The God of Judgment

By William R. Cunningham
July 8, 2007

Introduction

We normally think of God as a loving heavenly father.  We think that God will work things out for our good and grant us many blessings.  However, we fail to remember that God is our father and as such will discipline us.  Sometimes God passes judgment on us in order to bring about what he desires.

We are going to take an overview look at the book of Amos to see how God judged Judah, Israel, and their enemies.  God is a love, but he is also a heavenly father that will deal with our sin appropriately.

Amos

• Amos said himself that he was a sheep breeder (See Amos 1:1.
• He told Amaziah that he was also a tender of sycamore fruit (Amos 7:14)
• God called Amos to prophesy while he was following his flock of sheep (Amos 7:15)
• Amos was from Tekoa, a small villiage 10 miles south of Jerusalem
• He was a contemporary of Jonah, Hosea, and Isaiah
• At the time Jerusalem and Judah were prosperous, but in spiritual decay

Judgment on the Nations

“For three transgressions and for for” – This was a rhetorical term that highlighted the overflowing nature of the issue.  “For three transgressions” indicated the cup being full and “for four” indicated that the cup was overflowing.  The declaration signified the extreme sinful state of the recipient.

• Damascus
• Oldest continually inhabited city of the ancient world.
• Capitol of Syria
• Gaza (Gay-zuh) - The most prominent city of Philistia (the Philistines)
• Tyre - Ancient seaport city of the Phoenicians (north of Palestine)
• Tyre - The land of the descendants of Esau
• Ammon – Descendants of Ben-Ammi (lot’s son by his younger daughter).  The were a nomadic people
• Moab – A son of Lot by an incestuous relationship with his older daughter
• Judah and Israel are also judged

Judah and Israel Judged

• God warned them by using his prophets (3:7)
• The cows (4:1-3) – This was referring to the woman of Samaria
• God sent correction through various methods, but Israel refused correction (4:6-13)
• God calls them to repentance (Chapter 5)
• The day of the Lord (5:16-20)
• Pointless worship (5:21-24)
• God relents after Amos prays after seeing a vision of judgment from God (7:10-17)
• The bad practice so Israel concerning the poor and needy are being highlighted by Amos (8:1-8)
• Judgment.  There will be a famine of the word of the Lord during this judgment.  People will look for God, but will not fine them (8:9-12)
• Only the sinners will be destroyed by God’s judgment (9:8-10)
• The restoration of Israel

Lessons Learned

• God does love us.
• He requires a lifestyle of us that is consistent with his way
• God required obedience from us
• Our relationship with God means that we have to abide by his standards and not anyone else’s
• God did give the Israelites a chance to change their ways.  He told them what their problem was and what was coming.
• God does not accept a life of sin.
• Just because nothing happens to us at the point of sin doesn’t mean that God condones it.
• We can live by seeking the Lord.
• We should believe that God will help us live according to his way and that he will help us with any issue that we have in our lives
• Obedience to God can lead to many blessings in your life
• God will pass judgment on us, but the whole thing is to bring us back to him.
• God loves us so much that he will punish us the way that a parent punishes a child.  If the parent didn’t care then he wouldn’t punish the child, but rather let him do whatever he wants to do.

If we are not in obedience to God then any activity such as worship are meaningless because our heart is somewhere else.  We cannot live in disobedience and expect to worship God effectively.