Amos 8:11-14 A Famine

Following the vision of the basket of summer fruit the subsequent judgment oracle reaches its climax with the bleak declaration that Israel ’s rejection of the Word will result in God’s withdrawal of His Word from them. The dismissal of God’s Word in a society often results in His removal of the Word to the detriment of His people (see Ps 74:9, Lam 2:9). In Amos 2:12 we have seen how Israel demanded that the prophets not prophesy, and in 7:12-13, Amaziah, reflecting the desire of the people, reiterated this to Amos. Those who reject the Word cannot expect that it will always be available.

If this is a correct evaluation, perhaps we can attribute the anemic state of preaching in our day to our nation’s rejection of the Word of God. Several theologians and pastors have declared that the famine of which Amos speaks has come upon our nation. Among them, Walter Kaiser has stated, “the famine of the Word continues in massive proportions in most places in North America .” Steven Lawson writes, “a dearth of biblical preaching has left the evangelical movement weak, starving for spiritual truth …” John MacArthur agrees saying that the evidence for this famine is “overwhelming. … Numerous churches,” he continues, “including some of the largest and best-known ones – have relegated the pulpit ministry to second-class status. … Where preaching is still featured, it is rarely biblical preaching.”

As the pulpit goes, so goes the church; so the feeble state of the church can be traced to a famine of the Word of the Lord from contemporary pulpits. In their “new way of doing church,” Lawson notes, “exposition is being replaced by entertainment, preaching by performances, doctrine with drama, and theology with theatrics.” The irony is that the preaching of the cross, which the apostle Paul wrote is supposed to be foolishness to the world (1 Cor 1:18), has become foolishness to the contemporary church as well. Pastors have turned to other means of communication, and the result has been a famine of the Word in our land.

Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones stated, “The most urgent need in the Christian church today is true preaching; and as it is the greatest and most urgent need in the church, it is the greatest need of the world also.” The only way that the church is going to be restored is if pastors repent and return to an unwavering commitment to feeding the people the Word of God through persistent biblical preaching and teaching. This was the priority of early church (Acts 2:42), where the apostles doctrine is purposefully listed first in the passage. Jesus launched his public ministry with preaching (Mark 1:14, 38, Luke 4:18). Moved with compassion, Jesus taught the multitude (Mark 6:34). After His resurrection, He continued to teach and preach (Luke 24:27, 44-45, Acts 1:1-9). Jesus commanded that His disciples would continue teaching (Matt 28:19-20), and that his followers would be primarily identified, not as “fellowshipers,” not as “breakers-of-bread,” not even as “prayers,” but as “disciples,” or learners. The apostles continued after the practice they learned from Jesus by preaching and teaching (Acts 2:42, 3:11-26, 4:1-2, 8-12, 19-20, 31,33, 5:20-21, 29-32, 42; 6:2-10; 7:1-53). Preaching and doctrinal devotion was the first duty with which Paul charged Timothy (1 Tim 1:3 – see also 1 Tim 4:6, 11, 13-16; 5:17; 6:17, 20 and 2 Tim 1:13-14; 2:2, 14-15, 24; 4:2).

Biblical preaching must occupy the leading place of influence in the church – it always has, and must continue, or else the church will continue to waste away. Jonathan Edwards declared, “the primary importance of the pastor is to be an expository preacher.” But tragically, most of what passes itself off as preaching today falls far short of the standards set by the early church and Jesus Himself. If the church is going to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, if people are going to be brought to saving faith in Christ, and subsequent growth in Christ, they need the pure milk and strong meat of the Word of God – pastors much preach the message of Scripture, focused on Christ, and full of doctrinal instruction and sound theology.

Where are such pulpits today? The early church intensely hungered for them as the fruit of their genuine conversion. Panting after the Word of God is the usual and certain response of anyone truly born again, just as a baby desires his mother’s milk – he cannot get enough of it. Yet today professing Christians stagger like drunken men from coast to coast looking for “a Word from the Lord,” in every place except where it should be found. Thankfully we can state with assurance that the Word of God is still preached from pulpits in this nation, and hearts that hunger and thirst for such preaching can still find it. Though we may very well be in the midst of judgment through famine, Christ, who is our good shepherd, has not starved His church in this nation. The question is: are you starving yourself by neglecting and abstaining from the full-course meals offered from biblical preaching?

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Amos 8:1-10 A Basket of Summer Fruit

A basket of summer fruit – what a wholesome and healthful symbol – it looks good, tastes good, and conveys good wishes, health and strength. A basket of ripened summer fruit was used in the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles – a time of joy celebrating how God delivered the nation and provided for them in their wilderness wandering. This feast was for the nation, a turning of the year – the past year having ripened and a new year of hope for a prosperous future ahead. Imagine how Amos must have been baffled at first with this vision. Could this vision of a basket of summer fruit have symbolized fruitfulness, joy, blessing, and a hopeful future in light of all that Amos has prophesied to this point? The answer is a devastating ‘No!’ Rather than the joy of the harvest, this basket of summer fruit represented the onset of disaster; as Jeremiah lamented, ‘The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved’ (Jer 8:20). Instead of celebration and weal, this vision meant woe; instead of life, it meant death; songs would become wailings; solid land will tremble; the sun will set a noon; joyous feasts will be turned into morning and songs into lamentations. The atmosphere of revelry will suddenly be replaced by that of a funeral, and God himself will be the agent of this destruction. Israel was ripe alright, ripe for judgment!

The text reminds us again that the certain judgment of God is coming upon the nation because of the multitude of her sin and rebellion. Israel’s false and empty religion and social injustice all stems from their failure to recognize who God is. When God is reduced to merely one of many interests, he will soon become irrelevant. When God is in His deserved place of exaltation, whether in a nation, or an individual’s life, all other things – relationships, leisure, work, money – fall into their proper place. But in the nation of Israel, self has become the jealous master, pushing out all else. Greed, gain, dishonesty, theft, and other practices that served self were enthroned; and righteousness, justice, and mercy were cast out. Anything which did not serve self-interest became disposable. These were a people who loved gain more than they loved God – they loved gain more than honesty and integrity. As the plumb-line hangs vertically in the unwavering hand of God, such offenses were exposed as it revealed that the nation were neither resting on the level foundation of grace nor were they constructed upright and square to the law. The central evidence was their pitiless behavior toward the poor, which is the central evidence of false religion (James 1:27) and dead faith (James 2:14-17).

There are many Scriptures that teach both by precept and example that the Lord hates the domineering exploitation of people. This week search the Scriptures in order to support this idea.

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Galatians 3:15-18 The Unchanging Promise

Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Paul has argued that Jesus Christ’s death on the cross has purchased salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. Christ has fulfilled the promise that God had made to Abraham, is that now in Christ, Jews and Gentiles become members of God’s family by simple faith in Christ, and not by obedience to the law.

Derek Thomas has written:

A potential problem now arises in settling the way of justification against the law. Paul was in danger of putting Moses against Christ. In alluding to Abraham (5 times in the previous section, 3:6-14 and twice more in this section, 3:16,18), Paul is in further danger of putting Moses against Abraham. This needs some explanation lest Paul be misunderstood, and the relationship between the old and new testaments be set in irreparable jeopardy. In providing such an explanation, Paul resorts to using several important words. They are covenant, promise, and inheritance. In order to understand what Paul regards as foundational – the Gospel itself – we will need to appreciate the meaning of these words.

This week do an in-depth study of the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, given in Genesis and Exodus respectively. Also, study the promises given to Abraham in Genesis. Lastly consider and meditate upon what might be the inheritance Paul speaks of in Galatians 3:18?

(This week we have not provided specific cross references, so you will need to roll up your sleeves, and dig into the riches of God’s Word and find them for yourself.)

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Amos 7:10-17 The Priest and the Troublemaker

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel , saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel . The land is not able to bear all his words.

For thus Amos has said:

‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive from their own land.’”

Then Amaziah said to Amos:

“Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah . There eat bread, and there prophesy. But never again prophesy at Bethel , for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the royal residence.”

Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:

“I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel .’ Now therefore, hear the word of the LORD: You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel , and do not spout against the house of Isaac.’ “Therefore thus says the LORD:

‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; your land shall be divided by survey line; you shall die in a defiled land; and Israel shall surely be led away captive from his own land.’”

After Amos relates the subject of his third vision – that of a plumb-line, he goes on to make the prediction that Israel would be desolate, its sanctuaries laid waste and its king’s house destroyed (Amos 7:9). Perhaps the bluntness of these words stirred the political machinery of Israel to stand up and make an objection. Right in the midst of relaying the five visions which the Lord gave to Amos, comes this brief narrative describing a conversation between Amos, an unknown Judean shepherd-farmer turned prophet of God, and Amaziah, the influential priest of Bethel of the powerful kingdom of Israel.

Amaziah reflects the culture’s mindset in 8^th century B.C. Israel – trusting in their outward success and prosperity as a nation. In such an environment, prophetic voices appear rude and unwarranted. The prophet is seen as a trouble-maker. It is very hard indeed for the outwardly successful establishment to hear truth, especially when it threatens to upset its comfort! So, cloaking himself in the pomp and circumstance of the established religious order, Amaziah with patronizing disdain, bids Amos to return to the job security of his home and speak to his own people – basically saying, “Yankee go home!”

This world and the devil, as well as the established church will forever be attempting to silence the prophets in one way or another. We live in an age where adhering to Biblicism is considered, “old fashioned.” “Preaching,” it is supposed, “is outdated – we must be open to other forms of evangelism and ministry in our churches.” Satan is constantly at work to discourage Gospel ministers from holding fast the faithful word. Even human governments are attempting to legislate political correctness in church pulpits. How must the man of God respond to such guile? He must not allow, ‘Amaziah’ to bully him into setting aside his God-given ministry. He must be certain of his commission to preach the Word and revisit the moments when he became conscious of his call. This is exactly what Amos does. In verses 14-15, Amos recounts his own calling. These verses contain what is called a ‘call narrative,’ a description of the specific and direct call of God on the prophet’s life. We find similar ‘call narratives,’ of Moses in Exodus 3, Samuel in 1 Samuel 3, Isaiah in Isaiah 6, Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1, and Ezekiel in Ezekiel 1.

In the end when the plumb-line of God’s Word falls between Amaziah, the priest, and Amos, the troublemaker, it is the priest who is exposed as the self-seeking, unscrupulous politician who would not heed God’s Word. And because the priest seeks to silence God’s mouthpiece, he will find himself silenced. Everything that Amaziah had come to trust in will be lost, as he will be destroyed by the very Word he despised.

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