Amos 4:1-13

When we discipline our children we always try to make sure they know exactly why they are being disciplined.  God is doing exactly that with the children of Israel in this passage.  He wants to make sure the people of Israel clearly understand why they will be judged, how He had warned them in the past and that there would be no escaping from this judgment.  There could be no doubt as to what was going to happen as well as why it was going to happen.  God does not take the judgment of mankind lightly which is why He has gone to such great lengths to warn us of the wrath to come.  God’s judgment of Israel and many other nations is simply a small foretaste of the final judgment He has prepared for all the earth. This is a reality for which we must prepare and call all men to prepare.

THE PROBLEMS THAT CAUSED JUDGMENT: Amos calls the nation of Israel cows of Bashan, most likely because this was a lush land and the cows there were especially fat.  It was a reference to the fact that the prosperity of the nation had led them to become fat, lazy and sinful.  Amos wants them to clearly understand what they had done to bring on this judgment.  First they had oppressed the poor in order to increase their own personal comfort.  Instead of using their blessings to help the poor and serve the needy, they oppressed the poor in order to feed their own greedy desires.  The second reason for this coming judgment is that God had sworn to defend His name.  God will not be mocked and will always keep His promises.  The third reason given for judgment is the people’s constant worship of idols and offering of sacrifices to false gods.  They loved their idolatry and immorality but had lost their love for God.  We always worship that which we love.  We must be very careful about our affections.

THE PREVIEW OF THE COMING JUDGMENT: God’s judgment was not all of a sudden and without warning.  God had repeatedly brought smaller and isolated judgments on the people in the past.  He had brought famine to the land so the people had nothing to eat.  He had destroyed the crops of the people by sending isolated droughts where rain would fall on one place but not on another.  God sent plagues on the people like He did in Egypt.  God destroyed the people’s crops with insects, molds and mildews.  Finally he sent supernatural destruction on the people just like He had done with Sodom and Gomorrah.  All of these previews of God’s coming judgment went unheeded and the people still refused to repent of their sin and turn to the Lord.  God has consistently demonstrated His ability and willingness to judge the sins of men.  All of these smaller judgments are only shadows of the final judgment that will come upon the earth.

THE PROMISE OF CERTAIN JUDGMENT: Israel’s refusal to repent made God’s promise of judgment to be very certain.  God is the maker of heaven and earth.  He controls every aspect of creation from the rising of the sun to the lay of the land.  He has promised by His very name to judge the sins of men.  It will be impossible for anyone to hide and there will be no escape.  God has given us these many warnings about His coming judgment so that we can turn to Him in repentance.  Turning from our sin and trusting Christ alone for our salvation is the only means God has provided for us to be set free from his judgment of sin.  He will not change His mind so we must change ours.  God has provided hope for all to trust and obey Him but He has also promised harm to all who refuse to repent and continue steadfast in their sin.