WE now begin the prophecy of Amos proper, which commences with this long section up to 2:16. We are going to take this long section from chapter 1:3 to 2:16 together. The prophecy here consists of one whole leading up to a climax as God speaks to Israel in more detail. It is helpful for us to read this section of Amos several times, slowly and thoughtfully. In this way the text will stick in our minds and we will then more easily and effectively hear what the Holy Spirit is saying in these verses. We are taking these verse together also because each of the several prophesies have continuing features.

LOOKING AT THE "WOOD"!

As we consider and view all the verses as a whole we can be said to be looking at the 'wood' and not the individual 'trees'. It is always a useful and helpful thing to do this. If we look only at the details in this prophecy, then we shall miss their purpose in the whole. By looking at the whole, the 'wood', we are able to see the detail in the light of the whole.

What we see in these verses is a progression. Amos commence with prophetic words against the various enemies of Israel. These nations had afflicted Israel over the years, and done many evil things against Israel. They deserved the wrath of God against them, and this would be a thought very much in the minds of the people of the northern kingdom, called Israel. As Israel heard Amos pronouncing judgement on their enemies they would be full of approval, and so give close attention to what Amos was saying, and Amos would go up in their estimation to a marked degree. They hated their enemies who had afflicted them, and so they would be delighted to hear that God was going to judge them severely, and reduce and even remove their ability to do harm to Israel.

The Amos speaks against the southern Kingdom of Judah from which Israel had separated. Here again the people of the northern Kingdom would have had no grumbles about this, because Judah had also been an enemy at times against them. It is only after all this, and after Amos had grabbed the attention of the people of the northern Kingdom, that he turned to pronouncing God's judgement against Israel.

We may observe two things in this scenario. The first is how ready people are to see the sins in others, and approve the judgement of such sins, and fail to notice their own sins. To notice sin in others, and see that sin punished makes us feel approval, but it is at the expense of being honest before God for our own sins.

The second is the wisdom of this approach in bringing Israel's attention to God's complaint against them. If Amos had simply gone to Israel and denounced their sin, Israel would have shut their ears and their minds before he even began to speak. By denouncing God's judgement on the sins of Israel's enemies first, Amos gained the close attention and approval of Israel to his words, and so gained attention to the words of God to Israel themselves. This shows that it is not wrong to seek to be wise in our approach to witness. We must gain people's attention, for if we do not then our witness is vain.

However, having said this, I doubt whether it is right for us to imagine that Amos thought out this clever approach. If we deduce this from these verses then we are saying virtually that Amos was using words of judgement against the enemies of Israel simply to gain the attention of Israel. This would make the prophecies of Amos to be man-made and not God inspired. The fact is Amos would not have spoken these judgements against these enemies of Israel unless God had given him a revelation of them and commanded Amos to declare his word. The words of judgement against this heathen neighbours of Israel are inspired in every way as truly as the prophecy against Israel. What we see in this progression is the wonderful way God led and directed his servant Amos in the executing of his commands to prophesy against all these other nations as well as Israel. The opening of verse 3 tells us categorically that what Amos speaks here are not his words, but the words God had given him to speak. This is why it so important that we should study them and heed them.

LOOKING AT THE "TREES"!

Having given this brief attention to all the verses, we may now look at some of the details, that is the "trees" of the "wood". When we do this we see that there are some common expressions and words that appear in all the individual declarations of God' judgement.

The first expression is the strange address which begins each individual denunciation. In a serious and solemn fashion Amos begins each address with the words "For three sins of ….. even for four ….". The words seem to make little sense. They seem to say first that God is pronouncing judgement for three sins, or perhaps four. One sin perhaps does not matter, even two sins can be overlooked, but three sins God can't and won't overlook and will grow angry. Then for a fourth his anger will be even more sure. Of course such meaning will not do. We know from the whole of Scripture that God can't abide even one sin, and all sin is an abomination to him. Then there is a question of why only mention three sins, and four sins. From this was have to look more deeply into this expression, and for this it is always wise to consider similar use of numbers which we find in other parts of Scripture. There are three such Scriptures which help us. Each have their own purpose which are not the same, but each give us insight to such use of numbers as we find in these opening chapters of Amos.

The first of these examples of use of numbers can be found in Ecclesiaties 11:2. The words here are “Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land”. The idea here is that of never stopping doing good and providing for oneself and for others. With the previous verse which speaks casting bread upon the waters because in time we shall see a return, we have the idea of never giving up on doing good. The seven and eight has the idea of going on in what is being done.

The next reference is Proverbs 6:16-19. These words read "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him ...." and the verses continue with exposing seven particular sins. Here the use of numbers suggests the fact that God never overlooks any sin. They suggest that we can't hide any sin from the view of God in the way we can conceal particular sins from people and society in the world.

The third reference is Job 5:19. These words read "From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you." Here the meaning that is suggested is that there is no end to the love and care God shows to his servants.

From these examples we can see that the use of numbers in this way, whether six to seven, or seven to eight, or three to four has the emphasis and meaning of never stopping, never giving up. So in Amos the expression "For three sins.... even for four...." has the meaning that God sees all sin and he never ceases to express his wrath against sin whenever he observes it.

The next expression is in the words "I will not turn back my wrath." It is so easy to hurry pass such words as these, specially if they are unpalatable and offensive to our mind and thought.

The first thing here is the fact of God's wrath. God speaks through Amos and tells us that his wrath is something that is real. In the context we understand that God's wrath is expressed against all sin. Modern thought in the church plays down the wrath of God. It is thought that such an idea that God displays wrath is unworthy of God, that somehow it is giving a wrong impression of God. It is felt that wrath is an action that is incompatible with the character of God. The fact is that we have no right to ignore direct statements of revelation concerning God that are given in the Bible, simply on the grounds of our own wisdom and thought. To do this is simply arrogance, and it is no answer to suggest that it is right because God has given us a mind and reason and such a gift should be used to judge even God's word. The fact is that our reason is vitiated by our sin and corruption. Together with this our reason is limited, and we rarely can hold together and visualize all the factors of any case. With regard to God our reason is flawed by sin from the start, and this is why God has given us his revelation that we might have a right understanding of him.

Reaction against the wrath of God comes from failing to appreciate other revelations of God given in the Bible. The Bible reveals God as holy, and that sin has no part with God and can't abide or last in the presence of God. The Bible reveals that God's presence burns away all sin as fire purefies gold. From this we can see that sin is so incompatible to God that God's wrath is simply an expression of his nature which obliterates sin, and all who commit sin. When we realize this we see what a problem sin is to God, and that to show love to sinners requires a remedy that obliterates sin without obliterating the sinner. This we have in Christ and his sacrifice and death on the cross. Which expresses a love which far surpasses all our feeble expressions and thought concerning the nature of love.

From this we see the force of the words "I will not turn back my wrath". In our ignorance and folly we see this in sinful human terms of revenge and lack of love. However they are an expression of the very nature of God. God would cease to be God if he allowed sin to exist in any form whatsoever, or if he overlooked sin as we so easily do. For God to forgive without sin being obliterated would defile his presence and defile heaven, and make heaven like earth in all its corruption. The fact the Bible reveals is that true love is always completely holy, and can't exist in the presence of sin. God's love is pure, and his love he expresses towards sinner has to be pure, and is totally pure in Christ. In Christ sin is purged, and obliterated. Sins evil is fully punished and dealt with and put away. It is only in Christ and his vicarious death for us, that is his death in our place, that we can be forgiven in a way that meets all the demands of of God's holiness, and cause us to be purified and made fit for his holy presence, and fit for his heavenly kingdom. Christ's death puts away our sin, so that God can come and recreate us in his likeness of righteousness and true holiness.

CONCLUSION.