Amos for Americans 2 (Amos 3:10)

Introduction
We have finished working through the book of Amos passage by passage, and we need to take a week to look at the structure and message of the book as a whole. Next week, Lord willing, we will come to some detailed applications.

The Text
“Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel . . .” (Amos 5:1).

Structure and Overview of the Text
Our text is the first verse in the passage that serves as the center of the seven-fold chiasm which is the entire book. Since many of passages that make up the segments of this chiasm are chiasms themselves, we have something of a “Russian doll” situation.

a coming judgment on Israel and her neighbors (1:1-2:16)
b the prophet is compelled to announce the destruction of Israel and the shrine at Bethel (3:1-15)

c condemnation of rich Israelite women (4:1-13)
d a call for repentance and a lament for Israel (5:1-17)

c’ condemnation of rich Israelite men (5:18-6:14)
b’ the prophet is compelled to announce visions of judgment, and the coming destruction of the shrine at Bethel (7:1-8:3)

a’ coming judgment, but also coming restoration for Israel and her neighbors (8:4-9:15)

 

There are two things to do here. The first is to realize that there are many more parallels within these sections beyond the broader themes laid out above. For example, take the third and the third from last sections. Cows of Bashan are in the mountain of Samaria (4:1); there are those who feed secure in the mountain of Samaria (6:1). These wealthy women drink idly (4:1); these wealthy men drink wine (6:6). The women will go into exile toward Harmon (4:2); these men will be first into exile beyond Damascus (5:27). Empty religious activities are depicted (4:4-5); empty religious activities are depicted (5:21-25). Israel loves it this way (4:5); Yahweh hates it this way (5:21). The coming judgment will turn morning into darkness (4:13); the day of Yahweh will be darkness and not light (5:18, 20). What this means (among many other things) is that this jeremiad is not a blind rant; it is a well- crafted poetic tour de force.

The second thing to remember would be the structured themes found in the whole thing:

a seven-fold chiasm: call to repentance and lament (1:1-2:16)
b seven-fold chiasm: Israel does not know how to do right (3:1-15)

c seven stanzas: what Israel wouldn’t listen to (4:1-13)
d despite lack of repentance: a seven-fold hymn to Yahweh’ power (5:1-17)

c’ seven-fold chiasm: a seven-fold woe at the center (5:18-6:14)

b’ prose section: four visions and Amaziah’s rejection of Amos (7:1-8:3)

a’ seven-fold chiasm: a hymn of praise at the center (8:4-9:15).

Remember the Two Great Themes
False living begins in false worship. If a man worships at Dan, or Bethel, or Gilgal, or Beersheba, instead of worshipping faithfully at Jerusalem, then the necessary result will be false living. That false living will work its way out, necessarily, into cruelty and hardness of heart. Self-serving wealth can do nothing but try to squeeze more out of others. So the two great sins condemned in the book of Amos are syncretistic worship, golden calf worship, and the necessary consequence, which is opulent violence against the needy.

A Prophet, Not a Partisan
Amos could have been taken an ambassador for Judah, which had her own sins. Amos could have been seen as carrying water for Assyria, which was to be the instrument of the judgment that he declared. Amos could have allowed himself to be dragged down into the factionalism that exists in every prosperous era. But he did not. Not only did he insist that the northern kingdom not dilute its worship by going to various shrines, he refused to dilute his message by coming from “various perspectives.” He came with the law of God, and the revealed word of God that had come to him, and he spoke to the sins of Israel that were plain, lying right there on the surface, and therefore undeniable. And that is why he was told to go—as prophets always are.

Courage
C.S. Lewis remarks somewhere that courage is not a separate virtue, but is rather the testing point of all the virtues. If a man is honest only so long as it does not cost him, then he is not honest. The only thing that will protect his honesty is courage. Amos was a courageous prophet, and was unwilling to bend simply because there was a consensus that he ought to. But at the same time, we have to be careful not to affirm the consequent. Courageous prophets will not bend, and neither will mule-headed stubborn men.

The Lure of Wealth
We will have to consider this in more detail as we make application to our circumstances, but it is crucial that we see the problem with the wealthy in the book of Amos. They were condemned because they worshipped the golden calves, not because they had the gold out of which those calves can be made. Compare the riches of those lolling around on ivory beds with the riches of a farmer whose plowman is catching up with his harvesters. What is the issue? What is the difference?

Two Kinds of Light
In the book of Amos, we find two different kinds of light. Picture it this way. If the day is dark gray and overcast, and terrible storms are coming, we still know that if we go high enough above the clouds, the sun is still shining bright. That is what Amos is doing in his periodic hymns of praise to Yahweh. However dark it is here and now, the prophet knows (and sings) that God remains on the throne. The sun is not ever buffeted by the winds.
Because this is true, it is possible for Amos to predict, in the last few verses of the book, that the storm will blow over and that the sun will appear here. A glorious future will come to Israel after the storm. Think of it as Calvinism in current afflictions, and Calvinism looking forward to future glory. Because God is the God of storms now, He will be the God of endless sun, where sorrow and mourning have fled away, and every tear has been wiped from our eyes.

Introduction
We come now to the conclusion of Amos, at least in the form of going through it passage by passage. Next week we will look at the book as a whole, and then some applications—Amos for Americans.

The Text
“Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail . . .” (Amos 8:4-9:15).

Structure and Overview of the Text
Amos again follows his consistent pattern. This portion of Amos is another seven-fold chiasm, and is a wonderful declaration of the permanent things.

a the coming destruction of the land (8:4-8)

b Yahweh punishes Israel (8:9-14)

c Yahweh’s judgment—no escape possible (9:1-4)

d a hymn of praise (9:5-7)

c’ Yahweh’s judgment—remnant spared (9:8-10)

b’ Yahweh will restore punished Israel (9:11-12)

a’ approaching disaster (9:13-15)

 

The evil rulers of Israel swallow the need (v. 4). They chafe under the fact that the Sabbath means they cannot cheat people seven days a week (v. 5). They hunger to steal from the hungry (v. 6). So God swears by their “excellency” or pride, and says that He will not forget their deeds (v. 7). The land will rise up like the Nile to flood them (v. 8). God will make their sun go down at noon (v. 9). He will turn all their festival days into bitter days (v. 10). He will send a famine of His own word (vv. 11-12). The young and vigorous will fail (v. 13), and those who swear by the sin of Samaria and other idols will fall forever (v. 14). God will bring judgment on the temple and those in it (9:1). Though they tunnel down to Hades, or any other place in creation, they will be found out (vv. 2- 3). When they think the judgment is complete because they are in exile, they will be struck there (v. 4). Again, they will be flooded with judgment (v. 5). God’s wisdom in creation is declared, and His authority over nations (vv. 6- 7). God sees the wicked and will destroy them (v. 8). A remnant will be spared (v. 9), although the sinners will die (v. 10). And then, at verse 11, an astonished turn occurs. God will raise up the fallen tabernacle of David, and rebuild it (v. 11). Israel will possess all the heathen (v. 12). Astounding prosperity will come (v. 13). The return from exile will be completed (v. 14), and Israel will be restored forever (v. 15).

Those Who Swallow the Needy
Amos begins by attacking those rich, dishonest merchants who rip off the poor. The ephah was the measurement of volume (a little more than half a bushel), and by lining the basket you could make the ephah small. The shekel was the measurement of weight, and by making it “great” you had your thumb on the scales. Why do we have little ridges around the edges of our coins? Why are our current quarters little copper sandwiches? Because we are governed by liars, thieves and scoundrels—and we love to have it so. It is the rich and influential who control the mechanisms of commerce, and it is they who are in a position to rig the system. Cui bono? Well, guess. As we consider this sin, remember how God evaluates it (Prov. 11:1; 16:11; 20:10, 23). Take just one of these. “A false balance [is] abomination to the LORD: but a just weight [is] his delight” (Prov. 11:1). Does cheating with weights and measures somehow become okay if we do it on a grand scale? We can’t be thieves because we steal a lot?

The Sin of Samaria
As we have noted, a recurring theme for Amos is the fact that all this oppression flows out of false worship. False worship cannot produce anything else but oppression. So who will fall, never to rise? Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, which is their idolatry (8:14). Those who say to Dan “thy god liveth.” Dan was the northernmost city, where Bethel’s twin gold calf was. A corrupt shrine was in Beersheba to the south, and so from Dan to Beersheba, from top to bottom, they were all going to fall. Note the sin that causes economic oppression, and mark it well.

Who is the Lord?
Remembering that Amos has marked this point at the center of this chiasm, we must remember the Lord God of hosts is the God of creation. He touches the ground and it swells like a flood (9: 5). He builds story after story into heaven (v. 6); heaven and earth are His skyscraper. He builds His foundational strata on the earth. He summons water out of the ocean, and pours it back out onto the earth (v. 6). The Lord is His name. He is therefore the Lord of nations and mass migrations (v. 7). How could this God not be Lord of the nations?

The Fallen Booth of David
Amos takes a dramatic turn in 9:11, and it is noteworthy that this prophecy is quoted by James at the Council of Jerusalem, and is applied to the creation of the Christian Church and the inclusion of the Gentiles as Gentiles. On the authority of the Lord’s brother, we know that this great prophecy is being fulfilled in us. But what is the tabernacle of David? Why that expression? The tabernacle of David was built on Mt. Zion before Solomon’s temple was built on Mt.Moriah. This tabernacle was not a sacrificial tent, but was rather a place for musical praise. After the temple was built, the music was moved to the temple and took the name “Zion” with it. The place of music in the worship of the Church is therefore significant. There are no more blood sacrifices—but we are to fill the earth with the sacrifices of praise.

Astounding Prosperity
When the fortunes of Israel have been restored, as they have been in the Church, what will be the result? As we look for the new covenant to be established in the earth, what should we look for? First, we should look for the inclusion of all the Gentiles (v. 12). This is how James applied it, quite rightly (Acts 15:16-17). Second, we should look for astounding prosperity. In the first place this would be the mirror image of the famine of the Word of God in 8:11-12. There would be an abundance of teaching and application out of the Scriptures—so much that we won’t know what to do with it all. But in the second place—because we are not spiritualizing gnostics—the time of the new covenant is a time of great material prosperity. The fields will be so fertile that the plowman almost runs down the harvester. The same thing will happen in vineyards. The mountains will drip with wine. The land that had been bulldozed under by the divine judgments is a land that will be settled again, and this time there will be no exile. In the time of the new covenant, the disasters in the first part of this book will never fully apply.

Introduction
When we come to chapter seven of Amos, we shift from poetry to prose, from woe-oracles to narrative. The theme and the message are the same as throughout the rest of the book, but the form in which it comes is quite different. In the first six chapters, Yahweh has been the main speaker; now the main speaker is Amos himself.

The Text
“Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me; and, behold . . .” (Amos 7:1-8:3).

Overview
In this section, there are four vision reports (7:1-3; 4-6; 7-9; 8:1-3). The first three vision reports are given, and then the flow is interrupted with a narrative of how Israel officially responded to the ministry of Amos, which was not well. After this, the last vision is given, and with a striking and ominous pun.

The first vision is that of a swarm of locusts which devasates Israel. Amos is appalled and intercedes, and so the Lord relents (vv. 1-3). The second vision is that of a great fire that completely parches everything. Amos intercedes again, and again the Lord repents (vv. 4-6). The third vision comes, which is that of the Lord standing on a wall holding a plumbline (vv. 7-9). The Lord is the Lord, Israel is the tilting wall, and Amos is the plumbline. The Lord will relent no longer—that wall has to come down. The high places will be made desolate.

After the first three visions, Amaziah, priest at Bethel, tries to rid himself of Amos. First, he tries to get the king to take action, accusing Amos of sedition and conspiracy (vv. 10-11). That doesn’t work, and so Amaziah turns to cunning. Go home and prophesy there (v. 12). But stop prophesying in Bethel, for it is the king’s chapel and court (v. 13). Amos refuses because it was not his idea to become a prophet (vv. 14-15). And then, Amos makes it even more personal, prophesying straight back at Amaziah, and with full consciousness of what he is doing (v. 16). Thus saith the Lord: your wife will become a whore in the city, your sons and daughters will be slaughtered by the sword, your land parceled out, you will die in a polluted land and Israel will go into exile (v. 17). You thought the land could not bear up under my words before?

Then Amos is shown the fourth vision, a basket of ripe fruit (8:1). There is a close pun between this summer fruit, w hich represent harvest judgment, and the word for end, which God uses in v. 2, promising that He will not relent as He did in the first two visions. No more. The end will come. The word for summer fruit is qayis, and the word for end is qes. At the end the music of the temple will be turned into howling. There will be dead bodies everywhere, and there will be silence.

For He is Small
In the first two visions, Amos takes up a prayer on Israel’s behalf, but note carefully how he pleads. He says, twice, that God should relent because Jacob is small (vv. 2,5). But Israel has incurred judgment precisely because she does not know this, or has forgotten it. Throughout this book, Israel has been preening herself over her wealth, her privilege, her status, her security. But Amos sees how vulnerable she is and pleads that way—Lord God, Jacob is small. “Lord God of hosts, have mercy on the United States for we are tiny.” The fact that such a plea would stick in our throats reveals a large part of our problem—the same, incidentally, as Israel’s.

Blood and Lies
The enemy of our souls hates us, and consistently deploys two weapons against us. The first is overt persecution. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, takes a quote from Amos and sends it off to Jeroboam II, accusing Amos of disturbing the peace with his conspiracy, his sedition, his lack of decent patriotism. The land is not able to bear up underneath his hate crimes. Amos prophesies jagged things; he does not know how to get along at court, or in ecclesiastical palaces, which everyone knows is by prophesying smooth things. From what we can see in the text, this didn’t work—Jeroboam doesn’t do anything.

So Amaziah moves on to lies. Many Christians who would be valiant in the face of an open threat, straight up the middle, are far too gullible when it comes to the cunning of our adversary. “Thus and so.” “Really?” What lies does Amaziah, priest of Bethel, try to pass off on to Amos? This is quite apart from the lie he told the king about Amos. The prophet was not being seditious by calling the king and the nation to repentance. If that is sedition, then the gospel is always sedition. And, of course, apart from repentance, it is understood to be sedition. But the statement that the land could not bear Amos’ words was a straight-up lie. What the land really couldn’t bear was the coming judgment fromGod.

The five lies of Amaziah to Amos were these: First, he tells him to go, as if he were at liberty to go (v. 12). Second, he tells him to flee, as though the only way to protect himself from harm was by running away (v. 12). Third, he tells him that he will have a good living at home in Judah. There he can eat his bread safely (v. 12), and make a decent living. Fourth, Azariah was a decent king in Judah and so prophets of Yahweh are welcome there, and can prophesy there, with emphasis on the there. If Amos says that he must be a prophet, then the reply is that he can be a prophet someplace else. Amaziah even calls Amos a seer, granting the point of his office. But not a seer for these parts. And fifth, whatever you do, don’t prophesy in Bethel because this is a religious establishment that answers to the king (v. 13). It is not surprising that kings love to meddle with the Church. What is surprising is that the Church sometimes loves this as well.

For the Healing of the Nations
Throughout this book, we have been hammering at the two central problems that Israel had—corrupt worship and a high-handed opulence that was grinding the poor. You always become like the god you worship (Ps. 115), and so if you worship a calf made of gold, you will become hard, cold and metallic yourself, not to mention deaf, dumb and blind.
But you do not avoid false worship by “avoiding false worship.” You can only avoid false worship by worshipping God in spirit and in truth. The water for the healing of the nations (which includes the healing of their economic woes) is water which flows over the threshold of the new temple, and it gets deeper and deeper. And so again, with these two elements, we must guard against two errors. One says that the “important thing here is water,” and so we shouldn’t mind if it flows from Bethel, Dan, Gilgal, and Jerusalem. The other says that we have to keep the water pure and holy, so we dam it up behind the walls of Jerusalem.