(2)his Message

by HYLAND, D. T. | Category: The Herdsman Of Tekoa | Feb 2006

In the last issue reference was made to the division of the nation of Israel into two kingdoms, north and south. Rather than allow his subjects to go to Jerusalem to worship, King Jeroboam of the northern kingdom set up apostate centres of worship in Dan and Bethel. God chose Amos, a herdsman from the southern kingdom to take His message to Bethel and challenge the false worship established there (Amos 7:12,13).

When Amos proclaimed God�s judgement on the northern kingdom of Israel to which they belonged, his audience must have thought this was too near home to be comfortable. They probably expected that, having dealt with the nations bordering Israel, Amos would turn his attention to the major powers Egypt and Assyria. The people of the northern kingdom were far too complacent. They had lulled themselves into believing that because they belonged to a divinely chosen nation their prosperity was guaranteed. God expected His people to be an example to the nations round about. They should have been different, but in many ways they lived and acted as their pagan neighbours. There was too much confidence in riches. God intended His people to love people and use things. Many were totally materialistic in outlook; they loved things and used people.

They thought that they went up to Bethel to worship God; but Amos told them that they sinned against God. There was irony in his chiding reproof, �"Come to Bethel and transgress"� (Amos 4:4). They were largely concerned with externals; their hearts were not right with God. Their elaborate ritual of sacrifice was just that - a ritual. Through the prophet God says, �"I hate, I despise your feast days...Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them"� (Amos 5:21,22).

Several times through the prophet God says, �"You have not returned to Me"� (Amos 4:8). He longed for them to return to Him for restoration and renewal. If they continued in their wrong course of conduct they would be caught as a bird in a snare; they would not be able to escape judgement. They had not realized that the calamities which had overtaken them were the result of God�s displeasure, �"I blasted you with blight and mildew"� (Amos 4:9). Locusts devoured the fruit of their trees. The poor harvests were a direct result of departure from God who was withholding fruitfulness and blessing.

Falling short of the standard

God gave several visions to Amos. He saw the Lord standing �on (by NASB) a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand� (Amos 7:7). The purpose of a plumb line is to ensure the vertical accuracy of a wall. The wall is first built with a plumb line, but in process of time may begin to deviate from the vertical. It was because the nation of Israel pledged their obedience to the law of God that they became the people of God. When the standard of the law of God was now applied to Israel their failure was apparent. The judgement of God was to fall on the centres of apostate worship and upon King Jeroboam personally, �"The high places of Isaac shall be desolate ... I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam"� (Amos 7:9).

Amos intercedes

Although Amos was a southerner, he identified himself with the northern kingdom, pleading for God�s disobedient, careless people. I said: �"O Lord GOD, forgive, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, for he is small!"�(Amos 7:2) As Amos had proclaimed the inevitability of the Babylonian captivity for Judah, he also prophesied that the ten tribes of the northern kingdom would be carried into captivity by Assyria and scattered among the nations (Amos 5:27; 9:4,9).

Did Amos see anything beyond the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities? He was granted a vision of Messiah�s millennial kingdom:

�"On that day I will raise up

The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down �

And rebuild it as in the days of old �

I will bring back the captives of My people Israel �

And no longer shall they be pulled up

From the land I have given them,"

Says the LORD your God� (Amos 9:11-15).

HYLAND, D. T. | Feb 2006
The Herdsman Of Tekoa