2019-11-26 The Roar of the Lion Amos’s Call God’s Passion for Justice • For the last 3 weeks we have been hearing Amos’s call for justice & concern for the poor A Word of Good News • Judgement upon Israel for being indifferent to the oppressed Amos 9:11-15 • A famine of God’s word upon Israel Amos 9 The Context • We have a contrasting word from the prophet of the Good • Ultimately God’s word is News one of good news Amos 9:5-8 who builds his upper The Lord, God of hosts, he chambers in the heavens, and who touches the earth and it founds his vault upon the melts, and all who live in it earth; who calls for the waters mourn, and all of it rises like of the sea, and pours them out the Nile, and sinks again, like upon the surface of the the Nile of Egypt; earth—the Lord is his name.
2019-11-26 The Creator & Builder The Maintainer • ‘Calls for the waters of the sea’; • ‘God touches the earth’ ‘Pours them out upon the surface of the earth’ (v6) • ‘who builds/founds’ • Imagery of rain/of God’s • The universe flows from God’s ongoing provision & providence handiwork – not a remote Deist God The eyes of the Lord God are Are you not like the Ethiopians upon the sinful kingdom, and I to me, O people of Israel? says will destroy it from the face of the Lord. Did I not bring Israel the earth —except that I will up from the land of Egypt, and not utterly destroy the house the Philistines from Caphtor of Jacob, says the Lord. and the Arameans from Kir? Lord of History Judgement & Blessing • God is concerned for all the • How do they practice justice & nations: Ethiopia (Africa), the righteousness? Philistines, the Arameans • A call for goodness/justice (Syrians) – even as he is concerned for Israel • He is concerned even for • Both vertical & horizontal Israel’s enemies dimensions
2019-11-26 On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the The Message days of old; in order that they of Good News may possess the remnant of Amos 9:5-8 Edom and all the nations who are called by my name, says the Lord who does this. i. God Restores i. God Restores • ‘Booth’ of David - sukah, a • The restoration happens shelter through the coming of the Messiah • Speaks to a restoration of the Davidic kingdom • The Messiah enables the rebirth of God’s kingdom – the birth of • A restoration of the land - all the Jesus and his ministry territories of David/Solomon ii. God Blesses ii. God Blesses • Socio-economic renewal • Blessings upon nature • ‘restore the fortunes of Israel’ • Abundant harvests • Cities rebuilt/vineyards planted • Scenes of fertility and fecundity again • Nature reborn • Stability & security in the land
2019-11-26 ii. God Blesses • God will replant Israel – God is Going your God Forward • All metaphors of renewal & blessing in the new kingdom God’s Promises God’s Promises • The Booth of David imagery finds • The Apostle James connects the its roots with Abraham and his birth of the church to the calling - all the peoples of the prophecy of Amos – Acts 15:16- earth are blessed 17 • The inclusion of the Gentiles into • Repeated to David where his the church reveals the Amos kingdom will last forever prophecy God’s Promises There’s Hope • God will save his people and the earth • “…that the creation itself will be • We can hold onto God’s set free from its bondage to promises for us decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
2019-11-26 There’s Hope Brokenness Restored • God is your God - God • God knows our fragility & knows your name woundedness • The Father of every family upon • God puts us back together the earth • God leads us into a path of • We have a personal relationship transformation with Abba I still believe that one day ‘And the lion and the lamb shall humanity will bow before the lie down together and every altars of God and be crowned person shall sit under their triumphant over war and own vine and fig tree and none bloodshed, and nonviolent shall be afraid.’ I still believe redemptive goodwill will that we shall overcome. proclaim the rule of the land.
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