September 4, Amos 9
"Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," declares the LORD. - Amos 9:8
From the time Israel became a nation and God made a covenant with them at Mt. Sinai, God spoke to them about the blessings they would enjoy if they obeyed him. But he also spoke of the curses that would come upon them if they disobeyed his commands. The prophets echoed and emphasized those two features of the covenant, both the blessings and the curses. In the days of Amos, Israel was doomed to the inescapable consequences of their faithless disobedience, and Judah was following their path to ruin.
In Psalms, David praised God as the mighty God who was everywhere and saw everything. It comforted him to know that he was always under the watchful protection of God. But those same facts about the character and nature of God terrify the ungodly, as they realize they have no place to hide from God's watchful eye. God was fully aware of all Israel and Judah's sins; he had seen them all. He still wanted to bless them and pleaded with them to turn back to him. But when they spurned that invitation to come back to the Lord and persisted in their sins, God’s perfect justice demanded that they be punished. God's awesome power that had blessed them would now destroy them because they would not listen and submit themselves to the Lord. His same faithful word that undergirded all his promises also guaranteed all his warnings.
Israel had enjoyed God’s distinct favor. By his grace he chose them and blessed them above all the nations. But their sin separated them from his favor and made them no different from any other nation. They had been the beneficiaries of his rich blessings, but they forsook the covenant he gave them and became like any other nation to God. They had witnessed his mighty power as he fought for them; now they would experience his wrath as that power acted against them instead of for them. God had destroyed their enemies before them; now God said he would destroy them from the surface of the ground.
Because God is faithful to his word, it was necessary for him to punish the disobedient Israelites. And he did what he said he would do. But he had also made some promises to Abraham and David that he would surely keep. The faithful remnant that remained among the wicked nation would be saved, and the Messianic promises would still come true. God would honor the oaths he made to Abraham and David when the Messiah came, in the new covenant Israel, the church. The Jews could still be reconciled to God, but that reconciliation would take place alongside Gentiles who would come to God through Christ. God used material blessings with which they were familiar to describe the spiritual blessings they could enjoy in Christ. Neither Israel nor Judah ever received those blessings after the remnant returned from captivity.
Amos lived and prophesied in a time when preaching did no good. The remnant would remain faithful to God. But most of the nation was so hardened in their idolatry and selfishness that their only response to Amos's impassioned preaching was to tell him to go back home and not preach to them any more. We need to read the words God spoke through this courageous preacher and ask ourselves how we react to the things Amos told them about God. Does it make a difference to us that God sees and knows all? Do we have a holy respect for God's awesome power? Do we lead changed lives that make us different from the world around us? Do I really believe God means what he says, both the promises of blessing and threats of punishment? Does my way of life make my worship a vain and empty ritual? These and other questions about our relationship with God should give us courage to examine ourselves, and humility to draw nearer to God.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—September 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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