Amos, Pt. 3

Israel was God’s chosen nation. They made a covenant with the Lord and received His law. They were a blessed people. They had God’s protection, law, and covenant. They were a light to the nations and their God was legendary in the region. They were supposed to be a light to the nations. But Israel took all of this the wrong way. They believed they were a special nation, and that since the Lord had chosen them He would always protect them. They became spoiled children who believed they could do no wrong. Instead of understanding God as the one true God who created the heavens and the earth, made a covenant with Abraham, and who brought them out of Egypt, they started to think that they themselves were something special, so that’s why God must have chosen them. They forgot the promise made in Leviticus 26. They forgot they had a covenant to fulfill. Instead of realizing the great blessing they had and knowing what a gracious God they serve, they became arrogant and believed it was all about them. Perhaps the best illustration is the one about the difference between a cat and a dog. If you give a dog food, they will believe you are lord, but if you give a cat food, they believe they must be lord. Israel had become cat people, and understood their prosperity as the blessing of God.

Amos 3 shows Amos promising punishment from the Lord, and with much good reason. The Lord is a just God, and He will not overlook the sins of His own people. The Lord is setting a trap and roaring from Zion. The Lord is gracious to give them warning and a chance to repent. Although He mad a covenant with Israel, He is no respecter of persons. The Lord is furious when people are taken advantage of. But the people are looking at all the wealth they have and thinking, “No Amos, the Lord loves us. Look at all we have. We keep the law of God. We bring the sacrifices. We worship at Bethel. Leave us alone.”

Then Amos 4 reminds them they are not special. He calls the women of Israel a bunch of cows, who are so concerned with comfort and privilege that they demand their husbands keep bringing home the riches while having no concern for others. They have grown fat and lazy. Amos reminds them of the promises made in Leviticus 26, but the people will not listen. They are too rich and spoiled.

The church is God’s people who He has made a covenant with through Christ. But He has done that because He is a great and gracious God, not because we are special people worthy of redemption. I have heard people talk about the church with the attitude of “we have everything right, so the Lord truly loves and blesses us.” If that is our attitude we are right were Israel was when Amos preached. We are a people redeemed by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, and even that faith is a gift. Being a Christian is a wonderful blessing and responsibility, but never an excuse for arrogance. “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' " (Luke 17:10).