Amos 3 (2)

Pray Psalm 68.1,2, 32, 33
Let God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God…
Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord,
Selah
To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.

Sing Psalm 68.1, 2, 32, 33.
(O Store Gud: How Great Thou Art)
Let God arise, let all Your foes be scattered!
Let those who hate You flee before Your face!
As smoke dissolves, as wax in flame is shattered,
let all the wicked perish in disgrace!
Refrain vv. 32, 33
Sing to the LORD, O kingdoms of the earth!
Ancient of Days—praise Him on high!
Behold He speaks; His Word is going forth;
Ancient of Days—praise Him on high!

Read Amos 3.1-6; meditate on verses 3-6.

Preparation
1. What images does God use here?

2. What was His purpose in doing this?

Meditation
By a series of metaphors, God justified the judgment which He would bring upon Israel. They were no longer agreeing with Him and had begun to walk a different path (v. 3). God roared out from Jerusalem like a lion, a young lion, because He had seized His prey—Israel (v. 4). Israel would fall like a bird in a snare that springs up from the earth because its prey has taken the bait—the sinful ways of the pagan nations (v. 5). The people of Israel should fear the trumpet blast of God warning them against coming calamity (v. 6).

All these images are put in the form of questions. Three of the questions begin with the Hebrew letter “h” (הֲ, ha which in Hebrew is called the He interrogative), while the last is in the form of “if”/“not”, twice in verse 6 (“If this happens, will not this follow?”). Reading this passage in Hebrew thus sounds powerfully emphatic: Ha…? Ha…? Ha…? “If…not…? If…not…?” Yet even this barrage would not arrest Israel’s rebellion against the Lord. They had already silenced the prophets, after all (2.12). Why should they listen to Amos?

When you see the effects, O Israel, you will know that the reason for them is the judgment of the Lord. We should consider certain questions for ourselves: Are not our churches in decline? Has not our influence over the culture diminished almost to zero? Has not so much of the world crept into our lives that we no longer hear the Word of the Lord or hearken to His Law? Is not the world in a moral and spiritual tailspin because of our silence?

What is the cause of these effects? Our neglect and rebellion, God’s judgment.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“…will not the LORD have done it?” (Amos 3.6).

“We have sinned with our fathers,
we have committed iniquity,
we have done wickedly.
Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders;
they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies,
but rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea” (Ps. 106.6, 7).

“For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim,
He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon—
that He may do His work, His awesome work,
and bring to pass His act, His unusual act.
Now therefore, do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong;
for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts,
a destruction determined even upon the whole earth” (Is. 28.21, 22).

“I AM the LORD, and there is no other; there is no god besides Me…
I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the LORD, do all these things” (Is. 45.5, 7).

God created the heavens and the earth.
God created mankind to live on the earth.
He does it all, and He does it well.

As Jesus’ disciples marveled, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matt. 8.27)

Or as the onlookers to one of His miracles opined, “He has done all things well” (Mk. 7.37).

“For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard. Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him” (Deut. 4.32-35).

“Now see that I, even I, AM He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand” (Deut. 32.39).

Will not the LORD do exactly what He has said He will do? Well, yes, He will.

Then if we believe that, we must pay attention to what He wants for us and from us: “I AM the LORD; I will bring you out…I will rescue you…I will redeem you… I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I AM the LORDyour God who brings you out from under the burdens…” (Ex. 6.6, 7). “For I, the LORD your God, AM a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Ex. 20.5, 6).

The effect of obedience and love is a cause worth fighting for.

Reflection
1. What positive effects of God’s grace in your life have you seen lately?

2. What effects should we expect when the Spirit of God is empowering our lives?

3. Whom will you encourage today to walk in obedience and love?

As it is impossible for two people to share a journey at the same time, he is saying, unless indicating to each other where and why they are traveling, or for a lion to roar if there is no prey, or for a bird to fall without a hunter, or for all the other things mentioned, so it is impossible for any punishment to be imposed without God willing it.. Theodoret of Cyr (393-466), Commentary on Amos 3.6-8

Pray Psalm 68.3, 4, 19, 20, 32, 33.
Pray that God’s Spirit will revive His people so that we desire to walk more closely with Him and to fulfill our calling to seek His Kingdom and glory.

Sing Psalm 68.3, 4, 19, 20, 32, 33.
(O Store Gud: How Great Thou Art)
LORD, let Your righteous ones exult in glory,
let us rejoice and praise Your holy Name!
Now let us sing the Savior’s old, old story—
Who life to deserts brings, we now proclaim!
Refrain vv. 32, 33
Sing to the LORD, O kingdoms of the earth!
Ancient of Days—praise Him on high!
Behold He speaks; His Word is going forth;
Ancient of Days—praise Him on high!

Blessed be the LORD, our burden daily bearing,
O God, our God, our Savior and our King!
With us salvation and deliv’rance sharing,
He life from death His people daily brings.
Refrain

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.