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INTRODUCTION  

This  series  of  messages  was  developed  in  an  a:empt  to  communicate  the  

responsibility  that  is  invariably  associated  with  the  receipt  of  God’s  gracious  blessings.  

Throughout  the  Scripture,  God  proves  Eme  and  again  that  there  is  no  way  to  earn  His  

divine  favor.  However,  receiving  such  mercies  from  God  should  alter  our  lives  forever.  At  

the  point  when  Israel  had  been  spared,  once  again,  and  received  the  wealth  of  God’s  

blessing,  again,  we  see  them  engaged  in  idolatry  and  consumed  with  greed.    

It  is  in  this  moment  that  God  roars  from  Zion.  Calling  Amos,  a  simple  shepherd,  

away  from  his  flocks  to  minister  to  the  people,  God  transforms  him  into  a  fortune  teller.  

Not  the  kind  of  fortune  teller  we  may  associate  with  that  term.  Instead,  we  should  

idenEfy  that  Amos’  calling  marks  the  beginning  of  the  classical  prophets  that  will  be  

used  by  God  to  proclaim  coming  judgment.  AddiEonally,  Amos  will  consistently  condemn  

the  fortunes  the  people  had  accumulated  in  insaEable  greed,  while  consistently  

neglecEng  their  relaEonship  with  God,  in  which  lay  their  true  treasure.  

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MESSAGETWO  

MarkeEng  Futures  Greater  Blessing  Creates  Greater  Accountability  Amos  2:1-­‐16  

Introduc,on  

The  futures  market  is,  “An  aucEon  market  in  which  parEcipants  buy  and  sell  

commodity/future  contracts  for  delivery  on  a  specified  future  date.”  Of  course  the  1

reason  for  this  is  to  profit.  Those  bidding  on  future  commodiEes  and  contracts  want  to  

gain  something.  Those  offering  their  goods  or  services  want  to  gain  something.  These  

transacEons  must  be  mutually  beneficial  or  they  will  soon  dry  up.  These  contracts  are  

important  pieces  in  our  modern  economy.  

One  of  the  major  issues  of  Amos’  day  was  that  socially  regulated  agreements,  

contracts  if  you  will,  were  no  longer  mutually  beneficial.  This  is  essenEally  what  the  

three  naEons  condemned  in  Amos  chapter  two  needed  to  learn.  The  absolute  policies  of  

God  had  been  infringed  or  blatantly  broken,  and  through  dishonest  and  devastaEng  

pracEces,  many  of  the  parEes  involved  in  these  exchanges  were  not  being  dealt  with  in  

the  appropriate  manner.  Instead  of  these  parEes  agreeing  to  terms,  one  party  was  

offensively  mistreaEng  the  others.    As  such,  God,  through  the  words  and  message  of  

Amos,  condemns  some  specific  pracEces,  and  warns  of  the  coming  ramificaEons  for  

those  who  have  broken  sacred  trusts.  As  we  study  this  chapter  today,  we  will  see  three  

Investopedia, (Accessed May 6, 2015), http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/futuresmarket.asp. 1

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guiding  policies  that  God  expects  His  people  to  apply  in  their  social  interacEons  and  

relaEonships.  

Exposi,on  

I. Honor  His  Image  (1-­‐3)  

As  we  noted  last  week,  I  believe  there  are  a  few  textual  clues  that  are  uElized  

before  the  beginning  of  chapter  two  that  necessitate  our  division  here.  First,  we  have  

the  bookends  (inclusion)  of  the  Gilead  atrociEes.  Second,  we  have  a  shiY  in  the  idenEty  

of  the  vicEm.  Therefore,  I  believe  the  prophet  is  uElizing  a  powerful  literary  device  in  

order  to  bring  home  the  true  message  of  God.  

Let’s  begin  with  the  vicEmizaEon.  Throughout  my  research  I  have  yet  to  find  a  

single  source  that  does  not  idenEfy  Israel  as  the  vicEm  of  these  atrociEes.  Yet,  look  

closely  at  chapter  two,  verse  1.  The  condemned  naEon  is  Moab,  a  naEon  with  long  

enmity  with  Israel.  However,  who  is  the  vicEm  of  their  crime?  It  is  none  other  than  the  

king  of  Edom.  Now,  look  back  at  1:6,  “I  will  not  relent  from  punishing  Gaza  for  three  

crimes,  even  four,  because  the  exiled  a  whole  community,  handing  them  over  to  

Edom.”  (Amos  1:6,  HCSB)  

Look  at  1:9,  “I  will  not  relent  from  punishing  Tyre  for  three  crimes,  even  four,  

because  they  handed  over  a  whole  community  of  exiles  to  Edom  and  broke  a  treaty  of  

brotherhood.”  (Amos  1:9,  HCSB)  What  about  1:9,  “I  will  not  relent  from  punishing  Edom  

for  three  crimes,  even  four,  because  he  pursued  his  brother  with  the  sword.”  (Amos  1:9,  

HCSB)  

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As  we  read  these  condemnaEons,  we  see  a  pa:ern  emerge:  Gilead,  Edom,  Edom,  

Edom,  Gilead.  So,  as  we  turn  our  a:enEon  to  2:1,  a  very  obvious  quesEon  we  should  ask  

is,  “AYer  God  specifically  condemns  Edom  (fire  and  consumpEon),  and  condemns  those  

who  partnered  with  Edom  (Gaza  and  Tyre),  why  would  God  then  take  revenge  for  

someone  mistreaEng  the  king  of  Edom,  the  enemy  of  Israel,  and  the  focal  point  of  His  

wrath?”  

James  Luther  Mays  goes  even  further  in  discussing  this  situaEon  in  his  

commentary  on  Amos.  According  to  Mays,  “In  spite  of  the  obscurity  of  the  deed,  one  

thing  is  clear  and  of  primary  interest;  the  deed  did  not  injure  Israel  or  concern  them  in  

any  way.  It  was  in  Amos’  view  none  the  less  a  crime  (pesa’)  against  Yahweh.”  In  what  2

way  is  this  acEon  a  crime  against  God?  It  undermines  His  sovereign  social  reign,  but,  

more  importantly,  it  disgraced  the  image  of  God.  

When  the  text  states  that  they  “…burned  the  bones  of  the  king  of  Edom  to  lime,”  

the  implicaEon  is  that  they  desecrated  his  body  by  burning  it  down,  then  crushing  it,  

and,  according  to  the  Targum,  an  Aramaic  paraphrase  of  the  Hebrew  bible,  the  powder  

was  mixed  into  a  whitewash  for  buildings.  Why  would  God  care  about  the  treatment  of  3

this  man  represenEng  and  leading  a  people  doomed  to  destrucEon?    Because  he  bore  

the  image  of  God.  Because  he  was  created  by  God  and  loved  by  God.  

How  can  I  possibly  say  that  this  man  was  loved  by  God?  Because  the  Word  of  

God  plainly  states,  “8  Dear  friends,  don’t  let  this  one  thing  escape  you:  With  the  Lord  

James Luther Mays, Amos, The Old Testament Library, (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1969), 2

39-40.

See Smith and Page, Amos, 58. 3

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one  day  is  like  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand  years  like  one  day.  9  The  Lord  does  not  

delay  His  promise,  as  some  understand  delay,  but  is  paEent  with  you,  not  wanEng  any  to  

perish  but  all  to  come  to  repentance.  10  But  the  Day  of  the  Lord  will  come  like  a  thief;  on  

that  day  the  heavens  will  pass  away  with  a  loud  noise,  the  elements  will  burn  and  be  

dissolved,  and  the  earth  and  the  works  on  it  will  be  disclosed.”  (2  Peter  3:8-­‐10,  HCSB)  

It  is  not  God’s  will  that  any  should  perish,  but  that  all  should  come  to  repentance.  

This  is  why  He  promised  a  Savior,  this  is  why  He  preserved  a  Covenant,  this  is  why  He  

gave  His  Son.  God  does  not  just  because  He  delights  in  it.  God  judges  because  His  

righteousness  demands  it,  and  sin  cries  out  for  it.  This  is  the  same  reason  we  are  taught  

to  turn  the  other  cheek,  to  allow  God  to  exact  vengeance,  and  to  love  our  enemies.  

In  this  instance,  God  is  not  avenging  Israel,  nor  is  He  excusing  Edom.  Instead,  He  

plainly  is  staEng  that  those  who  bear  the  image  of  God  are  to  be  valued  regardless  of  

their  acEons.  He  will  judge  the  wicked  out  of  righteous  duty,  not  spiteful  vengeance,  but  

“As  J.  Niehaus  explains:  ‘Crimes  against  humanity  bring  God’s  punishment.  This  

observaEon  is  a  powerful  moEvaEon  for  God’s  people  to  oppose  the  mistreatment  and  

neglect  of  their  fellow  human  beings.’”  This  applies  to  those  who  are  not  of  the  4

Covenant,  and  even  those  who  have  been  considered  our  enemies.  

ChrisEan,  is  there  someone  who  has  been  against  you,  and  you  feel  is  righnully  

demeaned  as  less  than  human?  Do  you  believe  that  some  have  forfeited  their  human  

dignity  by  their  acEons  or  aotudes?  You  are  wrong.  This  is  precisely  what  God  is  saying  

through  Amos  to  the  Israelites.  It  is  not  for  us  to  judge  the  worth  of  others,  except  in  

Niehaus, Amos, 2:358 in Smith and Page, Amos, 58.4

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that  “God  loved  the  world  in  this  way:  He  gave  His  One  and  Only  Son,  so  that  everyone  

who  believes  in  Him  will  not  perish  but  have  eternal  life.”  (John  3:16,  HCSB)  We  are  

commanded  by  scripture  to  discern  the  rightness  or  wrongness  of  acEons  and  aotudes,  

but  we  are  only  to  judge  their  worth  only  according  to  the  guiding  principle  of  God.  

Regardless  of  their  sin,  Christ  suffered  to  offer  even  the  vilest  offender  the  opportunity  

to  experience  the  grace,  mercy,  and  love  of  God.  

II. Revere  His  Word  (4-­‐5)  

And  so  the  first  guiding  policy,  Honor  His  Image,  has  been  set  forth,  but  the  

second  must  be  addressed.  In  order  to  accomplish  this  feat,  God  moves  from  those  who  

are  not  of  the  covenant,  to  those  who  are  of  the  covenant,  but  have  existed  recently  in  a  

strained  relaEonship  with  others  within  the  covenant;  namely,  Israel.  And  so,  God  turns  

His  a:enEon  to  Judah.  

You  can  almost  imagine  the  confusion  in  the  crowd  now.  At  first,  the  people  

would  have  likely  roared  approval  at  the  condemnaEon  being  hurled  upon  those  

neighboring  naEons  that  had  harmed  them.  This  roar  of  approval  was  now  likely  a  mixed  

murmur  of  confusion  aYer  the  prophet  announces  God’s  intent  to  avenge  the  Edomite  

king.  Perhaps  their  spirits  picked  back  up  as  they  realized  the  prophet  was  about  to  

address  Judah,  the  sister  naEon  with  a  long-­‐strained  relaEonship.  

They  are  condemned  uElizing  a  similar  form  (for  three  crimes,  even  four)  as  the  

pagan  naEons,  but  what  is  Judah’s  crime?  Commentator  Michael  Bentley  notes  that  it  is  

the  shortest  declaraEon,  and  the  only  one  that  lacks  a  crime  against  humanity.  Like  5

See Bentley, Opening Up Amos, 28.5

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Moab,  their  crime  was  not  against  Israel,  but  against  Him.  Specifically,  Amos  divulges  a  

three-­‐pronged  offense  in  that  they  have  rejected  His  Word,  they  have  turned  against  His  

ways,  and  they  have  embraced  the  lie  of  idolatry  passed  down  from  their  ancestors.  

These  three  offenses  work  together  to  form  one  great  offense.  By  rejecEng  the  

Law  of  God,  they  could  not  possibly  keep  His  statutes,  especially  those  statutes  that  

governed  how  to  worship  Him.  Most  commentators  agree  that  the  overarching  theme  of  

this  curse  is  a  broken  relaEonship  with  God  due  to  disobedient  and  idolatrous  worship.  

Bentley  writes,  “These  lies  had  led  them  to  believe  that  they  would  find  their  religion  to  

be  more  saEsfying  if  they  worshipped  a  god  that  they  could  see  with  their  eyes.”  By  not  6

revering  the  Word  of  God,  they  could  not  hope  to  the  keep  the  ways  of  God,  and  were  

easily  mislead  concerning  the  right  worship  of  God.    

How  oYen  have  we  fought  this  fight  even  among  ourselves?  How  many  churches  

have  cast  off  the  governing  authority  of  God’s  word  for  the  comfort  of  subjecEve  

humanisEc  interpretaEon  and  applicaEon?  In  essence,  we  have  told  ourselves  the  same  

lie:  it  is  easier  and  more  rewarding  to  relate  to  God  in  life  and  worship  in  a  relaEonship  

governed  by  our  own  preferences  than  in  one  governed  by  His  sovereign  decree.  

A  theme  emerges,  and  it  centers  on  relaEonships.  In  the  first  secEon,  Moab  

broke  the  policy  of  God  concerning  the  sancEty  of  life.  Judah  stands  accused  of  having  

broken  the  policy  of  God  because  they  believed  they  would  come  out  ahead  by  engaging  

in  a  li:le  insider  trading  instead  of  keeping  to  the  governing  policy.  In  both,  the  

relaEonship  addressed  is  fractured.  The  way  in  which  the  Moabites  interacted  with  

Ibid., 27.6

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others  reveals  the  deep  twisEng  manifestaEon  of  sin.  The  way  in  which  Judah  so  

gleefully  casts  off  the  right  relaEonship  with  God  for  a  lie  full  of  treacherous  promise  

reveals  the  sin  that  corrupts  that  relaEonship.  

The  reason  that  God  has  shiYed  from  dealing  with  those  crimes  that  vicEmized  

Israel  to  those  that  are  against  Him  is  simple:  He  is  about  to  demonstrate  to  Israel  how  

they  have  managed  to  vicEmize  their  own  friends  and  family  far  more  than  any  of  the  

neighboring  naEons.  Israel  has  corrupted  right  societal  relaEonships  and  right  sacred  

relaEonships  as  badly,  if  not  worse,  than  any  of  the  naEons  previously  addressed.  In  this,  

we  find  the  third  governing  policy.  

III. Embrace  His  Expecta,ons  (6-­‐16)  

The  form  of  Israel’s  condemnaEon  is  exactly  the  same  in  introducEon.  However,  

the  difference  is  that  God  will  spend  the  remainder  of  Amos’  propheEc  message  making  

His  case  against  Israel.  What  is  His  case?  First,  they  have  corrupted  societal  relaEonships.  

They  view  others  simply  as  tools  to  be  used  or  means  to  an  end  in  which  they  may  find  

benefit  at  the  expense  of  the  righteous,  (innocent),  needy  (those  with  felt  needs),  poor  

(weak  and  lowly  estate),  and  needy  (humble  and  afflicted).  (6,7)    

In  each  of  these  menEons,  there  is  an  air  of  totality.  The  righteous  traded  for  

silver  echoes  of  Joseph  and  Jesus;  the  innocent  sold  for  the  price  of  slaves.  The  person  in  

want  was  traded  for  excess  footwear  to  be  tread  upon.  Those  that  are  lowly  and  humble  

are  trampled  even  further  into  inferiority.  And  they  push  aside  those  who  have  already  

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been  shoved  down.  The  idea  is  one  of  a  holisEc  understanding  of  poverty.  The  poor  in  

the  day  of  Amos  were  in  need  of  more  than  just  money.  They  had  nothing.  

Recently,  the  World  Bank  described  this  definiEon  of  poverty  as:  

Poverty  is  hunger.  Poverty  is  lack  of  shelter.  Poverty  is  being  sick  and  not  able  to  see  a  doctor.  Poverty  is  not  having  access  to  school  and  not  knowing  how  to  read.  Poverty  is  not  having  a  job,  is  fear  of  the  future,  living  one  day  at  a  Eme.  Poverty  is  losing  a  child  to  illness  brought  about  by  unclean  water.  Poverty  is  powerlessness,  lack  of  representaEon  and  freedom.  7

Second,  they  have  tainted  the  worship  of  God  in  uElizing  and  offering  those  

things  greedily  stolen  in  the  worship  of  God.  (8)  Both  of  these  issues  echo  the  first  two  

menEoned  in  chapter  2.  They  are  guilty  of  both  crimes  against  God.  They  have  

dehumanized  and  devalued  the  imago  Dei,  the  image  of  God,  to  the  extent  that  the  poor  

are  not  only  neglected,  but  are  refused  jusEce  and  acEvely  oppressed.  (7)  This  is  a  crime  

against  God  in  the  same  way  we  understand  the  parable  in  Ma:hew  25  in  which  we  

read,  “Whatever  you  did  for  one  of  the  least  of  these  brothers  of  Mine,  you  did  for  

Me.”  (Ma:hew  25:40,  HCSB)  Further,  to  corrupt  the  worship  of  God  is  to  essenEally  

break  one  or  all  of  the  first  four  Commandments.  

Israel  has  commi:ed  two  crimes,  the  same  two  crimes  menEoned  in  chapter  2,  

against  God,  but  are  to  be  more  accountable  and  piEed  far  more  than  any  other  naEon  

addressed  because  God  has  protected  her  (9),  guided  her  (10),  and  provided  for  her  in  

many  ways,  but  especially  spiritually  within  the  covenant.  (11)  But  how  has  Israel  

The World Bank, “Overview”, in Poverty Analysis, (Accessed May 8, 2015), http://7

www.colorado.edu/philosophy/heathwood/pdf/worldbank.pdf.

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responded?  They  have  rebelled  against  God  and  His  ways,  especially  in  that  they  have  

caused  the  Nazarites  (spiritually  commi:ed  to  God)  to  break  their  vows.  (12)  

For  this,  wrath  is  coming.    As  they  have  crushed  the  poor,  God  will  crush  them.  

(13)  There  is  no  one  who  will  be  able  to  save  himself.  (14-­‐16)  Not  through  his  own  

efforts  or  abiliEes.  Not  through  harnessing  the  power  of  weapons  (bow)  or  even  the  

power  of  beasts  (horses).  Even  those  who  are  most  celebrated  will  flee  naked,  

completely  exposed  as  the  frauds  they  are,  when  God  stands  against  them.  

They  thought  that  their  special  relaEonship  with  God  granted  them  special  

exempEons.  They  thought  that  the  Covenant  made  them  enEtled  to  God’s  blessing.  

However,  Israel  will  be  punished  more  severely,  because,  as  a  Covenant  people,  they  

should  have  known  be:er  than  anyone  the  expectaEons,  the  social  and  sacred  

obligaEons,  the  responsibility  of  being  blessed  by  God.    

As  people  of  God;  as  Covenant  people,  we  are  held  to  a  higher  standard  and  

expectaEon  because  we  are  expected  to  live  in  such  a  way  as  to  allow  every  relaEonship  

to  reflect  the  power  and  presence  of  God  in  our  lives.  Instead,  the  Israelites  lived  

luxurious  lives  of  enEtlement  while  their  neighbors  starved.  How  was  the  

insEtuEonalized  slavery  of  the  poor  in  Israel  any  more  commendable  than  the  slavery  of  

the  Israelites  in  Edom?  How  is  the  inhumane  treatment  of  the  poor  in  Israel  be:er  when  

conducted  by  the  hands  of  fellow  Israelites  rather  than  Syrians  or  Ammonites?  

The  Covenant  laid  out  for  the  people  the  expectaEons  of  God  to  honor  Him,  to  

honor  the  family,  and  to  honor  others.  Where  is  any  of  that  in  Israel  at  the  Eme  of  

Amos?  This  is  precisely  why  Amos  was  sent.  The  people  needed  to  remember  who  they  

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were  alright,  and  how  that  idenEty  in  the  Covenant  applied  to  their  own  spiritual  and  

physical  futures  market.  

Conclusion  

  In  Christ,  you  and  I  are  to  honor  the  image  of  God.  To  see  the  value  of  all  

humanity  as  the  image  bearers  of  God.  We  are  to  revere  His  Word,  as  Jesus  was  the  

Word  of  John  1  that  revealed  God  to  us,  and  the  preaching  of  the  Word  leads  to  

salvaEon  (Romans  10),  and  the  Word  points  us  to  God  (1  Thessalonians  2:13).  We  are  to  

embrace  His  expectaEons.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the  call  to  discipleship,  the  

exaltaEon  of  the  epistles  to  become  more  Christ-­‐like,  all  of  these  are  telling  us  to  

embrace  our  new  idenEty  in  Christ;  an  idenEty  that  values  the  image  of  God,  the  

presence  of  God,  and  the  expectaEons  of  God  more  than  the  possible  fortune  gained  by  

destroying  these  sacred  relaEonships.