Amos 2:9-16

The book of Amos, chapter 2, and verses 9 to 16 for our text and study this evening. Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars. And he was strong as the oaks. Yet I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from beneath. Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt and laid. you 40 years through the wilderness to possess the land of the Amarite. And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O children of Israel, said the Lord? But you gave the Nazarites wine to drink and commanded the prophet saying, Prophs I not. Behold, I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed that is full. full of shees. Therefore, the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force. Neither shall the mighty deliver himself. Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow. And he that is swift afoot shall not deliver himself. Neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked. and that they set the Lord. May God bless to us His sacred and holy this evening. Before David became the king of Israel, he was a fugitive, fleeing from the hand of the wicked King Saul. While he was a fugitive and hiding out in various places, caves, and different areas of the countryside, remote areas, He befriended some shepherds who were taking care of the sheep of Naboth, who was a wealthy Israelite. David’s men, for many months, protected the shepherds, and the sheep, of course, were allowed the graze unharmed, and they increased and grew strong. When shearing time came, David set messengers to Naboth, thinking that he had done a good turn for Naboth, and surely that he could provide some extra provisions at this time of plenty. For Naboth, gave a celebration of feast like that of a king, we’re told. It was that abundant in provision. So he asked for some supplies from Naboth. Naboth arrogantly refused, why should I feed this vagabon? And so he didn’t take care of him. And David was furious. He said, all the good I’ve done for this man was in vain. Therefore, he and his men girded on their swords to slaughter all the males in the household of Naboth. If it wasn’t for Abigail Mayboss’s wife interceding, they would all been killed, as you recall. This regarding someone’s good deeds towards you rightly causes angry passions to stir. Amos in our text indicate that despising God’s good deeds is even worse. It brings down his wrath upon the nation. As we look at this text tonight, this list of God’s good deeds we find here in 11 through 16. follows Israel’s catalog of sins that we took up last week in verses 6 to 8. So in light of all the good things God had done for the nation, Israel’s sin, was all the more inexcusable. Thus God’s righteous judgment is going to be released. You’ll notice how God puts it in verse 9. He says here, I did this. but when we get the verse 12, but ye did that. This is what you guys did. And so Jehovah girds on the sword, so this week, to slaughter the Israelites. Now, you notice that Israel is guilty of despising God’s good deeds and benefits. Versus 9 through 11 here. Let me begin with verse 10 when we have here the idea that God had delivered, them from the cruel slavery that they had in Egypt. And I brought you up from the land of Egypt and led you 40 years through the wilderness to possess the land of the Ammonite. And he’s saying here, Israel, have you forgotten what pitiful slaves you were? Have you forgotten all your work in the hot sun making bricks for the Egyptians under the whips of cruel taskmasters? Have you forgotten? the sting of the whip on your back and how you were treated? Think back upon that for a moment, he says. It was I who set Moses to lead you out of Egypt, and I redeemed you from that miserable sting. It was I who plagued Egypt until it was ruined. I left that once proud and powerful nation in shambles. I totally destroyed their crops and their crops and their cattle. My locust ate up every green thing in the land. My death angel killed their firstborn and so forth. I was the one who destroyed Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea and drowned them all. They would have utterly destroyed you, but I protected you and defeated them. God had delivered them from the cruel slavery in Egypt. God had brought them through the wilderness journey. the last part of verse 10, he said, and led you 40 years through the wilderness to possess the land of the Amarite. Israel, have you forgotten the manna that I rained down from heaven for 40 years, how I fed you miraculously? Have you forgotten that your shoes never wore out? Have you forgotten the cloud that guided you by day and the pillar of fire that guided you by night? Have you forgotten the world that guided you by night? Have you forgotten the world? water that I caused to come forth from the rock like a stream or a river to provide you with water to quench your thirst in the wilderness? Have you forgotten all the laws and statutes I gave you that I didn’t give the other nations? And yet, you’ve rebelled against me. I spared you as a nation. I watched over you. I protected you. No hostile power was able to overwhelm you. I gave you the land of Canaan. Balim the prophet could not even pronounce a curse against you. I wouldn’t let him. And I put my fear upon all the nations that could have harmed you. And I led you through the desert wasteland. Have you forgotten all that? Then he says here also that God had given them possession of the land of promise. The last part of verse 10 is to possess the land of the land of the emmer. and then back up to verse 9. Yet I destroyed the emirite before them whose height was like the height of cedars and he was strong as oaks and I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from beneath. After 40 years I brought you to the land of promise. You sons of the brickmakers appeared as well-equipped soldiers before the gates of the frightened Canaanites did a not destroy the Amarites before you. Before a single arrow was shot or spear was thrown, didn’t I cause the collapse of the walls of Jericho so that you could easily take the city? I did that, Israel. Your good fortune was not the result of your military wisdom, but the result of my power. Were not the Amonites, Amorites here giants? Some of them were. He said, you were like grasshoppers before them. They towered over. They were formidable foe. Not only were they giants, but they were mighty warriors. They were like strong oaks, as it says here in the text. And yet they fell. And I completely eradicated them. The fruit above and the branch and the root beneath. I did this so you could take possession of a good and beautiful. land that was flowing with milk and honey. Either you could have cities that were pre-built, orchards that were already there planted for you and so forth. Can’t you see what I’ve done for you, Israel? Surely you remember all those benefits I’ve done for you. And then God provided spiritual privileges and advantages for them. Verse 11. And I raised up of your sons for prophets and of your young men for Nazarites, is it not even thus, oh, you children of Israel, saith the Lord. I gave you the land of the Canaanites, but I provided some safeguards for you so you would imbibe the spirit of the heathen. I raised up prophets among you. Didn’t I give you Moses? Didn’t I give you Joshua? Didn’t I give you Samuel? Didn’t I give you Elijah and Elisha and so forth? Isaiah and Jeremiah and a ton of others that we could mention. Did not these men teach you the revealed will of God? Did they not reprove you of your sins? Did they not warn you of the danger of turning away from the Lord? I didn’t send some strangers among you. I sent people from your own nation to you. Spoke your language. My messengers who intimate, knew you. And while the prophets I raised up spoke to you with their words, did I not also raise up the Nazarites, which would speak to you by their life, the godliness of how they lived, because they were dedicated to living for the Lord? Didn’t you enjoy the privilege of having these holy and developed men in your midst? Models of piety? Did not the Nazareth remind you that I was a holy God? Surely you remember these men that were bound themselves by an oath to serve me. Both the Nazarites and the prophets combated the spirit of evil that was in that day and gave some light and help to the Israelites. They were like a spiritual wall of protection for the Israelites. Safeguards against evil. Is it not even so? You can’t deny that this is a spirit of war. the truth. All that I’ve said here. So Isher was guilty of despising these good deeds that God had done for the nation. He recites them. Secondly, God’s judgment is going to be unleashed here in verses 12 to 16. The Nazarites and the prophets came to shake those who were at ease in Zion. That’s in the southern kingdom of Judah. and those who trust in the mountains of Samaria, those who were involved in the northern kingdom of Israel out of their sins. You’ll notice here in verse 12 here. But ye gave Nazarites wine to drink and commanded the prophet saying, prophesy not. The Nazarites, and the Nazarites, the prophets came to shake these people to give them a testimony, but Israel abused the advantages that they possessed. They didn’t like to have a reminder of what they should be doing and the sins that they were committing. So when the Nazarites and the prophets persisted, eventually the situation grew intolerable. Israel wanted to turn off the alarm of their conscience and enjoy their sin and therefore they silence the voice of the prophets telling them, do not prophesy. And even worse at times, killing them. And they forbade the prophets here to speak and murder them in cold blood. And the Nazarites, they gave wine to drink. Remember the Nazarites, one of the things that they would not do in their dedication to God, they were not to drink any wine or strong drink. But you brought the Nazareth, Nazarites down to you. level. You corrupted them. So the light Israel enjoyed was quickly snuffed out because they loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. They abused the advantages they enjoyed. God is grieved with the Israelites. Verse 13. Behold, I am pressed unto you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. Now here we have a very picturesque situation where we’re looking at harvest harvest time. When either the barley or the wheat or the rye is being harvested, and the sheaves of the wheat or barley or rye are being cut down, and then they’re stacked in the cart, taken back to the barn or the area away from the fields, more toward where their house was. and then they would have to separate the chaff and the wheat by winnowing these various grains. So one sheaf after another is stacked into the cart. Now, the picture here is this, is the cart being overloaded. You just keep stacking it and stacking and stacking it. You know, the wheels are starting to creak out a little bit, maybe the being to sag down in the center. and so it’s full and you get to the point where you really can’t take a whole lot more without breaking. Well, Jehovah here seems to represent himself as loaded and burdened with the sins of these people. The thought here is that God can no longer is no longer able to bear what they’re doing. Just as the heart harvest cart cannot bear a single sheaf more. God has taken all that he’s going to take from these Israelites and now he’s going to meet out judgment. He’s grieved with his generation. He has borne all the sins of Israel up to this point with patience, but the time has come when it’s time to end it. It’s also possible to translate this verse in another way. I will press you under a cart that is pressed that is full of she’s as if God will press down the Israelites, but I prefer the King James version. I think it’s better and it fits the context better. God here is grieve with the Israelites. Notice there will be no escape from God’s wrath on the day of judgment on that day verses 14 to 16. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself, neither shall he stand that handleth the bow, and he that is swift the foot shall not deliver himself, neither shall he that rideeth the horse deliver himself, and he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, said the Lord. God’s judgment that day is coming. Verse 16. Israel will not be able to flee from the enemy. It will overtake them. The judgment will overtake them. Neither their natural strength nor what they have learned militarily will be able to help them. The swift runner will not be fast enough to get away from the deadly arrow or speedy enough to escape the enemy. The bold hero who would nearly, would normally dare to take on the enemy. 10 men at once will run away naked. He’s lost everything and not escape. The bow and arrow will not help. Their horses will not be able to provide enough speed for them to get away. All their efforts will be in vain, is what he’s saying. They can’t defend themselves. They cannot escape the judgment. This Proverbs 21, 30, and 31 says, there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. God doesn’t protect us, no matter how many horses you have and Calvary you have prepared. It’s not going to help. It’s one sheaf too many on God’s wagon for them. So God’s judgment here is going to be unleashed. This is the text. This is what our text tells us. Now let me draw a couple of practical conclusions tonight before. close. And the first is this. Sin is what causes the downfall ultimately of a nation. When any nation grieves God, you can expect God’s wrath to fall upon it. Proverbs 1434 says, righteousness exalts a nation. But sin is the reproach of any people. King Jerbal and the second of Israel during this period of time was really involved in great political military and commercial advancement for the Northern Kingdom. None of that’s mentioned here. That’s not what God is focusing on, is it? God is looking at their moral state. It doesn’t matter how advanced they think they’re getting and what they’re accomplishing. God is looking at them and seeing what’s sinful people that they are. The Bible pays a little attention to some of the details in regard to maybe the advancements of the skills that we have as a nation, but it looks at what we’re doing with regard to sinful activity. We’re conditioned to look at political and economic and social causes for the rise and the fall of various empires, but God tells us. in his word, ultimately, that’s not the cause. Ultimately, it’s how they behave. It’s their sinfulness that brings them down. So the Bible would have us transform our thinking and seek the cause of national disaster from a spiritual perspective. Sin is the hinge on which a nation’s destiny turns. When a nation’s people, are not right with God they forfeit any hope of his favor. We’ve already looked at chapter one. For these many, you know, the third and fourth transgression, these people were brought to justice, whether it be Edom, whether it be the Syrians, whether it be the Edomites of the Syrians, or the Philistines, or whoever, the various Moabites and so forth, They all, it was their sin that God was looking at and brought them down because of it. So no amount of military strongholds or gigantic fleets or atomic submarines or supersonic aircraft or stealth fighters or ballistic missiles or army strength can turn the tide when God’s wrath is poured out. Sin is what causes the downfall of a nation. Secondly, spiritual and advantages expose you to greater judgment. Look with me at the book of Hebrews chapter 10, verse 26 to 31. Hebrews 10, this is 26 to 31. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devire the adversaries. He that despise Moses’ law, died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much soreer punishment, suppose ye shall be brought a thought worthy, who hath trampled underfoot the Son of God, and have counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite under the spirit of grace. For we know him that have said, vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompensayeth the Lord, and again the Lord shall judge, his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. There’s a need for us at times to think back, to count over all the good things that God has granted us in this life. For nothing, put your sins in a more terrible light than to consider them in light of what God has done for us. The enormous God, good that he’s done. There’s a tendency to forget what God has done, to be a hardened, ingrate, instead of a thankful worshiper. You remember the words of Abraham to the rich man who lifted up his eyes in hell. He told him, son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receiveest thy good things, but now thou art tormented. Luke 1625. Call to mind. all the wonderful benefits you enjoyed for your punishment will take that into account. One of the most dangerous things we can do is what we read here about in verse 26 of Hebrews 10. Sinning willfully after receiving a knowledge of the truth. When God gives us his word and tells us how we should behave and we ignore it and treat it with indifference, it leads to a more severe judgment. God has sent his faithful prophet, you’ve heard him preach the word. If God has raised up some Nazarites among us who live godly lives and all that is neglected and set aside as nothing, there’s going to be a price to pay for that. There are many who professed to be God’s people who, like Israel of old, are going to be severely punished because of the spiritual privileges they enjoyed and is indeed a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. As verse 31 of this passage tells us. My third thought tonight is this. Do you hear a creaking wagon? God’s judgment falls on the heels of overloading the wagon with your sins. When you keep powing it up. You burden God. You weigh God down with your sins, so to speak. You don’t necessarily have to have good ears to hear the creaking and groaning of the wagon wheels. It should be evident to. Look at your own life. It may be far from the standard that God has set and therefore your wagon creeks. Excuse me. Consider your devotional life, your prayer and the reading of the Bible and the time you have set aside for that, is that being neglected? Your attitude toward attending the House of God. Your fellowshiping with the saints. Your attitude toward work and your boss. Your attitude toward authority, whether it be in the family, whether it be in the church, whether it be the government, whether it be to the company. Consider those unforsaken sins in your your life, those unmodified areas in your life. Think about perhaps your own pride and thoughts of self-importance which God hates. It would be wise to start taking some she’s off the cart. Would it not? To seek forgiveness for those things you know are grieving to God. Grieving the spirit of God. And begin mortifying those sins in your life. You need a true sense of remorse for your transgressions so you will forsake them and not repeat them. Do you hear a creaking wagon? Lastly, a full salvation leaves you no excuse for failing to obey God. Now, if we look at this passage in Amos, look at the shadow and type here, that we find. with Israel. Israel was in literal bondage. But we who know the Lord have been brought out of spiritual bondage to sin and to Satan. He once had us under his thumb. And the Lord has redeemed us from that place of bondage. We’re the objects of his mercy. We were helpless slaves, and now we have been spared. We’ve been delivered. from that Egyptian-like bondage. We’re now presently being led by the Lord through the wilderness of this world, and we’re on our way to the promised land of heaven. Think of all that God has done for it. Think of the emirites. He’s slain before you. You know, with God’s help, working with us, your faith has overcome the world, the flesh, the devil. Left to yourself, you would perish. But God has led you by his spirit. So you’ve had the cloud by day and the pillar of fire, so to speak, by night. God has provided you with a complete salvation. He’s broken the shackles of your sin. He’s leading you all the way to the promised land. And therefore, there is no excuse excuse for us to fail to walk in holiness. God expects his people to obey him, to submit to him. For he has given unto you all things that pertain unto life and godliness, as 2 Peter 1.3 tells us. Shouldn’t this be an encouragement that we would do just the opposite of the Israelites? That we would turn from our sin rather than ignore what God says to us. I think it’s something for us to ponder as the people of God. Well, let us close with the word of prayer.