AND JUSTICE WILL ROAR
AMOS 1:1 - 2:16
Introduction:
One thing we are all interested in is justice.
We seek justice in all aspects of our lives, at all times.
We have sought justice from the earliest days of our youth.
Do you remember the games we played as children?
How many times have you heard the following statements:
a) That’s not fair
b) You cheated
c) That’s against the rules
d) You can’t do that
For those of you who go to Pairs & Spares you are still hearing them said, usually to me.
Sometimes we have a misguided view of justice.
We sometimes use the concept of "Justice" to hide what amounts for us to be "Vengence"
You will hear people saying things like:
a) They deserve the chair
b) Lock them up and throw away the key
c) Execution is too good for them. It is too fast
They need to suffer
We see the "Vengence" coming out when the justice we hoped for is not dispenced.
We say "there is no justice when x amount of years is all they get"
Even if x amount of years is the maximum penalty by law.
We ask "what about the rights and hurts of the victims"?
Such as it is "The Justice System" is a God-ordained institution.
But it is not a perfect institution.
It is an institution run by humans, some christian, some non----christian.
It is a system that can be used for good and we see"Justice served"
Or it is a system that can be abused by lies, and having the search for truth, fall into second place due to legalistic rhetoric, or "strategies" designed not to search for the truth, but to get a client off at any cost.
We hear about the "legal loopholes"
What we find is that the institution that was God-ordained has given up on God.
No longer do we swear on a Bible to tell the truth.
The God by whom all truth is based has been usurped by todays idol, the almighty dollar.
If you got the money you can get the justice.
One of the most public examples of the use or abuse of justice in our time would be the O.J. Simpson trial.
It is hard to accept, that when all is said and done, that justice was served.
Not God’s justice, but earthly justice.
Noted the kaos it created.
It’s even harder to believe that the only thing that could Knock the television coverage off the air, was the Oklahoma bombing, killing 169 people, many of them children.
With all of this we are left asking the question, "Where is the justice"?
The hope of the Christian is not based on the justice of man, but on the righteous justice of God.
This is the question that Amos seeks to answer in his book.
Historical Background:
Amos was a herdsman and grower of figs around Tekoa during the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam II.
This dates his prophecy at approximately 760 B.C. in that range, two years before a great earthquake.
He was called to prophesy to Israel at a time of great prosperity.
Their prosperity led them away from God.
It fell to Amos and Hosea to be God’s messangers to the people of Israel, and to us today.
Hosea spoke with a broken heart.
a) From his personal illustration (His marriage)
b) He was a native of the north
Tekoa, on the other hand was in the Southern kingdom.
Thus Amos did not have the personal relationship with the north.
He might even have disliked them.
Amos’ position was a further obstacle to his message in that he was a "sheep herder".
He was likely to be heard as a "shepherd" was a lowly position.
Some have tried to argue that the hebrew term to describe Amos means "sheep breeder" not just "sheep herder".
I agree with Calvin in this case as he opposes this interpretation.
To suggest Amos was a "sheep breeder" would put him in a place of prosperity.
The Israelites would be more inclined to listen to a man of prestige.
If he were such a wealthy man with large herds, why the added income of a fig grower?
Fig growing was not prosperous.
Usually it was just used to make ends meet.
It would turn off the ears of those he was speaking to as it would put him in a lower class.
Last, Tekoa itself was not a prosperous city.
How then could its inhabitants be?
I suggest to you that God used Amos as the prophet, and as a "living example" of the sin many of the countries mentioned in the passage were guilty of.
I suggest to you that he was a poor herdsman who augmented his income by growing figs.
The sin many of the countries including Israel and Judah were guilty of was abuse of the poor.
Content:
We can break the passage presented today into four sections:
a) introduction (Amos 1:1-2)
b) judgment against Israel’s neighbour (Amos 1:3-2:3)
c) sins against Israel and Judah (Amos 2:4-2:13)
d) judgment of Israel (Amos 2:14-2:16)
Point One: Introduction (Amos 2:1-2)
This passage states much of the historical scene already mentioned.
v2: Indicates however that the righteous God is about to sit in judgment.
God’s judgment will not be made in a whimper.
His hands are not tied by man’s law, nor by man’s doubt.
God’s judgment will "roar" like a lion about to kill its prey.
It’s prey will tremble, literally "scared stiff" by its roar.
Then the lion will pounce on its defenceless prey.
Note the prey:
In its own element it can stand on its own.
In some cases it may even prey on others.
But to the lion, it becomes the prey.
The same is true of the antions surrounding Israel and Judah.
On their own they had their "day in the sun".
They may have even conquered other countries.
But when the "Righteous Lion of Judah" roars in judgement, they fall powerless to their knees.
At the sound of the roar:
a) The pastures dry up.
b) the top of Mt. Carmal (the most fertile land in the country) withers.
There is total destruction at the roar of God.
Point two: The Nations Surrounding Israel and Judah (Amos 1:3-2:3)
Note what happens in v.3 as God begins to deal with the countries surrounding Israel and Judah.
These six nations literally surround Israel and Judah.
Just as a noose is slipped over a condemned man about to be hanged.
So too, was God slipping a spiritual noose of judgment around Israel and Judah.
And as a condemned man can do nothing when the trap door opens but fall.
So too can Israel and Judah do nothing as the noose of judgment tightens around their necks.
There are a couple of things common to all six nations.
a) This is what the Lord says:
Amos is being very deliberate here.
He wants the countries to know that it is God who stands in judgment.
It is not an idol.
It is the Holy God of Israel in righteous judgment.
There is no way of escaping it.
b) For Three or Four Sins:
This has a couple of interpretations:
a) Only the sin that they are punished for is mentioned in the passage.
Therefore it could be interpreted that for the first three sins God stayed judgment.
But for that fourth sin that was mentioned they were to be punished.
b) The combination of the first three sins plus the last four sins equal seven.
Seven is a complete number.
In short, this statement is a statement saying their sin is complete.
It was time for judgment.
It would be stayed no longer.
Discuss the specific sins of each of the countries and their judgment (Amos - The Country Prophet (Studies in the Minor Prophets)
Point three: The Sins of Israel and Judah (Amos 2:3 - 2:13)
Judah: It is important for Amos to begin with Judah.
It is his home country.
He cannot be accused of favoritism as he doesn’t isolate Israel.
Look at the sin of Judah and Judah’s punishment.
Israel: Amos finally tightens the noose around the neck of Israel itself.
While 2-3 verses speak of the sins of the other countries including Judah.
Amos directs 10 verses toward Israel.
He lists all seven of Israels transgressions.
Discuss the transgressions of Israel.
Punishment of Israel (Amos 2:13-2:16
Describe the punishment of Israel.
Conclusion:
We are all in search of justice.
The fact is that in the court of the almighty God, we stand guilty.
a. It may be we have not accepted Him as savior.
b. It may be we have not acted when God wanted us to personally.
c. It could be that we have a church that has lost its fire because our eyes are on us and not on God.
We stand guilty and the "Lion of Judah" is about to roar.
When the Lord roars, will you stand to be judged, or will you have the Lord Jesus as your defender.
As sure as I stand here today we will all stand before the Lord as judge.
It will be God’s justice
righteous
justified
deserved
How will it be for you when we stand before the Lord, and Justice will roar.
