THIS opening of chapter 5 of Amos takes us into a new low in the attitude of God to Israel, that is the ten tribes which broke away from Judah after the reign of Solomon. Ever since the election of Abraham the Israelites were treated as a nation and God blessed the whole nation. In these verses which open chapter 5 we have an indication of a change of attitude to the ten tribes as a nation which signals a sort of final judgement upon them. The call to repentance still continues, but the idea of the nation responding is lost. Individuals and groups will repent and receive God's blessing, but the nation of the ten tribes – this northern kingdom is locked in unbelief and worldliness. The evidence of this is revealed in their history, for we know that judgement came upon the northern kingdom in days of their last king, Hoshea. Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, was God's agent in judgement, and the nation was carried off into captivity, and Samaria was totally defeated. This was in the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea as recorded for us in 2 Kings 17: 1-6. The northern ten tribes fade out of history from this time.

A CALL TO LISTEN.

The chapter opens with a serious call to the house of Israel to listen. It is God calling to be heard through the prophet Amos. It is a call to hear a serious lament. The fact that this chapter 5 of Amos commences with the imperative 'Hear this word' conveys the urgency of this word, and the fact that Israel had shown themselves so hardened against all the calls of God to repentance, and reluctant to listen to God's word. It is a fact that when a people, Israel of old or the church of today, have allowed sharp decline in spiritual life, and where outward forms are taken as evidence of true godliness, then there is a persistent hardness against any word of correction or the truth of God. This was the case in Israel, and brought them to a point when they had past the point of no return. We need to solemnly consider whether this is happening in the church today.

There may be a question as to who is speaking here. It could be said that Amos is speaking from his heart as he hears God's attitude to Israel, but it seems to me that it is God speaking through Amos. In the end it does not matter as the meaning is the same in both views.

The idea of a Lament is of finality and end. What is a lament? Surely it is an attitude of dereliction after an event which can't be altered. A lament is the grief shown at a bereavement. A loved one has died, and can't be brought back. Only grief at dreadful loss is left. Or a lament can be for the end of some business or project, which, for whatever reason, has come to a permanent end, never to be resurrected again. A lament is deep sorrow over a terrible unchangeable event which is lost for ever.

FALLEN ISRAEL.

In the case of Israel, God speaks of this loss through the prophet in verse 2. Virgin Israel is a way of describing how Israel was espoused to the Lord as his people. God had set his love upon Israel, and blessed them. He had showered his love, and when his love was despised, he called them to repentance. When this call went unheeded, God chastised them. Yet Israel refused to listen, and refused to love the Lord, but rather loved the world. Now the point of no return for the nation has come. The nation was to fall never to rise again. The land was to become deserted, and there would be no one to lift them up. As indicated above this terrible judgement happened in the reign of Hoshea, Israel's last king.

This did not mean that God's call to repentance and promise of life would cease. This is plain because verse 4 and following verses continue this call to seek God. But it did mean that God had given up on Israel, the ten tribes, as a nation. There was never to be a restoration of the nation. This also meant that Israel as a nation would remain hardened and impenitent in the face of all God's exposing of their sin. However as we can see in verse 3, God preserved a remnant for himself, described as a tenth of the whole nation. We can see also how God's continued call to Israel to seek him and live, simply increased their guilt as they refused this gracious call.

THE FALL OF ISRAEL RE-ENFORCED.

So that the message of judgement should be made abundantly clear, and at least some be induced to repent, the prophet is inspired to add the words of verse 3.

The message of this verse is enforced by the title God uses for himself. It is the Sovereign Lord who is speaking. Amos was the audible conveyor of the message, but it was the Sovereign Lord who was the author of the message. The title Sovereign Lord enforces the fact that God reigns over all with invincible power, and enforces the truth that God has total power and dominion over all the world, and all the universe. His authority is not only final, but it is invincible. God can carry out his sovereign designs, and will carry them out, and none can oppose his will.

The picture that follows is to penetrate that false security in which the people of Israel lived. This false security was that as God had fought for them in the past, he would inevitably do so in the future. Their argument was that they kept up the outward ritual of their religion. They offered their sacrifices, and thus they had no concern about God's favour towards them. In fact they were sure of it. They held this opinion in spite of the message of Amos and other prophets in their history. In fact they were angry and indignant that Amos should question their devotion to God, and refused to accept that Amos spoke as the messenger of God.

In the face of this God would prove that he was serious in the message he sent via Amos and would not fight for Israel as they supposed. The proof would come when Israel went out against their enemies, expecting God to give them victory, but instead of victory would be utter defeat. An army of thousand strong would return with such a hundred, and a force of hundred would be left with just ten. The message was that only a tenth of the force would remain alive. Verse 3 does not describe any particular campaign, but what would happen if and when Israel was attacked. In spite of their expectancy of God's aid, they would find God had deserted them.

This was proved to be the case when Shalmaneser came from Assyria and utterly defeated Israel in the reign of Hoshea.

APPLICATION.

The first application is the reality of the judgement of God, and if people will not repent or heed God's invitation of mercy and promise of life, God in his holiness will judge sin and godlessness. This is true for all who do not respond to, or believe, the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only Saviour, and so only those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour can be saved. Sincerity is no safety. There is only one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

The fact is that the broad way, which Jesus spoke of, which leads to destruction, that is to everlasting death in hell, is the road that the majority are travelling down. It matters not what philosophy or religion a person espouses, they remain on the broad way, unless they believe on Jesus, and enter the narrow way that leads to life. Jesus said that few find the narrow way, but many walk down the broad way.

The second application is the fact of utter loss for all who do not heed God's call to repent and believe in Jesus. The words spoken of Israel in verse 2 'never to rise again', and 'deserted' and with 'no one to lift her up', speaks of this finality. Human effort on its own can not save a persons soul. Because of Israel's hardness of heart and refusal to heed the call of God, God 'deserted' them. If God deserts us we are entirely alone, and as Paul tells us in Ephesians 2 we are without hope, without God, in the world.

The third application is that judgement and grace are proclaimed together. These days the church seems to teach that if God judges sinners and those who refuse the Gospel, he can't be loving and is not gracious. It is held as axiomatic that to believe in hell and judgement is incompatible with a God of love. This is not true. In verses 1 to 3 of chapter 5 of Amos God speaks of final judgement, but then in verses 4 to 6 the promise of the Gospel is still held forth, with the assurance that those who seek the Lord will live, if that seeking is according to the Gospel of Jesus, and is in sincerity.

In the case of Israel the fact was that although the Nation of the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom had past the point of no return because of their constant and impervious refusal of God's call to repentance, and was destined to pass away completely, yet the gospel of grace was still open to all individuals in Israel who would heed God's call, and we are given every indication that many did by the grace of God.

Further God's purposes of salvation in choosing the people of Israel was not overthrown, because God kept his purposes in Christ alive through the southern kingdom of Judah.

The fourth application is the importance of heeding the call of God to repent, and to believe the Gospel. It is of supreme importance that no thought of human wisdom should darken the Gospel, so that any part of it should be rejected or altered, for if so there can be no salvation. Replacing the word of God with human wisdom is to refuse to heed the Gospel, and so remain unsaved.