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Amos
Amos 9:7-15

This morning we're continuing our series, looking at major comforts from Minor Prophets. It is extremely difficult to find any comfort from the Minor Prophet, Amos, let alone 'major comfort.' If you've been reading in advance of my preaching, maybe you read about 6 or 7 chapters of Amos and thought, 'I have yet to hear a comforting word! In fact, I am reading words of the most severe rebuke and judgment.' (And I hope, then, that you will give special attention to the word today).

For those of you who may not have been reading in Amos, in chapters 1-2 God planned to judge 8 nations. Fire, as well as other forms of punishment, would consume them all. From 2:4 through the end of the book, God's judgment on His own covenant people is described in greater detail than any other nation judged. Listen to some of the things God said about them:

3:12 - 'Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion's mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, so will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away.' 4:2 - 'they will take you away with meat hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks.'

5:18-19 - The Day of the Lord will be 'darkness and not light; as when a man flees from a lion and a bear meets him; or goes home, leans his hand against the wall, and a snake bites him.'

Though they dig into Sheol, From there will My hand take them; and though they ascend to heaven, from there will I bring them down. Though they hide on the summit of Carmel, I will search them out and take them from there; and though they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea, from there I will command the serpent and it will bite them. And though they go into captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword that it slay them, and I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good (vv.2-4).

As a popular song of the 1970's put it:

Hangman is comin' down from the gallows and I don't have very long
The jig is up, the news is out;
They finally found me -
The renegade who had it made
Retrieved for a bounty -
Never more to go astray.
The judge will have revenge today
On the wanted man (Styx, 'Renegade')

Mankind's situation is as it was for Israel at v.8, 'the eyes of the Lord are on the sinful kingdom' to 'destroy it from the face of the earth.' When a hunter has a 12-point buck in his scope, are his 'eyes on it' to feed it? To pet it? His eyes are on it to kill it! And so, as God warned through Moses generations before, Israel had kindled God's anger, and He became set to 'destroy them from the face of the earth' (see Deuteronomy 6:15).

And yet, people think they can hide from the scope of God, escape from Him, or be exempt from His searching gaze and infinite knowledge.

Some people, if they're not like those that try to run away from God (as we saw of Israel at vv.2-4), they think that God accepts them on the basis of a supposed religious status. Some believe that just because they were baptized God accepts them. Some believe that because they attend church or are members of one, believe that there is a God, try to live a good life, or try to keep the Golden Rule that they have something that makes them acceptable to God - something that is itself a basis on which God should accept them. There were some in Israel that had this mindset. Note v.7, where Israel thought that because God had rescued them from Egypt they were therefore exempt from all calamity and judgment. But in God's eye they had become just like any other heathen nation, and could not rest on the grace given to former generations…

There are others that are as v.10 says, 'sinners of My people.' Although they have professed faith in Jesus Christ, although they may be enlightened in how a sinner is saved, familiar with Christian teachings, familiar with the Bible, and sorts of other Christian things, they betray that at a heart and life level. Though they confess to have the righteousness of Christ, they live secretly in sin as 'sinners of My people.'

And yet there are still others. They may not be of either of these convictions. They deny the seriousness of their situation before God altogether. They have no real interest in the Lord, they have no conviction about their personal guilt. And so they have no reason to run, nor do they see the relevance of being a part of God's people. But they really are no different than the rest of Israel at the latter part of v.10 - "those who say, 'the calamity will not overtake or confront us.'" There are some that, for various and illegitimate reasons, deny and 'can't believe' that God could (or would, or should) 'set His eyes against them for evil and not for good' (v.4). They have no sense of the offense their sin is to God. And so they suppress the truth and lie to themselves.

And so with all this, God has swept away any excuse from those denying, minimizing, suppressing, or justifying their sin, or themselves in their sin. He has removed all occasion for boasting about supposed greatness, supposed religion, or supposed acceptance before Him. You may be here this morning doing just those things. And if you would look for God's comfort, you must first look at yourself, and see yourself as God sees you. You must look in the mirror of God's Word and see that you are not merely imperfect, but sinful, and as such, one fit only for divine judgment, just as Israel was.

There is literally no comfort in the prophecy, to this point. Moreover, any comfort one has, or falsely conjures for himself, is quickly whisked away like a buzzing mosquito from the ear. There is literally no comfort in the prophecy until you get to the last eight verses. And at that point comfort is found. And true to our theme, it is 'major comfort.'

But major comfort is only for major sinners. If you're a minor sinner, there is no comfort for you. Don't think you can settle for 'minor comfort,' nor think you are merely a minor sinner. There is no such thing as a minor sinner. All sinners are major sinners in God's eye. And although there is major comfort for major sinners, there is no comfort for minor sinners. (Do your ears truly hear?) Unless you are willing to agree with God that you are a major sinner, do not hope for minor comfort, in fact, do not hope for any comfort, let alone major comfort.

Now, we noticed last week how God saves His people amidst judgment. The point of that message could easily be the point of today's message. Notice it from this text. God saves His people amidst judgment. At v.8 'the eyes of the Lord are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth.' And immediately after that it says, 'Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob.' Even amidst God's judgment there is a remnant that He saves. Notice it again at v.9. 'I will shake the house of Israel among all nations as grain is shaken in a sieve,' and yet immediately following those words are, 'But not a kernel will fall to the ground.' I.e., in the context of God's judgment there are some that are saved. Though God would judge, He would preserve a remnant. Just as grains shaken in a sieve, some would remain and others would be removed. We saw that last week, we could focus on that again this week; but there is a related thought we do well to explore.

It is this: the only hope for a condemned sinner is to receive the blessing of the gospel.

Obviously, Israel being a prime example, there is no hope while one is in his sins. The only hope for a condemned sinner is to receive the blessing of the gospel, the good news from the God who warns of his condemnation, the forgiveness of the God who holds him guilty, the acceptance of the God who theretofore rejected him. And so we look to verses 11-2 of Amos 9 for this major comfort that God accepts sinners through the gospel. And as we do, we'll consider 3 features of that gospel blessing of acceptance:

1. It is a Christ-centered acceptance

2. It is a love-revealing acceptance

3. It is a God-wrought acceptance

1. This gospel acceptance is a Christ-centered acceptance (v.11) God only accepts sinners in Christ. He does not accept them outside or apart from Christ. Jesus said clearly enough, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me' (John 14:6). As the Apostle Paul said, 'Christ accepted us to the glory of God' (Romans 15:7). A sinner's acceptance with God is only true in relation to Jesus Christ.

This 11th verse points in that direction, as shrouded a reference as it seems to be. It refers to the rebuilding of David's house. If you were to read such passages as 2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 89, you would read of God's covenant with David in response to his desire to build God a house. This house would not be a portable testimony of God's presence (as they had in the wilderness), but a permanent one (now that they were firmly planted in the Promised Land). It would be a house where God's name would dwell, a place where God's people would worship.

A son of David would build the house and establish his kingdom. God would treat him as a heavenly father, but if he committed iniquity, God would chasten him. But even though He would chasten him for violating the covenant, He Himself would never violate it. His love would remain on account of David. His throne would remain forever. And there would always be a son of David to rule from Zion.

But as the biblical story goes, David sinned. Grievously. God chastened him. His son Solomon arose. He built the temple, his heart being entirely devoted to the Lord. But Solomon, too, sinned. More grievously than David. And the promised rod of correction fell on David's sons; not only Solomon, but on the entire monarchy. The monarchy once united under David became divided after Solomon. Two kingdoms were formed: Israel (ten tribes to the north) and Judah (two tribes in the south). Israel never had a righteous king. Judah had some. Judah usually brought worship to God in the temple. Israel never did. There was 'civil war' for many, many years. God judged Israel in 722 BC, and then Judah in 586 BC with the destruction and demolition of David's temple. A sad illustration of the consequences of sin.

And so in all this, it becomes obvious that what is needed is a Son of David who always has perfect righteousness before God, who faithfully and fully keeps the covenant.

And so, enter Jesus Christ, a descendant of David as the NT genealogies say (Matthew 1 and Luke 3). David was a type, or preview, of Jesus. Jesus Himself recognized not only His biological connection to David, but also His spiritual connection with God's covenant with David. Do you remember when He quizzed the Pharisees, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David Himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to my Lord.' David himself calls Him 'Lord,' so in what sense is He his son?" (Mark 12:35-37). I.e., Messiah is both Lord of David and Son of David. I.e., He is God and man. And that One is Jesus.

Enter Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the One who perfectly kept the demands of God's Law, who in bearing the punishment for sinners took upon Himself man's ruin at the cross… But on that resurrection day the booth of David that was fallen was raised again to newness of life, its ruins raised, its breaches walled up, its damage fixed. And there is Christ ruling over the nations - 'the Son of David according to the flesh, the Son of God by the resurrection' (Romans 1:3-4).

You see, Amos spoke of Christ! He was not referring to the rebuilding of a stone temple under Ezra and Nehemiah in 516 BC. That wasn't the point of his message, even though the temple literally was rebuilt to some extent at that time. He spoke of Christ and His house.

You say, 'What is Jesus' house?' It's the Church, His people redeemed by His blood, believing in His name for their salvation from their sin. Redeemed sinners are the 'raised house of David.' 1 Peter 2:5 says, 'You, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.' These, in the words of Ephesians 2 were 'raised up with Him' 'even when dead in transgressions' (vv.6,5). Hebrews 3:6 notes, 'Christ was faithful as a Son over His house - whose house we are.' And so Amos spoke of the redemption of sinners in Jesus Christ - sinners utterly rejected because of their sin, but now accepted because of Jesus' death. As it says in the popular children's film Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, 'From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success.' From the ruins of David's temple grow the roses of Jesus' salvation. To think that God would accept those who formerly would not accept Him! What triumph of grace! And this He does in Christ. I urge you to turn to Christ that you might be accepted by God…

There is no hope for a condemned sinner apart from the gospel blessing of Christ. Secondly,

2. This gospel acceptance is a love-revealing acceptance (v.12)
The bare idea that God would rebuild the fallen booth of David is a testimony to the great love of God. He wasn't obligated to. Instead, He could have bulldozed it. But what is amazing is that the love He continuously poured out on Israel would spill out to the most distant nation. It would go beyond the borders of Israel.

You have to understand that the Jews were the chosen people of God. If you were to travel through other nations, and take a survey as you went with the question, 'Who are the people of God?' they would immediately answer 'the Jews.' They would not say, 'We are' or the Akkadians' or 'the Amorites' or some other. They would say, 'The Jews.' Abraham was called from among the nations to be the God-ordained means of blessing the nations. The Jews, under Moses, were given superior laws than any other nation (Psalm 147:19-20). Virtually every nation had at some point heard of the miraculous, terrifying power of God in destroying people, but at the same time helping the Jews. And all throughout Old Testament history, though there were many nations, only the Jews were God's special, privileged nation.

But it was never God's plan to keep it that way. His plan was that all nations would worship Him. So the Old Testament speaks of God's blessing coming to the Gentiles (nations):

The time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Rosh, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD (Isaiah 66:18-20).

This is the same idea Amos is sounding at v.12 of the Jews 'possessing the remnant of Edom, all the nations who are called by My name.'

The Apostle James referred to these two verses at the Jerusalem Synod in Acts 15. Paul and Barnabas, basically on the heels of Peter's testimony about Cornelius, came declaring how the Gentiles were converted to Christ. Some Jews protested. They said the converts had to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses. So the church leaders gathered for debate. Scripture was consulted, and James, the moderator of the gathering (Peter was not regarded as the Church leader in Jerusalem), judged on the basis of these verses (Amos 9:11-12) not to trouble 'those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles' (Acts 15:19). He understood not only this prophecy, but the message of other prophets as referring to the conversion of non-Jews (v.15).

And that reveals the love of God! 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son' (John 3:16). His love is not limited merely to one nation. He loves Jew and Gentile. That's why Paul could say that God 'desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth' (1 Timothy 2:4). That's why the Apostle John, a Jew of Jews, could write that Jesus is 'the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world' (1 John 2:4). God was interested in saving more than merely the Jews. Although He called them as the nation that would bring forth Messiah, once that Messiah was brought forth, the Gentiles too would be given to Him as an inheritance (Psalm 2:8 / 22:27). And that time is now!

And yet how many people do not read their Bibles with this perspective in mind! And then they go off, like Dave Hunt, to twist the Scripture and speak and write of things about the gospel that they do not understand, to the distortion of the truth.

The NT is written against the backdrop of God's love to Gentiles, in addition to Jews, receiving salvation in the Messiah. The gospel is 'the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile' (Romans 1:16). 'There is neither Jew nor Gentile…for you are all one in Christ Jesus' (Galatians 3:28). 'God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith, is one' (Romans 3:30).

Pause and think of the implications of this. Are you a Gentile, or are you an ethnic Jew? You should praise God that, in His wisdom and coordination of time and things, if you are a Gentile, you are living today and not 2,500 years ago. You likely would not have heard of (let alone received) the promises of the gospel, then. As a Gentile, if you were to seek and find God, you had to 'grope' for Him as in the dark (Acts 17:27). Only after Messiah came did you who walked in darkness 'see a great light' (Isaiah 9:2). The very fact that you live today, are here (and not in a temple in Jerusalem) today, is testimony to the great love of God in Christ. The gospel is offered to you today. A Savior is presented to you today. 'Today is the day of salvation.' 'Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.' Will you confess your sin, beg God's mercy, receive His Son, and give your thanks - today? What reason do you have to put it off until tomorrow when God only gives you today, as far as you know? God has arranged for you to hear the gospel today. I urge you to turn to Christ and be saved today.

John Calvin said, 'Let us remember that in restoring the Church, God has the wonderful method of rebuilding it out of ruins.' Ruins. That's what all are outside of Christ. If you're in Christ, that's where you were - in a pile of ruin and rubble. You come out from under, as it were, the house of Usher, fallen in death and despair. And it is the love of God that reaches down from heaven in Christ, picks up Gentile rubble and says, 'And now I will show my love by building these damaged ruins into a house of worship where My name will be praised.' And that love continues throughout the rest of life - being cleaned up in grace, being shaped by the Spirit, placed beside others of like past and destiny, who also help smooth out the edges. And all are fitted into Jesus' spiritual house to the glory of God.

The only hope for a condemned sinner is to receive the blessing of the gospel, a gospel of acceptance - a Christ-centered acceptance, a love-revealing acceptance, and finally:

3. This gospel acceptance is a God-wrought acceptance (vv.11,12)
Acceptance with God is something achieved by God, not man. You do not (and cannot) achieve, earn, or effect acceptance with God. Notice how God had Amos put it, 'I will raise up…I will wall up…I will raise…I will rebuild.' These are actions God Himself would perform. God is sovereign over every element of a sinner's salvation. It is God who determines who will be saved. God calls through the Word. God invites, draws, opens blind eyes and plugged ears. God grants repentance unto life. God effects the faith by which the sinner receives his acceptance with God. God is the One who justifies. God adopts and accepts the sinner into His family.

God is the One who rebuilds the ruins. He's the Master Builder. He plans it. He decides what pieces of rubble He's going to use. He initiates it. He performs it. He doesn't subcontract it out. He doesn't do half of the rebuilding operation and then leave it to the sinner to finish. He does it all, all the way through glory. (Don't miss the promise of v.15, 'they will not again be rooted out from their land'). The rebuilding of your life on the foundation stone of Jesus Christ is entirely of God's grace. All the rubble of hurt and pain that the toppling house of sin has brought can be rebuilt under the plan of salvation in Christ. He is 'the Lord who does this' (v.12).

The judgment of Israel, the threatened judgment of a sinner, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the building of the Church, the calling and placement of the Gentiles into that Church - these are the works of God. Salvation, from A to Z, is the work of God.

'The Lord who does this' - what a happy thought, a major comforting thought. There is no hope for you outside of the blessing of the gospel. But inside of it there is acceptance with God; an acceptance that is Christ-centered, love-revealing, and God-wrought. To know that you are acceptable to, and accepted by, God through faith in Jesus Christ - a major comfort from a minor prophet! - a comfort offered you today from God. Will you not receive it?