Greatest Sermons - Amos 5

The prophet Amos gave one of the most memorable and overlooked rebukes and warnings in the Bible, and I think it would behoove us to take a very serious look at it today; with the consideration of the rule that history repeats itself, and that God’s people are by no means an exception to that rule. I’m going to pick up around midstream with this sermon, to capture the most pointed and powerful elements of the message. “Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. 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: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skillful of lamentation to wailing. And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD. Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” (Amos 5:11-24) Wow! Talk about sobering and powerful! What a mighty rebuke!

Let’s just note some of the really potent references here in this glorious sermon. First of all the Lord rebukes the people sharply for failing to help the poor among them, and for taking advantage of the weak state of the poor instead. He also lets them know that their priority of worldly gain is going to backfire on them. God proceeds to let them know that he has seen how they have dealt ill with those among them who truly are righteous. So comes the admonition to simply love what is good, and hate what is evil, so they can be blessed. Note also that he states that those to whom this rebuke is sent, think that they are already blessed [“as ye have spoken”]. And then the powerful reproof is followed up with the warning of inevitable calamity if the rebuke is not heeded. But the absolute highlight of this great sermon is the warning against all who were and are looking forward to the day of the Lord, or the resurrection of the dead, which in fact are one in the same. So here we have people who are in covenant with God, and are gleefully anticipating the day of the Lord’s second coming, and their resurrection to meet him; and God is letting them know that there hope is one of deception, and that they should instead expect utter disaster in that day. Why? For the reasons already mentioned, and many others like them. God’s people are NOT going to be saved unless they keep the commandments of the Lord. Period. Yes, it really is that simple. Being God’s people doesn’t automatically save anyone, but rather it gives us the opportunity and capacity to keep the commandments of God, which again is the only way salvation has EVER been obtained (I Jn. 5:2,3). And finally this potent warning shows that even though his people weren’t slack in their worship of God, he utterly despised their worship and refused to accept it. Why? Well, for the same reasons that he told them that their hope in the day of the Lord was in vain. They were not doing his will in their lives. Plain and simple. And for God’s people today to believe that God is a different God under the covenant of grace, is absolutely nonsensical and foolish. The truth is, all of the things brought forth in this serious rebuke by Amos, apply to God’s people today, but with more accountability on our part (Heb. 2:1-3; Heb. 10:28,29). So again, God has not changed since old testament times, and this means now more than ever, that we must “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Amen.