Through the Bible - Amos, Obadiah — Zac Poonen

Let's turn now to the book of Amos, Amos chapter 1, verse 1. This message was given to Amos, a shepherd from the town of Tekoa in Judah. He received this message in visions two years before the earthquake when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II, the son of Joash, was king of Israel.

Amos as the First Written Prophet to Israel

Now, most of these prophets, almost all of these prophetic books, we know exactly when they prophesied except Joel. See Joel, if you remember the first day when I gave you a list of the dates of all the prophets, if you were observant, you probably discovered Joel was missing.

Well that's because we don't know from Joel's prophecy when he prophesied. Some people say he could have been prophesying the same time as Elisha. I don't know. It's difficult to say. We can't predict.

But all these other people prophesied and they told us the time. And Amos was the first of all these prophets who preached to Israel. There are 16 prophetic books starting from Isaiah going up to Malachi.

And one of those books, Jonah, he did not preach to Israel. He preached to Nineveh. And Jonah is not essentially a book of prophecy, it's a book of history. And Jonah lived immediately after Elisha. But Amos was the first of all these other 15 books of prophecy.

And he preached to Israel, the northern kingdom. He was the first of the prophets. All the others came after him. And he had these great examples like Elijah and Elisha before him. He never knew any of them personally.

There was no written prophecy that Elijah and Elisha left behind. So we can say that Amos was the first person to put down a written prophecy. And keep that in mind. And he was not a professional prophet.

He was a shepherd. Just like the first apostles were fishermen, tax collectors. Like Elijah was also a farmer, Elisha rather. And Amos was a man who looked after cattle and sheep and grew figs. He, let me just show you a verse in chapter 7, verse 14 to 15.

He says, Amos 7, 14 and 15, he says, in reply to another priest, he says, to a priest. He says, I'm not one of your professional prophets. I certainly never got any training to be a prophet. I'm just a shepherd and I take care of fig trees.

But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, go and prophesy to my people in Israel. Why did God pick on Amos to be the first person to write down a prophetic message? He must have watched him like he watches all people.

To see whether this man who's just an ordinary shepherd, he's not a scholar, he's not a priest. But he's very faithful in his task. He's God-fearing. He goes to the temple. He seeks to fear God and is kind to the poor people and lives in a good way.

And God had his eye on him and encouraged him and spoke to his heart and one day picked him up and said, you're going to be my servant. You know that God watches you. We can get a lot of training and try to serve God like that.

But this is different. This is where we are faithful in our daily life. Humbling ourselves before God, listening to him, studying the scriptures, waiting upon him and faithful, faithful for years. Perhaps Amos was faithful for 25 years.

I don't know. I know that Jesus was faithful for 30 years in Nazareth before he was called to preach. He was faithful, faithful Amos. And you can be faithful, faithful, faithful, faithful in the little things, wondering if something's going to happen.

And one day God picks you up and says, OK, you're going to be my servant. So God calls those who are faithful in their secular work. He did that before Christ came. Jesus himself called people who were faithful in their secular work to his service.

Amos's Universal Vision of God's People

And one phrase that never occurs in the book of Amos is the phrase, the God of Israel. That's the holy one of Israel. These type of phrases never occur in Amos because Amos was so large hearted. He saw God as the God of all nations, not just the God of Israel, even though he prophesied to Israel.

And you see in Amos chapter 9 and verse 7, the Lord says, it's a very interesting verse for the first of the prophets in that time to say, Amos 9 verse 7, Do you Israelites think that you are more important to me than the Ethiopians?

Asks the Lord. I brought you out of Egypt. That's right. But haven't I done as much for other nations? I brought the Philistines from Crete. And I led the Arameans, the Assyrians, out of Kir. I brought you out of Egypt.

What's the difference between you and them? That was Amos's vision. He was a new covenant man who believed that God would gather the Gentiles as much as the Jews and make them one body. It's interesting to see how even though these people were in Israel, they had a large heart for all of God's people.

They were not narrow like the other Israelites were who felt, oh, we are the only people. Have you seen some Christians like that? They sit in some denomination and they say, ours is the only denomination that God has accepted.

God has not accepted anybody else. If you want to be with God, you got to be with us. There were people like that in Israel too. Not the prophets. They had a large heart. And even today, a true servant of God will have a large heart that accepts God's people in every denomination.

Those who love the Lord. He realizes that Babylon is not in a system. Babylon is not this church or that church or the other church. It's a world system which can be found in your heart. And you can sit in the best church in the world and be a part of Babylon.

That's possible. I've seen that through 25 years. People who sit in the best church in the world and they are 100 a part of Babylon. Because it's in their spirit. They think that because they've come out of a system, they are free from it.

No, you're not. If you love money, whichever church in the world you sit in, you're a part of Babylon. If you live according to the flesh, whichever church in the world you sit in, you're an adulteress.

You can glory over those other denominations saying, Oh, I don't worship Mary or things like that. Maybe you worship your sexual lusts. What is the difference? So much of deception in Christendom today.

Narrow-minded approach thinking that God only cares for this little group over here. This is how cults are built. The body of Christ is larger than any denomination. God's people are not found in any denomination today.

God has got his people in the Roman Catholic Church. I believe that. There are born-again people there who love the Lord. I don't agree with the system. I don't agree with many things in that system.

But I don't deny the fact that God has his people there. And there are unbelievers in the separated churches. In the best churches, there are unbelievers sitting there. Particularly in the second and third generation.

Amos's Shepherd Imagery and Judgment on Luxury

People who don't know the Lord. So, we must see something of Amos' vision. God punishes all nations. And he gathers people from all nations. And when you look at Amos' illustrations. His illustrations throughout the book come from his shepherd life.

He talks about a bullock cart full of sheaves of corn. He talks about a shepherd trying to rescue bits of a lamb from a lion's mouth. He talks about caterpillars. How plowing the fields and locusts and the stars.

Showing that he sat observing the greatness of God. And God gives him a word where he pronounces judgment on rich people. And especially the rich. The wives of the rich people. Who lived in such luxury in those days.

You see, Amos was living at a time when Jeroboam, like it says here, was ruling over Israel. And they did not have many wars in those days at that particular time. Even though Jeroboam was a man who lived in evil.

And when Israel did not have many enemies. What happened is, it expanded its borders. And people engaged in a lot of business. There was not expense on war. The result was, people became very very rich.

Some of the things you read in the book of Amos. Is that there were people who had many houses. The beautiful homes of the wealthy. He says in chapter 3 verse 15. They had winter mansions and summer houses.

Now, only a very rich person can have one house for the summer. And another house for the winter. Summer house in the mountains. And winter house in the valleys. Rich people, they had very expensive furniture.

Ivory beds, chapter 6 verse 4. Beds made of ivory. And the same verse, eating the meat of tender lambs and choice calves. They were gluttonous. They were drinking as we read in chapter 4 verse 1. And along with all this, they were also exploiting poor people.

Chapter 2 verse 6. They were selling honest people for silver. And selling poor people as slaves. Just for a pair of sandals. So, you see this is the type of atmosphere in which we can say. Communism can breed.

You know for years and years before communism came on the scene. It was exactly like this in many many countries. The rich people, fantastically rich landlords. And exploiting the poor people. You need to get a little picture from all these verses.

Of the type of situation in which Amos lived. You see for example. People who were eager. Chapter 8 verse 5. For the Sabbath day to be over. So that they could go and do business. Very business minded.

Money, money, money. As soon as the Sabbath is over. Let me go and continue my business. They were the wives of the rich people. You read of in chapter 4 verse 1. They are called the fat cows of Samaria.

They oppressed the poor. And always asking their husbands for another drink. This is the type of situation they lived in. And what about the rulers among God's people. The rulers and the leaders. Chapter 6.

The rich lived in luxury. And thinking that they were secure. At the same time. They had a lot of religion. We read for example in chapter 4. And verse 4. About their offering sacrifices in Bethel and Gilgal.

Of course they were offering to the idols. But they were offering sacrifices in the morning. And they were bringing their tithes every three days. And presenting their Thanksgiving offerings. And voluntary offerings.

And all that. Chapter 4 verse 4 and 5. And many other verses like that. Which show that they were a very very religious people. Chapter 5 verse 21. They had solemn assemblies. Special meetings. Religious festivals.

Burnt offerings. Verse 23. The hymns of praise. They had praise and worship. The Lord says. It was all a noise in my ears. I will not listen to your music. Verse 5. 23. No matter how lovely it is. I will not listen to your music.

No matter how lovely it is. So here is a picture of the type of people. To whom Amos was preaching. Rich people. Enjoying grand houses. Upper middle class people. Exploiting poor people. And not feeling bad about it.

And at the same time very religious. These rich people were board members in their churches. And they were given honorable positions by the pastors and the priests and leaders. Very similar to what is happening in a lot of cities in India today.

Amos's Conflict with Professional Religious Leaders

It is not popular to go and preach to such people and tell them the truth. Amos had a difficult ministry. There were professional priests. Like we read in chapter 7 of Amaziah. Who confronted this Amos.

Amaziah versus Amos. Amaziah the professional priest. Hired by the rich establishment. And paid a very good salary. By all the rich members in the board. Because he kept preaching things that would make them happy.

Keep them happy. And in comes this shepherd. Prophet. Untrained man. Gets into the pulpit and thunders away at all these rich people. And the rich people must have got mad. Get this fellow out of here.

Preaching false doctrine. Preaching heresy. Throw him out. And Amaziah takes that job on himself. To throw out Amos. So you find that these Old Testament books are very relevant. To our time. When we read all these verses.

It's all in here. If you read it carefully. It's all in here. And what does he say. Let's turn. In chapter 1 and 2. He's talking about judgment. On a number of nations. And then in chapters 3 to 6. He gives Israel the reasons why they are being judged.

And then like all the prophets. In the last three chapters. He gives a prophecy of restoration. After judgment. Now first of all. He preaches in chapter 1. And pronounces judgment. On verse 3. On Damascus.

And on Gaza. Verse 6. On Tyre. Verse 9. On Edom. And 11. Verse 13. Ammon. Moab. Chapter 2. Verse 1. So here are. Six nations against which. He. Prophesies. And I can imagine. Of the Israelites. When they were listening.

Amos thundering away in the pulpit. Woe unto Damascus. God is going to judge Gaza. God is going to judge Tyre. God is going to judge Edom. They're all very happy. They say Amen. Praise the Lord. It's going to be like that.

And then he says. Woe unto Judah. Woe unto Israel. And then the Ammons become silent. Because now he's preaching directly to them. We always like to hear a preacher. Who's telling us. What's wrong with all the other churches.

Right? You like to hear a preacher who tells you. What's wrong with all the other churches except yours. That's how. Amos really. He. Sort of worked them up. He got them to say their Ammons. And Ammons.

And Ammons. And Ammons. And then he honed it on them. He was a wise man. He said. You're no different. You fellows in Judah. Chapter 2. Verse 4. All of you people in Israel. Chapter 2. Verse 6. He uses this expression.

For three transgressions. And for four. Verse 3 onwards. That means they have sinned again and again. He. That means God is saying. I ignored three transgressions. But I won't let you go the fourth time.

Not literally the fourth time. That means I let you go a number of times. But now that's the end. I'm not going to let you go anymore. I've forgiven you enough number of times. You're just taking advantage.

Of my goodness. It's a word that we need to hear. Are you one of those who take advantage of God's goodness? And. What are the things which he condemns? If you. I don't have time to show it all to you.

But you read it in chapter 1 and chapter 2. He condemns them. For being cruel. To. For their. The way they treated other human beings. For example. See verse 3. The last part. You beat down my people in Gilead.

As grain is threshed. That means you took advantage of these poor people. And you hammered them. And verse 5. And verse 6. The other group. Again. It is their treatment of other poor people. You sent my people into exile.

Verse 6. Selling them. As slaves. Verse 9. The other sin. Again the treatment of other people. They broke their covenant of brotherhood with Israel. And sold whole villages. As slaves to Edom. Verse 11.

The sin of Edom is they chased down their relatives. The Israelites. Israelites were their cousins. Chased them down with swords. Verse 13. The people of Ammon. They attacked Gilead. And ripped open the pregnant women.

And Moab. Chapter 2. Verse 1. Was so angry with the king of Edom. That by the time they got there. The king of Edom had died. They dug up his grave. Pulled out his bones. And took revenge on his bones.

Burnt it to ashes. Chapter 2. Verse 1. Now in all these cases. You find it is their anger against other people. It's one common thing. They are all angry with other people. And want to take revenge on them.

And be hard on other people. What is the message to us? For 3 transgressions and for 4. Meaning. Okay. You have done a lot of wrong things in your life. I let you go for all of them. God says. But when you treat other people like this.

I am really going to come down hard on you. I told you when we studied Genesis. God never cursed Adam. He sinned and destroyed himself. But when Cain. Hurt another human being. He was cursed. There are sins that affect us.

And there are sins that affect other people. Let me repeat it. When you get drunk. You smoke a cigarette. You hurt yourself. That's a sin. You will be judged. But it's not as serious. As when you sin in a way that will hurt other people.

When you gossip. Speak evil about others. Ruin their reputation. When you hurt others. When you molest a woman. When you violate her purity. Those are sins that hurt others. They are very serious. How would you like it if somebody did that to your daughter?

Or your sister? How would you like it if somebody lusted after your daughter or your sister? Any sin that violates another person's life. Is very serious in God's eyes. I believe that. But it's very difficult to find a church.

Where people believe that gossiping is worse than smoking cigarettes. Because. We haven't got prophets to tell us what the God's word says. See how hard God was on these people. Now when it comes to Judah and Israel.

Judgment on Judah and Israel for Rejecting God's Law

See what he says to them. Chapter 2 verse 4. You have rejected the laws of the Lord. You have disobeyed God's word. Those other fellows didn't have laws. They just treated other people badly. But you.

You had God's laws. And therefore. I will send fire on Judah. And the people of Israel. Verse 6. They have sinned again and again and again. And they have also hurt other people. Selling poor people for a pair of sandals.

Denied trampled helpless people in the dust. Verse 7. Denied justice to those who are oppressed. Living in adultery. At their religious festivals. They lounge around in clothing stolen from their debtors.

And in the house of their God. They present offerings of wine purchased with stolen money. It's like people who have cheated the income tax. And with that money. They give it to God's work. What did Jesus say?

First give to Caesar. To the government. What belongs to the government. And then give to God. What belongs to God. That's the order. So. He warns all these people. And condemns them for their attitude.

For selling their people as slaves. Etc. And now we come to chapter 3. One more thing I want to show you here is. In verse 12. Chapter 2 verse 12. You. Verse 11. I chose some of your sons to be prophets.

And I chose some of your sons to be Nazirites. Nazirites were those people who were set apart. To be exclusively for God. Like Samson. But. You caused the Nazirites to sin. By making them drink wine. That means.

You corrupted the few wholehearted believers. They were in your church. There were a few wholehearted believers in your church. And you spoiled them. By your worldliness. And your jesting. And your fooling around.

And your joking. And your immoral behavior. And all that. Even those few young wholehearted people got corrupted. This is really true. In India. God calls some young man. Some young woman. Here and there to be a prophet.

Or a Nazirite. Separated to God. And they get corrupted. By looking at the example. Of older people. Who are going in a wrong direction. And the Lord says to those older people. You have destroyed. These budding prophets.

You have destroyed these Nazirites. So what is my word to all of you young people. Don't look at these bad examples you have. Who are older than you. Follow the examples of Christ like leaders. And ignore all the rest.

Even if their doctrines are correct. Don't just think because a man's doctrines are right. He is a godly man. It's character. Christ likeness. That makes a man a godly man. In chapter 3 to verse 6. Chapter 6.

Walking in Fellowship and Heeding God's Warnings

He says about why Israel is being judged. He says can two people walk together. Verse 3. Without agreement. The Lord is saying. How can you and I walk together. Unless we are in complete fellowship. If there are things in your life.

With which I cannot agree. And you don't set them right. How can we walk together. You want to walk with me. Sure. But we must be in agreement. We must be in fellowship. Take my yoke upon you. You got to follow me.

You got to be righteous like me. Does a lion ever roar in a thicket. Without first finding a victim. Does a young lion growl without first catching his prey. He says if I am roaring in judgment. There is a reason for it.

There is sin. When disaster comes to a city. Verse 6. When the war trumpet blares. Shouldn't the people be alarmed. When disaster comes to a city. Isn't it because the Lord planned it. In a few years after Amos preached.

Assyria would come and bring disaster upon Israel and Samaria. And the Lord says. Don't think I didn't plan it. I planned it. As a punishment. To teach you fellows a lesson. But before I do that. Before I bring that nation to punish you.

I will always. Verse 7. Warn you through my prophets. That's a wonderful word. Even today. In the church. God warns his people. Repeatedly through his prophets. Saying turn from sin. If you don't. This is what's going to happen.

This is what's going to happen. It won't happen tomorrow. It happened about a hundred years after. Amos prophesied perhaps. But it came. Noah preached a hundred years later. The rain came. It will come.

But God always warns people through his prophets. Before the judgment comes. So since the lion has roared. Verse 8. Tremble in fear. The sovereign Lord has spoken. I dare not refuse to proclaim his message.

What the Lord is saying here is. Supposing there's a lion in front of you. And he roars. You would tremble there. And the Lord says. I'm speaking. And you're not trembling. I'm speaking about your. Impurity.

In your thoughts. In your eyes. Your unrighteousness. In your financial dealings. Your worship of other things other than me. And you're more afraid of a lion that I created. Than of me. Roaring and speaking in the pulpit.

You say. Oh that's just Amos. He's just an untrained shepherd. Well. He may have been an untrained shepherd. But he was a prophet of God. So he says. Announce this. To all the leaders. Take your seats now.

And witness. What is going to happen to Israel. For their crimes. My people have forgotten to do. What it was. Forgotten what it means to do right. Chapter 3. Verse 10. And in chapter 4. He speaks about the women.

And he calls them. You fat cows. You. They were so fat. Because they ate so much. And they drank so much. And they were. Always asking their husbands for another drink. Verse 1. And he says. The time will come.

When you cows. Somebody will put a hook in your nose. And drag you away. Verse 2. All of you will be dragged with a hook in your nose. You fat cows. See the Lord is. Pretty strong. Sharp. Sarcastic. When he speaks.

To wake up these people. Prophets. Are usually sarcastic. Because that's the only way to wake up people. Jesus. Spoke with sarcasm. And with strong language. And these. Prophets. Also did that. And. He says.

God’s Repeated Calls to Repentance

You can keep on. Offering all your sacrifices. I couldn't care less for any of them. And then the Lord says. I tried to. Teach you by. Various calamities. That I was. Trying to. That I was not happy with your life.

But you wouldn't listen. I brought hunger to a city. Verse 6. Famine to another town. But you wouldn't return. I stopped the rain from falling. In the place where you needed it the most. Ruining your crops.

I sent rain in one town. Verse 7. And withheld it from another. Rain fell in one field. And did not fall in the other. And. People staggered from town to town. Verse 8. For a drink of water. And there wasn't enough.

But you still would not return to me. Verse 6. You still would not return to me. I struck your farms and vineyards. With blight. You still would not return to me. I sent sicknesses and plagues. You still would not return to me.

Verse 10. I destroyed some of your cities. Verse 11. You still would not return to me. After all this. If you still don't return to me. There is only one solution now. Verse 12. Prepare to meet your God.

Prepare. To meet. Your God. Because he's tried his best. Through all the things that's happened in your life. To tell you that he's not happy with you. You have no fellowship. You're not building. The body of Christ.

You're just wandering. You don't seem to wake up. Okay. Then prepare to meet your God. Because he's coming in judgment. Okay. Now in chapter 5. He talks about. In verse 5. Don't go to worship in Bethel, Gilgal, Beersheba.

Rejecting Religious Tradition and Defending the Poor

In these places. These are places where. God worked in the past. In Bethel. God met with Jacob. In Beersheba was another place. Where he met with Jacob. Gilgal was the place where Joshua. Circumcised people.

After coming through Jordan. Places where God met with people in the past. And spoke to them. He says don't live in the past. Don't say. Oh. The man who founded our assembly. Our church 200 years ago.

Was a godly man. Some of these godly people. Who founded churches. 200, 300 years ago. If they came to earth today. They would not join the churches they founded. They would go somewhere else. Because those churches are backslidden so much.

From the time then. Those godly men. He said don't look back to the past. That's what he's saying. And but see where God is now. Where is God moving now? That's what we need to see. But it says in verse 10.

How you hate honest judges. How you despise people. Who tell you the truth. You trample the poor. You steal what little they have. Through taxes and through high rents. When a believer rents out his house to somebody.

Particularly if the other person is very poor. Do you know that God is very interested to see. How much rent he charges. For that man. Do you believe that? God is interested to see. If one believer is exploiting another believer.

In little things like this. And Amos says. I know you fellas don't like somebody. Who tells you the truth. But this is the truth. If you do all this. One day God will punish you. And he will take away these good houses.

That you're living in. I know the vast number of your sins. You oppress verse 12. Good people by taking bribes. And you deprive the poor people of justice in the courts. So this is an evil time. So he says do what is good.

Now. Chapter 6. Verse 1. How terrible it could be. For all of you who lounge in luxury. And think that you're secure. In verses 4 to 6. It speaks about their living in luxury. Eating. Tender food and.

Singing a lot of songs. To the sound of the harp. And it says you fancy that you're great musicians. Like King David. It's quite sarcastic. The Lord is there. So you fellas think you can play music like King David.

He had a good heart. You fellas just have music. You just play the cassettes. That's all. You drink wine by the bowl full. And you got such a lot of perfume. And fragrances. And you care nothing. That the church is in such a pathetic state.

You're just happy that. Everything is going well in your home. And you got your music. And you got your nice house. And your good food. But how many of you are concerned about. The condition of the nation.

In our time. The condition of the church. Joseph's affliction. That's what it's called. You're not concerned. About the Joseph's affliction. Joseph is a word representing Israel. You're not concerned about that.

And the Lord says. I despise verse 8. Their beautiful homes. Do you think God hates beautiful homes? He does hate it. If such a person is not concerned. That the church should be beautiful. I don't mean the physical building of the church.

I'm talking about the people. If there is no. If a person is not concerned for holiness in the church. However beautiful a home he may build. God says I hate your beautiful home. Now we come to visions of judgment.

Visions of Judgment and the Prophetic Call

And promises of restoration. In chapter 7. There's a vision of a fire. Verse 4. A great fire with which God was going to punish his people. The fire had burned up the depths of the sea. And was devouring the entire land.

And Amos prayed. Oh sovereign Lord. Please don't do it. If you send a fire like this. Nothing will be left. And the Lord gave up the plan. Verse 6. See one man stood in the gap. In Ezekiel 22 verse 30.

There's a verse which says. I sought for a man to stand in the gap. But I didn't find one. I did not find an intercessor. Here was one man who stood in the gap. He saw this fire coming. Sweeping across.

Destroying Israel. And he said Lord please. Just like Moses. When God wanted to destroy Israel. He pleaded. These prophets were people who prayed. And though Israel did not value the prophets. It was because of one prophet sometimes.

That Israel was saved. Israel was saved because of Moses. Israel was saved because of Amos. They didn't know it. Then the Lord gave him another vision. And he says. Here is a plumb line. You know the plumb line which masons use when building a building.

To see if it's absolutely straight. And he says. I'm going to test people with this plumb line. Verse 8. I will not ignore their sins. And I will destroy them. And then you see this confrontation. Between the Babylonian priest.

And this man who is building Jerusalem. Amos. Amosiah the priest of Bethel. When he heard what Amos was saying. He went to the king. And he told a lie. He said Amos is hatching a plot. Against you. You know these.

False preachers. And false prophets. They are always ready. To spread lies. About the true prophets of God. Saying that he is preaching this. And he is preaching that. To turn people against the true prophets.

It's happened in Amos time. It's happened in the 2000 years of church history. He is preaching this. This will lead to confusion. If you listen to what he is preaching. It will lead to confusion in your church.

And Amosiah came to Amos. Verse 12. He said get out of here you seer. You came from Judah. To Israel to preach here. Go back to your country. And preach over there. Don't bother us here in Bethel. With your prophecies.

We have got enough preachers here. We don't want any of your preaching here. But Amos said listen Amosiah. Verse 14. I am not one of your professional prophets. I didn't get any training to be a prophet.