Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Amos’ prophetic ministry took place during the reign of Jeroboam II, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. This reign of Jeroboam II was marked by a period of peace and prosperity. Politically there was not the slightest danger. Jeroboam had recaptured all the territory which Israel had lost to Aram during the reign of King Jehoahaz, whilst he had also recaptured from Damascus and Hamath, what had belonged to Judah. With the menace of war being removed a remarkable cultural, social, and economic revival took place in Israel, whereby at times it seemed as if the days of King David and King Solomon had returned. Also spiritually the people were active in bringing their sacrifices at the cultic centres of Dan and Bethel. And so King Jeroboam could be content, couldn’t he?

However we also read in our text, it was two years before the earthquake. In fact, the first shock waves could already be felt. The first clamour of thunder of God’s wrath could already be heard. True, the full outburst of it was still held back, since the LORD first still wanted His Word be heard in the streets of Samaria and Bethel. That’s why He called Amos from behind the flock with the mandate to go to Israel, where the elite enjoyed a false sense of security and indeed thought that there was not the slightest danger to be feared.

"Not the slightest danger to be feared," that’s what the people thought. Yet Amos is less optimistic. According to this prophet of the LORD the situation is very precarious due to atrocious sin among God’s people. We hear about the noble who feel themselves far superior to the ordinary man in the street and who live a life which is described as nothing else than a chain of festivities, whereby they lay on their beds of ivory, singing idly to the sounds of stringed instruments, anointing themselves with the best ointments, Ch. 6, 4-6. But meanwhile the poor are thread down, whilst their grain taxes are taken from them, Ch. 5,11. The ephah is made small and the shekel large, and the scales are falsified by deceit, Ch. 8,5. Summer houses spring up like mushrooms next to their winter houses, Ch. 3,15. The wine of the condemned, ie of those punished by fines, is drunk in the house of their god, Ch. 2,8. Amos also speaks about uncontrolled sexual passion, a man and his father going in to the same girl, profaning the holy Name of the LORD.

Well, beloved, it is in this situation that the LORD through His prophet starts roaring like a lion. Yes, the people think everything is okay, the sky is bright as crystal, everything serene, not the slightest danger to be feared. Nothing to worry about. Yet Amos calls out, "It will come." The LORD has no longer any mercy. His judgment will come irrevocably.

Commencing a series on the book of Amos, this morning I minister the Word of God to you under the following heading,

In so doing

1. the LORD roars from Zion
2. yet in wrath He also remembers mercy

I Our knowledge about the prophet Amos, Br. & Sr., is very limited. All we know about him comes from the short book that bears his name, for he does not appear elsewhere in Scripture. Nevertheless with the little information we do have, we still can form a clear picture of who this prophet was. In Ch. 1,1 we read that he was he native of Tekoa, a town in the southern kingdom about ten miles south of Jerusalem. The extensive upland countryside of Judah provided pasture for the flocks which Amos tended in addition to his work as a dresser of sycamore trees. This information is important, for it points us to the specific calling which Amos received to prophesy against Israel and Judah; indeed Judah as well, though the LORD sent him first of all to Israel. A specific calling: for like in the past David was called by God from behind the flock, so was Amos, as he himself gives testimony of it in Ch. 7,15.

Why this special calling? Why did the LORD sent Amos and not one of the other prophets. After all the man was not brought up in the class from which the prophets usually came. He had not been trained for his mission in life in the prophetic schools or guilds, but instead he was a farmer who until his call had no professional preparation for religious office. Yet in the same way as the LORD once sovereignly had chosen David to become king over His people, so had the LORD sovereignly taken Amos from behind the flock to prophesy against Israel and Judah.

Again: why this special calling. Most likely in the time of Amos the guild of prophets had grown thin. Perhaps more precisely I should say the guild of faithful prophets had grown thin, ie of prophets who still wanted to speak the Word of the LORD. Elijah and Elisha had died long ago. Moreover we don’t hear anything of their disciples either. But meanwhile the situation is serious. Under the cloak of prosperity and peace there is greet need, whereby the greatest need is that the Word of God is no longer heard.

How different was this from the past. Samuel had had his school of prophets. And so had Elijah and Elisha. In the past God had made known His Word very richly. But see, now there comes one, totally unknown, not trained in the school of the prophets, but taken by God directly from behind the flock. Is this a sign that the prophets had become unfaithful? Does their word no longer have any power, or perhaps do the people no longer listen to them?

These are questions, Br. & Sr., difficult to answer for us, and we should not start speculating either. Yet one thing is sure God has as yet not written off Israel. His love still goes out to them. In this context I would like to refer to Ch. 7,15, where Amos says, "….." My people, this means the LORD still claims Israel as the people of His own possession. Though unfaithful, Israel still is God’s covenant people. And therefore the LORD will not execute His wrath without having warned them once more. That’s why He called Amos from behind the flock. Amos who from the South, from Judah, has to go to the North, to the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes, to make know there the true Word of God. Amos who had had no training for his office whatsoever.

From an episode like this, Br. & Sr., we should not conclude that training for the ministry is not important. On the contrary with respect to Amos all emphasis lies here on the power of the Word of God. From a spiritual point of view God’s people are at death's door. God’s commandments are trampled under feet. True genuine love towards the LORD and His service is no longer found among them. As such this was nothing new. I may refer to the time of Elijah, when Israel also lived in an adulterous situation serving Baal instead of God. True, at Mount Carmel for a moment they were impressed. But is was soon forgotten again. And the same happened in time of Elisha. Sure, there was enough religious activity. And according to their own feeling they did serve the LORD, yet in their own manner.

That’s why God’s judgment was now imminent. The time had come that the LORD had to leave His people. As regards Israel it reads in Scripture, "Your Maker is your Husband." Yet God as the husband can no longer tolerate this unfaithful woman. Also in God’s covenant love cannot come just from one side only. And, beloved, this applies as much to us as to God’s people living in the OT era. It is God who for the sake of Christ so exceedingly loved us first. But this now also means that we are to respond to this love as thankful children of His. Yes, woe he, woe she, who despises this love.

And yet in wrath the LORD also remembers mercy. Look at our text. What no creature would have done, the LORD does. Despite all unfaithfulness from the side of His people, before executing His judgment first the LORD comes to warn His people once more, by taking Amos directly from behind the flock. Divine initiative, by which God using Amos as His instrument wants to bring His people to a decision, so that when His judgment comes they will have no excuse.

II We heard that Amos was called by God to prophesy against the sins of God’s people living in the kingdom of the Ten Tribes. This was in the days that King Jeroboam II reigned over Israel; a reign -as I said in the beginning of the sermon- which was characterised by peace and great prosperity. Yet the people did not see all this as a blessing of the LORD. Thankfulness to God was badly lacking. Instead of serving the LORD Jeroboam reigned in the same way as the previous king Jeroboam, Jeroboam I, the Son of Nebat. Every time Scripture speaks about this first king Jeroboam, it always adds that he was the one who made Israel sin. How? By introducing the golden calves which were in Bethel and Dan. You all know that story. Out of fear that religious unity between the Northern and the Southern Kingdom would lead to a return to political unity as well, Jeroboam I, wanting to retain the people’s loyalty, had instituted a counter-system of worship in Israel. But in so doing he had replaced the service of sacrifices as instituted by the LORD  he had replaced this service by a worship service according to his own fitting. That’s how this first Jeroboam had made Israel sin, a sin which never had been undone. True, under the reign of Jeroboam II Baal, the fertility God of the Canaanites, was no longer served, whilst also the Asherah poles had been removed. Israel had indeed broken with the sins they had committed during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, and as a result they thought that they were doing not too bad in the eyes of the LORD. But meanwhile they continued to sin against the Second Commandment of God’s law. Moreover they also thought that by bringing a multitude of sacrifices they could win the favour of the LORD. In other words in the Northern Kingdom God’s people had forgotten that God’s children can live but by grace only. Moreover this self-willed serving of God was accompanied by a neglect of practising the communion of saints. I already pointed to this in the beginning of the sermon. The rich were only concerned about their own riches, whilst the poor were oppressed. So prosperity for the rich, but the poor remained poor, even worse they were exploited.

But then God says: this is the end. He caused the thunder of His accusing and punishing Word to roll. He sends an ambassador. And this time not a normal one, but a special one, who has to say to the people, "Watch out, for God’s judgment is at the door. Yet there is still time to repent.

Thus two years before the earthquake the LORD roared from Zion, uttered His voice from Jerusalem, saying, vs. 2, "….." This means, where at present people still speak about abundance -the pastures of the shepherds- scarcity will occur, whilst the top of the Carmel, rich in orchards and vineyards, will turn in arid land, deathly and grey.

See there, beloved, the thunder of God’s imminent judgment, whereby the LORD points to Zion and Jerusalem, ie to the place where the true sacrifices of atonement are brought, where the sins are forgiven and the law is taught. If we would translate this in NT terms, beloved, then our text points to the Lord Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice was foreshadowed by the OT sacrifices brought in the temple in Jerusalem. Yes, true life is found only in Him! That’s the lesson which we as NT church may learn from the warning we read in our text.

And then we do well to have a good look into the mirror. For, Br. & Sr., isn’t there the danger also among us that we think: everything is okay, we have in abundance, as far as the eye meets there is nothing to worry about, but meanwhile we live our life as we think fit, whereby at times sometimes so easily true thankfulness towards the LORD is missing.

No perhaps, not many of us would admit this. But, be honest, do you think that in Amos day many Israelites would admit that true thankfulness towards the LORD was missing. There was a bustling activity both in Bethel and Dan. Many sacrifices were brought. Would the Lord not be pleased by it? Yet, beloved, it was a self-willed worship service contrary to God’s commandments. For they didn’t want to give up their idols, they didn’t want to order their life in accordance with the law God had given.

Well, back to us now? Do we want to give up our idols? Do we indeed want to order our life in accordance with what God requires of us. And this not just a little bit, say as long as it doesn’t cut in our own sinful flesh. No, the LORD requires full obedience. And then I think, we all know that there are also things in our life which we too find difficult to give up. We know that the LORD wants this or that different in our life, but . . .

Thus, beloved, this morning’s text will warn also us; warn us not to soothe our conscience by simply saying: everything is okay, nothing to worry about. Next week, the Lord willing, we may once again celebrate Holy Supper. But as it says in the Form, before we do so: first we must rightly examine ourselves. A self-examination which consists of three parts:

1. do we indeed grieve over the sins we have committed, or is there sometimes rather the inclination to wipe them under the carpet;
2. do we indeed cling to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the only ground for our salvation, or are there also other things in life we don’t want to give up since they make us feel secure;
3. is there also that true thankfulness by living our entire life to the honour of the Lord.

Br. & Sr., I don’t think that I have to make this more concrete. Each can fill this further in for him- or herself. But let us then indeed do so, so that the warning we heard this morning may bear fruit in our life, lest one day we too will be confronted with God’s judgment. Beloved, let it never come that far in your life.

III There are still a few other elements of our text to which I would like to draw the attention. First of all the expression of vs. 1 "The words of Amos, . . ., which he saw concerning Israel." Now in general we do not speak about seeing words, but about hearing words. However as regards our text we must keep in mind that Amos received special revelation of God which opened his eyes for what others perhaps did not see. His eye was sharpened by the Spirit of God. And to a certain extent, Br. & Sr., that’s what we all need. No, then I’m not thinking of some kind of special revelation, but of eyes sharpened by faith, which makes one see things in a different perspective. A child of God looks further than this short life is long. In faith he sees more than other people see.

I realise that Amos received special revelation of God. A revelation by which he all of sudden saw very sharply what was going on in the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes. He saw that the despite all the apparent prosperity Israel was at the brink of destruction because of the imminent judgment of God. Well, it is with this message that God then also sends him to Bethel and Samaria, where Amos says, "Listen, O Israelites, your prosperity is frightening and in the end it will be your ruin. You have wounded God’s love, but God’s call for repentance still goes out to you. His mercy towards covenant-breakers is infinitely great. In wrath He remembers mercy.

Yet, beloved, this mercy was not recognised. We read about it in Ch. 7, where we hear the reaction of Amaziah, priest in Bethel, vss. 12 & 13, "….." This unfaithful priest did not tolerate that someone from Judah came to speak the Word of God to them. Br. & Sr., isn’t this one of the marks of the false church, that it persecutes those who rebuke them for their sins. Indeed, Israel, ie the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes, had become a false church. And yet God did not cut all ties. They were still His people. The judgment was imminent, but before executing this judgment in all its severity, first the LORD still comes with a last word of appeal. In wrath He remembers mercy. For the LORD does not want the death of the sinner, but that he may turn to Him and live.

That’s why the LORD roars from Zion, sending Amos who came from Judah. Amos who must have been a contemporary of the prophet Hosea, who also prophesied during the reign of King Jeroboam. However Hosea came from the Northern Kingdom. Why then in addition also a prophet from the South? The answer is, beloved, to remind God’s people of the true temple service in Jerusalem. The LORD roars from Zion. Yes, Zion is the place to which the Israelites should go up again. They should turn their back upon the idol service in Bethel and Dan and turn to the LORD. For only with Him they will find true life.

To translate this in NT terminology I can quote our confession, viz., Art. 28 BC, where it says, that outside the assembly of the redeemed there is no salvation, which does not mean that no one outside the true church will be saved, that’s up to God who will judge those who are outside. But it means, whoever wants to be reconciled to God must seek the blood of reconciliation in Jesus Christ. In the OT era this blood was foreshadowed in the sacrifices brought in the temple in Jerusalem. Today the benefit of this blood is given to us when the gospel of reconciliation is proclaimed to us here in the church and we accept it by true faith. This also shows the importance of every church service. When indeed convinced of the importance we will not easily skip a service, or think one a Sunday will be enough. For it is here in the church, beloved, that the fountains of salvation spring and the water of life is freely given to all who thirst. Whoever for superficial reasons skips a church services deprives him- or herself from these riches.

The LORD roars from Zion. His judgment is imminent. Yet in our text it says that these words came to Amos "two years before the earthquake." This expression contains more than just a indication for us to know when all this happened. For in Scripture an earthquake is sign of God’s judgment. In the same way as the rainbow is a sign of God’s patience with this world, so are earthquakes signs of God’s imminent wrath, of His judgment which will come irrevocably.

Amos had to speak of this imminent judgment. Yet there was still time to repent. In wrath God remembers mercy. But when some years later the words which Amos saw concerning Israel -when these words were written down, people remembered this earthquake as a divine reinforcement of the judgment Amos had spoken of. Even a few centuries later the prophet Zechariah comes back to it when he says in Ch. 14,5 of his prophecies, "….." This shows that this earthquake had made a big impression on the people.

Well, when Amos spoke, the thunder of God’s wrath started already rolling. The LORD roared from Zion. His judgment was about to come. And therefore this call for repentance. Those who heeded this call would find refuge with the LORD. But those who laughed this call away came to know that Amos had not spoken in vain. For God’s Word is trustworthy. Trustworthy where it concerns God’s promises, but also trustworthy where it concerns His judgments. Then sky may seem to be bright, not the slightest danger to be scared off. Apparent prosperity can indeed make people less worrisome. And yet all of sudden the night will fall for those who have not heeded the words of the LORD.

Therefore, beloved, let us learn from the words of this mornings text. When there are sins in your life, things you should break with, don’t shrug it off, but heed the warning you have heard this morning. Turn to the LORD and submit to His Word. Not just a little bit, but totally. For note well -as it reads in the letter to the Hebrews- once more the LORD will shake not only the earth but also the heaven. In Hebr. 12 these words function first of all as a promise, for afterwards it continues, vss. 28 & 29 of this same chapter, "….."

Beloved, let us then indeed serve the LORD from the heart with godly fear. Let us rejoice in the fact that His Word could be preached to us again this morning. God’s Word through which the LORD wanted to open our eyes for the riches of His covenant, in order that we may also live from these riches to the honour of God and for the sake of our own salvation.

Amen.

Last modified: December 01, 2002