do you see, subsequently, that the primary signal of God’s compassion is a need to carry again justice for so long as he can? And the second signal of God’s compassion is that he’s talking, warning, speaking and interesting so long as he can.

The one that retains silent when they’re watching someone transfer towards hazard doesn’t appear to care concerning the particular person operating towards hazard. The one that speaks up when somebody is strolling towards hazard seems to be the one that speaks up, and God speaks up as he watches his individuals transfer in the direction of this hazard.

And what we have now within the second half of Amos chapter 7 is a bit wrestle that takes place between talking and never talking as a result of a person referred to as Amaziah that may be a priest, a priest who was clearly only a skilled priest and apparently not a really godly priest.  We would say that Amaziah was like an ungodly Archbishop who has an Workplace and Energy however doesn’t care concerning the Phrase of God.

Amaziah stepped ahead primarily to say to Amos – “Maintain Quiet and Go Dwelling”.  And he writes to the king, Amaziah writes to the King (7:10) with a collection of lies.

He says

• King. You might have an interest to know (7:10) that Amos is elevating a conspiracy in opposition to you – effectively that’s not true
• You might have an interest to know that the land is being threatened by Amos – effectively that’s not true; the land goes to be threatened for those who don’t take heed to Amos
• You might have an interest to know that Amos says you’ll be killed with the sword – that’s not true.  Amos has merely stated that God would deliver the sword on the nation.

So there’s a bit conflict going down right here of the false and the true prophet.  The false prophet is twisting the phrases and ordering Amos to go residence and earn his a refund in Judah. And it will need to have been considerably scary for Amos to be informed ‘go residence’ by someone who has excessive Workplace.

However Amos is aware of who’s behind him, and I really like what he says in chapter 7 verses 14-15 – how’s this for a means of creating your credentials.

I’m not a prophet, I’m not even a prophet’s son, I used to be a shepherd, I used to maintain fig timber, and God took me and put me into this place.  He stands behind me, and that’s why I’m going to proceed to talk, and I’ve a phrase for you and that it that your personal household are going to undergo dreadfully on account of you turning your again on the Phrase of God (7:17).

This can be a image of utter desperation as a result of Amaziah goes to be taken off into exile, his spouse goes to have to show most likely in desperation to prostitution and little children will fall by the sword.

Now, this isn’t Amos simply being abusive, personally offensive; that is Amos passing on what God has stated to him.  So it’s a lovely factor to see Amos stand, a easy man that he’s, with the residing God who speaks behind him.  And since God is a talking God and he stands behind us who imagine in him and belong to him and search to serve him, we are able to converse on behalf of him with nice authority.

You will note the impact of this on Amos as initially he’s a powerful man within the face of strain.  He’s let loose from the No.1 precedence to be common – he speaks the reality.

And the second factor is that he has a solution for the one that says ‘who says so?’  As a result of Amos’ reply is ‘God says so’.

One of many difficulties once you throw out the Phrase of God which could be accomplished by a nation like Australia or could be accomplished by some church buildings or could be accomplished by some people, for those who throw the Bible out – for those who throw out the Phrase of God, you not have a solution to the query ‘who says so?’  It simply turns into ‘I says so’ against ‘you says so’.

And one of many nice difficulties of dropping the target Phrase of God is that we fall into the lack of universals.  We’re not in a position to increase the voice of a common command which doesn’t, after all, cease people from selecting to be upright residents however it stops the neighborhood from having the ability to increase a common for the neighborhood wherein case the neighborhood should fragment into a complete collection of individualism. And right here is Amos who can converse the Phrase of God, the Lord says so’ as a result of the Lord stands behind him.

So don’t miss the compassion right here in Amos 7 – God waits, and waits, and waits till he can wait no extra.  And he speaks, and speaks and speaks till he can converse no extra.  And the factor that he’s looking for is true fellowship and never only a type of a pretend nominalism.

We should be very grateful that God having chosen us
and referred to as us
and saved us
and forgiven us
and adopted us
Who has plans for us isn’t going to let his individuals fall right into a pretend nominalism and could also be why he sends sure fires to heat us and to purify us and to deliver us into a really wealthy fellowship with him.  Not as a result of he doesn’t love us however as a result of he does love us.

What God’s Justice Appears to be like Like

Now the second level – far more briefly this morning is What God’s Justice Appears to be like Like, and also you’ll see for those who have a look at chapter 8 verse 1 that there’s a fourth imaginative and prescient and the fourth imaginative and prescient is a basket of ripe fruit.

The explanation that Amos sees a basket of ripe fruit he’s informed is as a result of the time is true for God’s individuals to be disciplined.  And keep in mind the self-discipline goes to happen inside the covenant.  And the proof that the self-discipline must happen and that the fellowship between God’s individuals and God is SICK, the proof is that the fellowship between God’s individuals and God’s individuals is SICK. And you’ll see that for those who have a look at chapter 8 verse 4.

“You trample the needy and get rid of the poor of the land” and have a look at verse 5 “they don’t actually like non secular issues,they are saying when will the New Moon be over that we could promote grain, when will the Sabbath be over that we could market skimping the measure, boosting the value, dishonest with dishonest scales…….”

You see what the individuals are saying – how rapidly can this service be over?  Come on, how rapidly can this sermon be over? Let me out of right here to do the stuff I need to do! It’s a great warning, isn’t it?

And naturally our minds wander in sermons however you must be involved concerning the thoughts that’s all the time absent, as a result of in case your thoughts is all the time shifting away from non secular issues and is all the time shifting to enterprise, you’d actually begin to ask your self, wouldn’t you – has God given me a brand new urge for food for non secular issues?

Properly if you wish to know what justice seems to be like when it falls on the responsible

• Verse 7, God takes an oath, he gained’t neglect something, and all the things has been seen
• Verse 8, Israel, the land, goes to be flooded.  It’s not going to be flooded with water; it’s going to be flooded with the Assyrians
• Verse 9, there’s going to be darkness, most likely not literal darkness however some type of nice non secular darkness even in the midst of the day
• Verse 10, there will likely be nice mourning, weeping, disappointment like dropping an solely son and most critical of all
• Verses 11 & 12, there may be going to be a famine however it’s not a famine of bread, it’s going to be a famine of the Phrase of God.  God goes to be silent and cease talking.

Now you recognize from your personal residence what it’s like when someone stops talking. You understand what’s is like in friendships or household – wider household – the place someone stops speaking to you – it’s unsettling, it’s distressing, it’s perplexing. And when God, the God of the Universe, stops talking, that’s the last word within the breakdown.  The individuals who have despised the reality now uncover that the reality walks away.

I keep in mind John Chapman preaching on the ebook of Amos in a collection of Minor Prophets Sermons at CMS Summer season College in Katoomba as soon as and he was given Amos, and he simply spoke on Chapter 8 verse 11.  A famine of listening to the phrases of the Lord – that’s all he spoke on.  And he pleaded with the individuals of Sydney to not assume that it was our proper to have a devoted Bible School or two or to have devoted pulpits or 100 however to see them because the mercy of God as a result of we don’t deserve it.

And we ought, subsequently, to point out our nice God, an important humility earlier than his phrase as a result of you recognize the place nations throw out the Phrase of God as among the European nations have thrown out the Phrase of God, they expertise nice ethical darkness.

When church buildings have turfed the Phrase of God out, they expertise an important non secular darkness. When people have gotten no room for the Phrase of God – I’m too busy – straight to the pc – continuous enterprise. In case you despise the Phrase of God and God stops chatting with you, you might be in very very nice darkness, we should always not despise the Phrase of God.

And you will notice as you have a look at verse 13 that the people who God loves, pretty ladies, sturdy younger males who trusted falsely (verse 14) in idols and rituals will fall and that’s what justice seems to be like.

When justice falls, says the Scripture, it seems to be like being overtaken, overwhelmed.

• It seems to be like falling into darkness
• It seems to be like falling into disappointment
• It seems to be like falling into silence.

These are the issues Jesus warned of when he spoke of hell hoping individuals would by no means go there.

Now I don’t assume we are able to miss as we learn these verses the reminder that what these phrases describe –

• Overwhelmed
• Darkness
• The lack of an solely son
• Silence

That’s Calvary – that’s what’s going down on the Cross.

You’ll be able to’t learn the top of the Gospels and never see Jesus going by an amazing judgment.  What he referred to as a Baptism of Hearth and the darkness at noon and the loss of life of an solely son and the silence as a result of he calls out “Why have you ever deserted me?” and will get no reply.

That’s the judgment of God falling on Jesus.  Why is the judgment falling on Jesus again at Calvary?  Properly as a result of God would fairly die than see you get judgment.  And he has made a provision by Jesus which is so fantastic that every one of that has fallen on his Son in order that the one that believes in him would escape it and enter into the refuge of God perpetually.  That’s the God of the Bible, the very nice compassionate and simply God of the Bible.

There on the Cross we see the justice fall on Jesus and the compassion prolonged to the world – that’s the God of the Bible.

Now I considered this as I used to be making ready – and I believed what am I going to do with this myself? And maybe you may wish to take up a few of these easy Purposes on account of this a part of Amos.

That is what I’m looking for to do, and I’m asking God to assist me.

• I need to be a grateful particular person
• I need to be a extra grateful person who God would save me from darkness and from grief and from silence – I need to thank him for that
• I need to be a extra devoted particular person
• I don’t need to check his endurance
• I don’t need to play at Christianity. It’s even simpler to play at Christianity when you find yourself in skilled Christianity as a result of I do know that God will deliver fireplace to recreation enjoying.
• I additionally need to be a godly particular person
• I need to be a bit bit like Amos involved for the misplaced
• Affected person with sinners (as a result of God has been very affected person with me)
• And to be truthful – saying what must be stated
• I additionally need to be an built-in Christian – the Spirit of God who dwells in my coronary heart ruling all the things so that there’s not a ‘no go space’ in my coronary heart.

Have you ever acquired a ‘no go space’ in your Christian life?

If in case you have a ‘no go space’ in your Christian life the place God is because it had been forbidden, if that had been doable entry, the ‘no go space’ will imply that you’ll develop into a ‘no develop Christian’.  And if the ‘no go space’ continues perpetually, it’s important to ask your self whether or not you’re a ‘no no Christian’? Whether or not you don’t know him?

And I need to be an built-in Christian, one who if Amos was to go to me, would see that there was a looking for to be actual as a result of that’s what God is looking for.  And in an actual Christian life, God is considerably honoured and served, and individuals are helped, and I’m peaceable.

Properly, let’s pray for that –

Father, we offer you our thanks, this morning for revealing your compassion and your justice.  We see this supremely on the Cross of Calvary the place the justice which we deserve fell on the Lord Jesus, and the compassion that he deserves is prolonged to us.

We pray that within the mild of what you’ve proven us in Amos and perfected at Calvary, that you’d trigger us, your individuals, to be glad about what we have now acquired.  We pray that you’d trigger us to be devoted in strolling actually with you.  We pray that you’d assist us to be godly, one thing of an envoy for the Lord Jesus and we pray that you’d additionally assist us to be built-in, that your Holy Spirit would fill and rule our coronary heart and bear the fruit of pleasure and peace and faithfulness and helpfulness.

And we ask all of it in Jesus’ Identify – Amen.

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