Amos 5:1-3

Amos chapter 5, verses 1 to 3. Hear ye this word, which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel. The Virgin of Israel is fallen. She shall no more rise. She is forsaken upon her land. There is none. to raise her up. For thus saith the Lord God, the city that went out by a thousand shall leave a hundred. That which went forth by a hundred shall leave ten to the house of Israel. May God bless to us the reading of his sacred and holy word this evening. Edgar Alan Poe was well known for his spine-chilling stories. He is a master of the horror scene. I’m sure many times very terribly realistic and somewhat frightening. In one of his stories, the premature burial, a man who is actually alive but presumed to be dead is buried. And the poor guy could hear the minister. Mr. Eulogy. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and the shovels of dirt covering the top of his casket. He was a helpless victim, buried alive. What an eerie thought. Imagine if you could hear your own funeral. If you could hear all the comments made by those who stood by your casket while you were in it where you could hear the minister’s words, feel the casket lowered down into the grave. Wouldn’t that feel strange? Just thinking about it is something that would make someone uneasy. Without the people of Israel, here, the people of Samaria in particular, felt uneasy when Amosur, disappeared and announced their funeral. He was mourning Israel’s death. Perhaps at first the people thought that he was mourning one of his friend’s death, but as they listened to his words, they began to realize he was mourning their death. That’s a solemn thing to contemplate to mourn their death. Edgar Allan Paul’s idea wasn’t original then, was it? As we see here, God here provides a biblical idea of a premature burial, if you would, hundreds of years before Edgar Allan Poe ever wrote his story. In verse one, we see the funeral lament, hear ye this word which I take up against you, you, even a lamentation, O House of Israel. Funerals in Israel at this time were times of great lamenting and mourning. Remember the passing of Jacob, Joseph, and his brothers, lamented his passing for it with seven days of mourning in the book of Genesis. When Saul, the first king of Israel died, Israel, Israel, mourned his passing with a whole week of extended mourning. And thus, in this section of scripture, Amos’s words are wrapped in the black crape here of extended mourning. Now, it’s very probable that this message was delivered when there was extended morning. gathering of people for a religious celebration. We saw in chapter four, in verse four, he talks about them coming to Bethel and to Gilgal and transgressing and so forth. In verse five of our chapter, he also mentions this idea of pass not to Beersheba, as well as Bethel and Gilesh. a girl being mentioned. So during perhaps a time of worship and celebration when there was a lot of the people of the nation gathered together, this was a good time to speak to them about the message from God. Because a lot of the whole of the nation would hear what he had to say. His funeral lament was designed to provoke his audience to to transform this festive occasion into one of a funeral march. You can imagine a great crowd of happy people gathering to celebrate a holy day, and Yadamus comes along, and he talks about their funeral, their death. For the people here, it was sort of like those who were on the Titanic. they’re dancing gleefully in the ballroom. The band is playing. They’re full of the joys of life. But Amos sees the iceberg coming. It’s going to sink the ship and people are going to drown. In a sense, they’re as good as dead already and they don’t even know it. And this is his lamentation that he takes up. Now the words which Amos speaks here are heavy words. He has to take them up. One would pick up a burden. It’s heavy and lay it on their shoulders. His people cry out in grief over the death of a loved one. So Amos here takes up this heavy burden of lamenting. death of the Northern Kingdom. He cries out here you this word as a town crier would cry out. He admonishes them to hear his lament, to pay attention to what he says, I’m going to lay this heavy burden on you. The funeral lament. The obituaries, taken up in verse 2, the Virgin of Israel has fallen, she shall no more rise, she is forsaken, she is upon her land, there is none to raise her up. He reads the obituary over the Virgin of Israel here. Now, this phrase does not refer to the unmarried women of the nation. Those who were not the kind of Bashan, as he says in chapter 4, verse 1, because the kind of but she can’t have masters, they have husbands. That’s not what he’s talking about here. In scripture, it’s common to personify a nation as if they were like an individual. We often do this ourselves. We use the pronouns she or her when referring to our nation. We talk about her shores. We talk about her mountains, her might. her people, and so forth. The Virgin of Israel here is the nation of Israel. The question is, why does Amos choose the word here, or use the word, I should say, virgin, as God is the one who’s actually inspiring this. Why call her a virgin? This language, is used in scripture to speak of those who are espoused to the Lord. They were to be like a chaste virgin in their devotion to the Lord God. They are betrothed to him to be his wife. The words Virgin of Israel then were a reminder of what they should have been. But the truth is, only the elect among them were actually the true virgin people. Israel be giled by Satan had been unfaithful to the Lord, worshipping foreign gods. Gods of their own making like the golden calves at Gilgale and Bethel. How far they had fallen from where they once were. as a nation and where they should be now. So he uses this in a way to shame them. They’re unfaithful to the Lord. Another idea may be attached to the word virgin here. The idea that Israel had never been subjected or subdued to a foreign power. Since it had separated from Judah, God had already, always had protected her. A virgin is a young woman who is not under the authority of a husband, a master, as we saw in chapter 4 in verse 1. She’s free without any attachments or any obligations. But Israel’s days of freedom are over. She’s going to die to death here and go into captivity to the Assyrians, a foreign power. be subject of their authority and she would find them a cruel master over them. Israel is spoken here as fallen, as if it’s already happened, fallen in death. She lies face down, if you would, upon the earth, unable to rise. There’s no one to pick her up. Her face down, if you would, upon the earth, unable to rise. is the ashen color of death. There’s no pulse within her. There’s no CPR that can be used. No electric shock is going to bring her back to life. She is forsaken as a broken piece of pottery, never to be restored. The Northern Kingdom was never restored again. Oh, individuals were brought back, but the nation itself was never recovered. It’s in a shattered condition. Amos is addressing the house of Israel, the ten tribes of the northern kingdom. When it speaks of the southern kingdom, it uses the term the house of Judah. Here, in chapter 5 and verse 6, you’ll notice it speaks about the of Joseph. Joseph, of course, involves the tribes of Ephraim and Manassah. Thus, the northern kingdom is really being encompassed by that phraseology. Ephraim being one of the great northern tribes, just as Judah was the great southern tribe. The fact that only the northern kingdom was actually destroyed is a nation without rising again, as we mentioned. No doubt, Amos was looked upon as some type of religious fanatic. After reciting this obituary, little Israel, they probably thought they were very much alive. They were enjoying a very successful period of prosperity. It was this nutcase to come along and tell us we’re dead and to be lamented over. You know, Amos, blow the chop and warn us when the enemy’s at the gate. Don’t give us this lament now. Just leave us alone. This seems to be the attitude. So this is the obituary. And finally, we have the song of their death in verse 3. But thus saith the Lord God, the city that went out by a thousand shall leave a hundred. and that which went forth by a hundred shall leave ten to the house of Israel. Israel got used to singing the songs of triumph and victory. Saul has slain his thousands and David is ten thousands. All the nations, you remember all the nations that David conquered. How victorious they were. Amos’ song is one of doom. And the roles are reversed. verse because Israel is now the one that’s slain. Amos prophesied that a horrible military catastrophe is going to destroy the northern kingdom and they’re going to go into captivity. The implications are this or this, that war is going to bring an end to the nation. They went out. The phraseology here is like going out of it. battle, but it’s going to have a disastrous result. Now, in the time of the judges, Israel was known to go out by tribes. But in the time of the kings, Israel would go out by cities. They were reorganized more like cities at that particular time. And Amos prophesies here about such a frightful slaughter that the Israelites would only have 100 men out of the thousand that went out to battle from a large city that would survive. In a smaller city or town, where there were maybe only 100 soldiers that went out, only 10 are going to survive. So the ranks of the soldiers are going to be drastically decimated. Can you think about this? 90% of the soldiers will be put to death, slaughtered. Now, we’ve been through two world wars in our own nation’s history. We’ve never had, that I know of, 90% losses. Even the Civil War didn’t have 90. When we were fighting one another, have 90% losses. It’s rather unique in history that a nation would have this many of their soldiers slaughtered at one time. Certainly, this shows the heavy hand of God being against them. It was a fulfillment of God’s curse if they were unfaithful the Lord that we find in Deuteronomy 28. Here’s what God says in verse 25 of that chapter, The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies. Thou shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before. them. Verse 62, same chapter, and ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the Lord thy God. And so we see here the song of death, the obituary, the funeral lament in this passage of scripture. Now let me make two practical applications. from tonight’s text of scripture. And the first is this. Many churches, which appear to be alive, are actually dead. The Israelites were busy traveling to religious assemblies at Gilgale and Bethel. When Amos cries out this funeral lament, Amos was addressing the living dead, if you would. His words were meant to awaken them to the dangerous condition that they were in. If you examine the external aspects of their worship, Israel seemed to be very much alive. Can you imagine the huge crowds that would be gathering for these religious ceremonies, these times of worship, at Bethel and Gilgau, they would be singing the songs of Zion. Animal sacrifices would be manifold. The land was full of worshippers. The congregation was thriving. The huge crowds were gathered for these religious services. There was no disinterest. They were not indifferent to worship. Surely it seemed that a real revival was taking place with all this religious activities at these worship centers. Yet Amos has them in a casket, already looked upon as dead and buried. At first glance, at many religious assemblies today, you might be led to think that they too are very much alive. You can imagine that most professing Christians today consider the Christian religious religious religious. religion, the visible people of God, is being very much alive. Why, you think about this, the Christian faith has its own TV station. Think about that. CBN, the Christian Broadcast Network. Isn’t it true that’s so-called professing Christian? Pat Robinson, do you remember him? He once ran for the president of the United States. States, the highest office in the land. Had all this religious, the religious called the religious right at the time that was backing him. Many people would rise, I raise, I think a cry of protest, if we even suggested that the vast majority of people who claim to be Christians are far from it. But many religious assemblies are indeed dead, judged by spiritual standards. And outwardly, flourishing church may seem to be a beehive of activity with all their programs and all the things going on. But they’re really full of dead man’s bones and there’s no spiritual life present. People appear to be religious. We live in a sort of religious society. Not really religious. not truly religious, but outwardly religious. I was talking just Saturday to the physician assistant as she was there. And she says to me, I can’t observe Lent. Evidently, she forgot last time I told her that Lent is not found in the Bible. It’s not biblical. And then she told me about something that I never heard before. She said, did you hear about Ashes. and dash the Catholic church and those Lutheran churches and other churches, they would have priests outside, even on the steps of the church, you could pull up in your car, get the ashes of for lent, put it on your forehead and dash off to work so you didn’t have to stay for any service at all. It’s called Ash and Dash. That’s what she called it. She seemed proud of it. You know, this is how we’re taking care of our people. It reminded me, when I growing up, my father, he had this humorous way about him in some cases. He said, the Catholics ought to have what he would call toot and tell. You could have drive-in confessions. Stay in your car, just talk to the priest, get a little booths or something, and then drive off, you know, Toot-and-tel, ash and dash. The people, you know, you look at these people and then people are walking around with, you know, ashes on their forehead and so. seems religious. You know, they’re observing Lent. But when you really get down to the spirituality of the situation, there’s no spirituality. They are putting on the sign of mourning when they really don’t know what mourning is all about. They don’t even know what repentance is. If you ask them to define repentance, I wonder how many people could. Amos is good reason here for announcing Israel’s obituary. And that’s still, look, those reasons still exist today. Now, what are the marks of a dead church? Look at Revelation, if you would, chapter 3 verses 1 to 3. Here’s what the scripture says about the church at Sardis. He says, under the angel of the church in Sardis, write, these things, saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know thy works. that thou hast to name that thou livest and are dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent. If therefore thou watch not, I will come on thee as a thief, thou shalt not. what hour I will come upon thee. Now, what are the marks about a dead church here? They are boastful about their spirituality. Thou hast to name that thou livest. You know, we have these so-called Christian crusades and various campaigns, and I remember when Billy Graham came to Pittsburgh years ago. go and how, you know, so many thousands of people were converted. It was going to change the entire city where we’re told. Well, that never happened. There are great healings. We’re told taking place, at least the claim is, that people were being healed and so forth. That the Holy Spirit’s presence is overwhelming people, that people are being slain in the spirit. They have been given the gift of tongues or maybe a word of knowledge. The excitement level was tremendous. God is doing great things here. Notice the decaying spiritual condition, though, the church. Verse 2, be watchful, strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die. And he says, remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard the doctrine you’ve received, or hold fast to that doctrine and repent, for where you have fallen away from it. There’s no concern about doctrine, true. of the word of God. It’s not essential to most churches today. Why? We don’t even like to give a church a name like a Baptist or a Presbyterian church because that would exclude people. We don’t want to be exclusive. Only a weak, limited, and faint impression of God’s truth remains. They’re not earnestly contending for the faith. Truth is compromised for results for easy believers. for a gain in audience, for more money in the church. Sound doctrine is cast aside for what pleases the ears of people. Sensational stories and all kinds of activities are taking the place of expository preaching of the Word of God. We have flesh-pleasing spirit also. Your works are not perfect before God. There’s a lack of seeking first the things of the kingdom of God. There is a lack of seeking first the things of God. There, is a lack of searching the scriptures. There’s a lack of true prayer. There’s a lack of development of graces. There’s a lack of sorrow over sin. A lack of true repentance. A lack of turning from evil ways. People are seeking prosperity. Somehow or other, our focus is on health and wealth in our churches many times. times today. When you go into the homes of certain professing Christian families, the smell of death almost overwhelms you as soon as you step in the door. When you start to begin to talk about spiritual matters, there’s this anxious silence. It reminds you of the stillness of a morgue. They have really nothing to say they can’t contribute to. a spiritual conversation. These people are claiming to be Christians. They don’t know the first thing about the word of God. And they don’t seem to be very interested in learning. I once had a Bible study at the gym where I worked out. There was a chiropractic office there, and the chiropractor was a professing Christian, and he said I could use his… office for a Bible study. So I started this Bible study, I thought I was starting on the book of John. I thought that would be a good book to start. So one of the first studies we had, I asked the question from verse 1 of John 1, I said, who is the word of which he speaks in this passage of Scripture? There are five people. there, supposedly all going to so-called Christian churches. I think one was a Catholic, but the other ones went to a so-called what I would classify as, at least in name, Christian churches. One of the Pentecostal fellows finally spoke up and said, is it the Holy Spirit? I’m thinking, you never read John Chapter 1? You never got the verse 14 where the word was made flesh and dwell among us? And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. You never read the first chapter of John. You never saw the implications. It tells you right there. When I got to chapter 3, I asked about, well, what is the kingdom of God? Dead silence. And I realized that I could even let the most basic Christian doctrine go without definition. without taking the time to explain what born again means, or the kingdom of God means, for they had no clue. My friends, there are churches that gather and they have all these religious activities, but the truth of the matter is there is no real progress in the knowledge of Scripture or spiritual growth with regard to graces of the spirit. What a sad commentary it is. Hopefully, there’s a remnant among these people who are truly converted. What if 90% of those who claim they’re alive in the church are actually dead? What if in a congregation of a thousand only 100 were truly converted? What if in a congregation of 100, only 10 were truly converted? Wouldn’t that be a terrible thing? Many churches which appear to be alive are actually dead. Secondly, tonight, the use of fear in delivering the message of God is biblical. Why do you think Amos is told by God here to give the funeral oration? It’s to frighten them. It’s to make them consider their certain future unless repentance, occurs. They’re as good as dead. Fear can be a legitimate means in dealing with those who are unconverted. You look with me at the book of Luke chapter 12 and verses 4 and 5. We have our Lord’s teaching in this passage. I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more they can do. But I forewarn you, whom ye shall fear. Fear him which after he hath killed hath the power to cast into hell. Yea, I say, and you fear him. People should fear death. If they’re unconverted, they should fear hell. They should fear the final judgment. They should fear the one who has the power to punish them. I find it interesting that scripture says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That’s where we have to begin. It’s the starting point of most persons in the cases for most persons who seek God. When we are witnessing, we should not be timid about pressing home the truth of everyone’s going to die. you’re going to have to face death. And after death, there is a judgment that’s coming. And after that, there is a hellfire to be faced. Death is a frightening reality. Your friend, your neighbor, cannot deny that fact because it’s all around them. People die all the time. There’s going to be a final judgment, a great weigh in. They’re going to be weighed by God. in his scales like Belchazer, they’re going to be found wanting. When people appear before God, they’re going to have to give an account. Paul presses this upon Felix. He reasoned with him concerning, one of the things he reasoned with him concerning is the judgment to come. Christ preached on hell more than any other preacher or prophet or servant of God. Jonathan Edwards often preached. On hell with startling effects. His sermon of the sinners in the hands of an angry God is one interesting aspect of this. Desperately frightened sinners. Awaken to the sad future reality and plight they’re going to be in, cry out, what must they do to be saved? Their interest in Christ may be only peek through this whole matter of sin. seeing themselves having to face God, face death, face hell. In the end, a sinner doesn’t need to hear God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. He needs to hear God’s angry with you, and reservations may be made for you in hell. You better think about this. Perhaps we need to follow Amos’ example here when we deal with those are unconcerned, uninterested, and they’re just satisfied people. with regard to the things of this world and this life. Paint them a picture that’s a picture that’s horrifying. You’re going to face death. You’re going to face hell. You’re going to be judged by God. What a terrible future that is. And yet this is maybe the best way for people to realize the danger they’re in. One day they may wake up like the rich man in hell, lifting up his eyes, being, in torment. That’s not where you want to be. That’s not where you want to end up. And you should fear the God who could place you there. Let us close with a word of prayer.