Unique Relationships
God makes an important point in the beginning of Amos 3 that is
often glazed over. God tells the people
that they are unique in the world. He
has known the people of the world, but not like He has known the Hebrew
people. They are unique and different.
Typically we hear comments like that and think it is a blessing –
which it is. But in this chapter we should really know that it is not
particularly a short-term blessing in all cases. Because of the closeness to God with respect
to the people of Israel, the wound opened up by their rejection is especially
painful. It will bring a special
judgment. I’ve said it a couple of times
lately in the blog, but it is worth repeating.
Proximity to God is an awesome thing.
But it also brings greater judgment and condemnation when we walk away
and act in disobedience.
As proof of this, we have Amos 3:3-8. God compares a substantial list of
experiences and the causes that bring about those experiences. The lion roars when it has captured
food. The bird only falls to the ground
when it has been snared. People only
meet and spend time together when they have planned to do so. In this whole list, God’s point is that
consequences are present because of events that lead up to them.
What’s God’s point in all of this?
God is trying to say that He sent His prophets for a reason and because
of a cause. God’s prophets aren’t
speaking out against the people just because they are bored. They aren’t trying to stir up trouble. The reason that the prophets of God are up in
arms is because yes, there actually is a problem! That’s God’s point in these opening
sections. The presence of the prophetic voices against
the people is not the cause of trouble but the effect of it!
Disaster
Have you ever had one of those conversations with a person about
disaster in the world? The conversation
usually revolves around a person being willing to accept that disaster can be
brought on by God. Or perhaps the person
is refusing to believe in a God who would bring disaster. The conversation can spin out many ways. Since those conversations are fairly common,
I want to draw specific attention to verse 6.
“Does disaster come upon a city unless the Lord has done it?”
That’s a pretty profound verse.
To be honest I don’t know that I am prepared to unpack it all right here
and now. Does God know about all disaster? Certainly.
God is omnipotent and omniscient and omnipresent. Nothing happens that He doesn’t know
about. But am I prepared to lay all disaster
of any kind at the feet of God? Is that
actually what this passage is saying?
I believe that part of this passage is also in understanding the
context of Amos. God has sent his
prophet because of their sinfulness. So
the disaster in question is actual punishment for actual unrighteous
behavior. Am I prepared to assert that
God will send disaster against cities and nations that are intentionally
rebellious against him? Absolutely. The witness of the Bible is that God sent His
own people into captivity under the Assyrians and Babylonians. God will absolutely use disaster as a tool
for teaching and repentance in the specific instance of judgment against sinfulness.
Rescue
As Amos proclaims destruction, he also desires to make it clear
what the rescue of the Lord will look like.
We’ve heard often about the judgment and captivity under the Assyrians. But Amos gives us a great passage on the
rescue. “As a shepherd rescues two legs
and a part of an ear from a lion, so shall the Lord rescue the people of
Israel.” What an incredibly graphic
description!
What is the Lord saying?
There will be rescue. Some – a paltry
few – will return. But they will be torn
apart in the process. The nation of
Israel will be destroyed. It will be
decimated. Disaster will come as a form
of punishment against the sins of Israel.
I really appreciate this message in the end of Amos. It really does balance Law and Gospel in a
very Old Testament way. Some of the
people in Israel will find repentance.
They will find God in the midst of their centuries of captivity under
the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, and finally the Persians. But most will not. Most will fall away. Most will actually be absorbed into the
captivity of those nations and become like them. Most will completely miss the point of the
disaster and will simply fall away for good.
Grace is offered through repentance.
Many will reject it.
I wonder, how much of this same approach will happen in our
current age? People are all the time
being enslaved and becoming captive to their sinful ways and sinful thoughts. When captivity and disaster comes, do we
repent? Do we turn to God? Or do we simply absorb the blows and continue
on with life without catching what God is really trying to say to us?
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