I am in the process of going through my bible journals a second time and recently went through the book of Amos again. As I go through the prophets, there are always thoughts that jump out to me with application to America. Yes, these prophecies were made to another nation of another time; but the character of God hasn’t changed, nor have His methods of judgment in light of continued unrepentant sin. I want to share with you just a few of the things that stood out to me in that regard. I pray that they will encourage you to pray for our nation and seek to do your part spread the gospel and the truth of God’s word.
Amos 2:4 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments….
The obvious danger flag in this verse is the fact that God is going to judge Judah because “they have despised the law of the LORD.” It cannot be denied that America as a nation is guilty of this sin. The word of God has been banned in our schools and in our government. We have enacted laws that are in direct disobedience to God’s will as revealed in His word. We have made it legal to kill babies in the womb and even after they are born. We have made it the law of the land to recognize marriage between same sex couples. We have determined that sexual orientation is a matter of choice rather than biological genetic determination. And the list could go on.
Amos 3:10 For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
The NLT is a bit clearer: “My people have forgotten what it means to do right,” says the LORD. “Their fortresses are filled with wealth taken by theft and violence.”
I believe this is a direct indictment against those that abuse their power and privilege to take advantage of others. There are many of our government leaders that are guilty of this sin. There are also many among the wealthy that use their money and influence to deceive the masses and propagate lies to their own self-serving purposes as well.
These people have been deceived by the enemy, Satan, the father of lies. They may actually think that they are getting away with all their evil schemes. How shocked they are going to be when they stand before Almighty God in judgment and the books are opened that contain a record of all their evil deeds.
Amos 4:6-10 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city…yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword….
These verses make it clear that God makes use of nature when exercising judgment against nations. Obviously, not every natural catastrophe falls into this category; but every natural catastrophe should give us pause to stop and consider the possibility. Cleanness of teeth is a reference to crop failures and famine. Drought has a serious impact on water supply, in turn again impacting our food supply. Blasting and mildew are again noted as directly impacting food supply. Pestilence is a reference to plague and contagious or infectious epidemic disease. The murder of young men can be a direct consequence of the LORD removing His hand of protection and trying to get people to fall on their knees in faith and repentance before Him.
Point is made that in spite of all God’s actions, the people refused to return to the LORD in repentance of their sin. Why? Because they have been deceived by the enemy; they don’t know how to do right. Why? Because they have rejected the word of God and the God of the word.
Amos 4:12-13 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.
As the prophet continues to declare God’s message, He states that because they have refused to repent in response to His actions in the past, they now face destruction and captivity. Verse 13 emphasizes the truth that these aren’t the words of an impotent, lifeless idol. They are the words of YHWH, the Creator, the One who formed the mountains and created the winds. The One who declares His truth to man through His prophets. (Some commentators think this is a reference to God knowing the thoughts of man. As far as I’m concerned, both understandings are true.) The One who established day and night and is sovereign over the whole earth. These are the words of God, the one and only, who has ultimate power and authority to do what He says He will do. Nothing and no one can stand against Him!
“prepare to meet thy God” – These should be words to thrill the soul with excitement and anticipation. Sadly, the context is one that should provoke fear.
Amos 5:4-6 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
As He always does in His mercy, the LORD declares that forgiveness is available for those who will choose to seek Him in faith and repentance. He makes the point that their sincerity will be evidenced by coming to Him on His terms.
It always intrigues me how we humans think we have the right to expect our Creator, The God of the universe, to accept us on our terms instead of His. So many today are convinced that if their good deeds outweigh their bad, they’ll get to go to heaven. With that statement they are conceding there is a heaven and, in turn, a God in heaven who determines who is qualified to enter. He has clearly explained in scripture that the only qualification He will accept is faith in His Son Jesus as the sacrifice for our sin and LORD of our life. Still, many refuse to believe that He really means what He says. What an arrogant stance to take before Almighty God; and, sadly, how many are going to suffer an eternity outside His presence because they refuse to believe Him!
Amos 5:14-15 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate.…
Again, the Lord offers hope; if you will choose to do what is good, you may live. When you have God’s mindset toward good and evil, you will practice righteous discernment in judgment. Good, evil, and right discernment in judgment will always align with the truth of God’s word.
Amos 6:1, 4-6 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!….That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Just as the leaders and people of Israel, the leaders and people of our nation seem to think we are invulnerable. In comparison to most nations on earth, we live in the lap of luxury. We take great pleasure in various forms of worldly entertainment that promote sin and show direct defiance to the LORD. We seem to think our good works far outweigh our bad. How deluded we are! When attention is given to the poor and downtrodden, it is often a result of personal motivation for personal, political or financial considerations.
Amos 9:8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.
In this verse, God pronounces judgment on the nation. It is the “sinful kingdom” that is going to be destroyed; in context, this is a reference to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The LORD is careful to note, however, that He is going to preserve a remnant from the house of Jacob. The phrase “I will not utterly destroy” declares the truth that though the nation of Israel will be destroyed, some of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be allowed to live.
The warning—If God is willing to judge the nation of His own people with such severity, should not other nations expect judgment that is no less severe if they continue to reject Him.
