Amos 6 - False Sense of Security

by Lance Ponder⁽⁹⁰⁾
http://fkiprofessor.xanga.com

False Security

Amos 6:1-3 “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory, O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? The sixth chapter shifts attention from treatment of the poor and idolatry to foolish pride. Amos accuses Judah along with Israel of arrogance. Calneh and Hamath were cities to the east and north of Israel conquered by Assyria, as was the Philistine city of Gath to the southwest of Samaria. Each of these cities were famous strongholds captured by Assyria. Only foolish pride and arrogance would delude Israel into thinking they could not fall when these other great cities had already fallen. Assyria was a major trading partner, but everyone also knew that Jeroboam paid tributes to Assyria to keep the peace. The people imagined themselves safe when really their trading partner was their most dreaded enemy. The same ostrich-like thinking kept Nevil Chamberlain from confronting Hitler until it was too late just as it kept the United States out of WWII until we were attacked directly. The same lesson can be applied to Christianity and the typically aloof denial of sin. Christianity often cloaks toleration of sin and false doctrine in the garb of humility, gentility, kindness, and a sickly sweet gushing sort of love. This behavior, like the Israel’s self-denial, is a sickness. Humility, kindness, gentleness, and love are vital characteristics of the faithful, but with love also comes truth, obedience and light. Christians are called to speak the truth with love. To heal, the sickness must be identified and addressed directly, not swept under the rug. False assurance of salvation is dangerous and destructive. False doctrine and a “don’t worry – be happy” approach to life are far too common in American Christianity today. It sells well, producing a nice worldly income for its practitioners, but is spiritually bankrupt and a deadly poison to its followers.

False Finery

Amos 6:4-7 “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.” Perhaps one might say, “Woe to those who drive fancy cars and eat at five star restaurants and go to Broadway musicals but care nothing for the poor of Haiti or the genocide of Darfur or those starving in India.” Too close to home? Consider Amos. He was commanded by God to speak to his own countrymen, condemning them to their faces for arrogantly enjoying selfish luxury at the expense of society’s unfortunate. The elite of society were the target audience of this prophecy and they were also the first to be exiled when the Assyrians came in force. It is not a sin to be wealthy, but as we learn from God’s encounter with Cain, we are our brothers’ keeper. It is not the having, but the taking which is a sin.

God Hates Pride

Amos 6:8-11 The Lord God has sworn by himself, declares the Lord, the God of hosts: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.” And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. And when one's relative, the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, “Is there still anyone with you?” he shall say, “No”; and he shall say, “Silence! We must not mention the name of the Lord.” For behold, the Lord commands, and the great house shall be struck down into fragments, and the little house into bits. There will be very little left of the prideful. The relatives who come to find and bury the dead will check the house and find none alive. They will fear even the mention God’s name will bring wrath on them. In the aftermath those who witness the devastation will know the power of God. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. Pride is the root of arrogance, the self-centered expression of superiority. It is the selfish aspect of pride which is probably the worst part. Selfishness opposes love because love is other-centered. John states flatly that God is love. God loves His creation and humans, created in His likeness, are the pinnacle of creation. God loves us so much He gave His one and only son as a sacrifice to restore the relationship with Him that we broke through sin. His divine character, though He is Creator, is humble in the ultimate expression of love. God accepts love freely because He gives love freely. A sacrifice given out of love, respect and honor without reservation or hesitation is a delight. A sacrifice given out of obligation, seeking favor, smugness, pride, or even blind obedience is rendered meaningless by the heart. God alone sees the human heart and it is our heart which is judged. Out of the heart flows both words and action. Obedience from the heart is known by God, but a heart not devoted to God can produce no true obedience, no matter how good the deeds may appear to other people. There is joy to be taken in fulfillment of being all that God has intended for us. That joy, if flowing from God, is a profound blessing. If we credit ourselves as the source of joy it devolves into pride, that self-centered abhorrent condition of the heart so strongly opposed by our loving Creator.

Foolishness of Pride

Amos 6:12-13 Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood [bitter fruit]—you who rejoice in Lo-debar [nothing], who say, "Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim [horns, a symbol of strength] for ourselves?" Amos compares the stupidity of plowing rocks with Israel’s abandonment of justice and righteousness. Any time we credit ourselves alone with accomplishment and deny the Creator His place as the source of all good things we are like these people. Pride centers on self, the opposite of love and the nature of God. This is why God so abhors human pride.

Payback

Amos 6:14 “For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord, the God of hosts; “and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.” Amos predicts a time to come, not far in the future from his perspective, when a nation would conquer Israel. It was probably about 30 years or less from the time Amos issued these prophecies until Assyria systematically whittled down and ultimately wiped out Israelite society. This prophecy, however, predicts the oppression of Israel from a place in Lebanon (Lebo-hamath) to a place south of the Dead Sea. The prophecy saw its final and complete fulfillment only after the fall of Judah more than a century and a half later. Either way, God does not leave pride unpunished, even among those who believe they are His.

Majoring in the Minors

Amos Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9

Article submitted Tuesday, September 07, 2010 & read 145 times.

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