Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 43:1-12
New Testament Reading: 1 John 4:7-21
Return to Me
“The Lord God Has Spoken”
Amos 3:1-15
Amos made it clear that he was not a prophet, nor was he from a family of prophets; rather, he was a shepherd from Tekoa, a small city on the edge of the northern Judean hills.
- The prophetic ministry of Amos took place midway through the 8th century BC, during the reigns of Uzziah, King of Judah, and Jeroboam, King of Israel.
- It was a time of peace and prosperity, but also of spiritual decline and moral deterioration, as the people had disavowed their need for God and disregarded God’s laws.
- Each time Amos came into Jerusalem, he could see the rise in the people’s wickedness and immorality, especially in their love for one another, and in their worship of God.
- God “burdened” Amos to show them how their neglect of God’s laws would not go unpunished – that His hand of judgment was about to fall upon them.
Whether obedient or disobedient, God chose Abraham’s seed to be His people, and His choice was irrevocable and eternal.
- Amos 3:2 – “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”
- God proved Himself to Israel as a covenant-keeping God.
- He had delivered them from Egyptian slavery.
- He had provided for them in the wilderness.
- He had given them the most cherished land on earth.
- He had given them His commandments.
- He had given them prophets, priests and kings.
- The nation of Israel proved to be a covenant-breaking people.
- They refused to worship God and God alone.
- They refused to obey God’s commandments or to keep their part of the covenant.
- They refused to give God the glory due His holy name, thereby flaunting their position of privilege before Him.
Being nearer to the heart of God is a great privilege, but it also is a great responsibility,
- The closer a person is to the “light” of God’s truth, the more their sin is exposed, and the greater the need to stay holy.
- The more God reveals of Himself to a person, or a nation; i.e., His holiness, His love, His grace and His mercy – the more that person, or nation is required to manifest that revelation of God’s glory.
- The writers of Hebrews 2:16 and Jude 1:6 declared that God has reserved sets of everlasting chains in the darkest dungeon of hell for those angels who rebelled against Him.
- Therefore, God had no choice but to punish Israel as evidence to the world that He would not tolerate sin, even in the lives of His own people.
The Agreement had been broken between God and Israel – “Amos 3:3 – “Can two walk together except they be agreed?”
- In Hebrew, the word “agreed” means “met” – if two people are to walk together, they must meet at the same point.
- God called Israel to walk with Him as He had walked before them from Egypt.
- God wanted them always to be reaching for that closer companionship He desired to have with His chosen people.
- But Israel was no longer walking in agreement with God’s will and God’s ways, and God sent Amos to warn His people of the coming judgment.
- Amos used six statements to illustrate his words of warning to the people of Israel:
- Verse 4 – “Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey?” – No, the lion would be quiet until he caught his prey, and then he would roar so that no other lion would come and try to take his meal.
- Verse 4 – “Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing in?”- No, the baby lion waits for his mother to bring him the meat to eat, then he lets out a roar.
- Verse 5 – “Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth where no “gin” is for him?” – No, a gin is a trap, and unless there is a trap set, there can be no bird caught.
- Verse 5 – “Shall one take up a snare from the earth and have taken nothing in?” – No, the bird in the net trips the closure, and if there is no bird in the net, there is no closure of the net.
- Verse 6 – “Shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid?” – No, the people knew that when that trumpet sounded, the enemy was coming.
- Verse 6 – “Shall there be evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it?” – No, God allows events to occur in our lives to show us that we are not walking with Him.
- Verse 7 – “Surely the Lord God will do nothing before He reveals His secret unto His servants, the prophets. The Lion roared, who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?” (The “Lion of the tribe of Judah” is the Lord Jesus Christ)
- Even though they had many more warnings, the people “Obeyed not the voice of Jehovah their God.” (2 Kings 18)
- Verse 11 – “Therefore, saith the Lord God, an adversary there shall be even round about the land, and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled!”
- In 701 BC, the Assyrians came against the northern kingdom of Israel and over 27,000 Jews were taken as captives.
- In 580 BC, Judah was overtaken by Nebuchadnezzar, and most of the people were taken captive to Babylon.
When God speaks, His people need to take it seriously, shake off their complacency, evaluate their walk, make sure they are truly walking with Him,
in the light of His Word, and that the reflection of His glory has not been diminished by their actions, attitudes or way of life!
God is warning America, unless His people repent of their sins and return to serve and worship the God of our fathers, His divine judgment is already set to be released.
- America is the most privileged nation in the world, but there is a price to be paid for the abuse of that position.
- Christians are the most privileged people in the world, but there is a price to be paid for the abuse of that position!
- Sadly, the majority of congregations are woefully unaware that today’s church is facing the greatest challenge in its history.
- Just as German Christians gave in to the rise of National Socialism in the 1930’s, which paved the way for Hitler’s regime, Christians in the west are giving in to the call for Global Socialism by 2030; paving the way for the New World Oder, including the merging of all religions, and the rise of the Antichrist as leader of the world.
- The greatest challenge facing the Western Church today is not it’s lack of attendance, but rather the Lordship of Christ.
- If Jesus is Lord, (and He is) every believer, and every church must renounce everyone and everything that contradicts that declaration, and the Christian or church that cannot make that declaration is well on its way to cultural defeat.
- If the gospel message is silenced, then secularists will promote their unbiblical worldviews of nihilism, humanism, socialism, and communism. Nihilism rejects all religions and moral principles and holds that life is meaningless.
- Once Western Civilization falls, two radical world views will rise and threaten every believer in Jesus Christ.
- Aggressive secularism – people cannot buy or sell without agreeing to their world view.
- Radical Islam – people will not be allowed to live unless they convert to their religion.
- Both of these worldviews are increasing rapidly!
