AMOS 1 AND 2 (SUBSTANCE OF A READING)
AMOS 1 AND [p. 425] 2 (SUBSTANCE OF A READING)
Amos was the bearer of Jehovah’s message at a time when the people of God were in a sad state of departure; therefore the time corresponds very much with the present time. Amos represents the sovereign action of God in giving suitable prophetic words, and shows how God can take up anyone. Amos was just a farm labourer, not of much account in Israel; he was following his daily toil when Jehovah took him up and bade him prophesy.
It tells us that the time of his prophecy was “two years before the earthquake”. That is the time, in principle, for all prophetic ministry. All prophecy in Scripture takes its character from the fact that God is about to take some matter in hand, and He gives testimony prophetically to His people of what is coming, so that we may be warned. Thus there are two sides to the earthquake; that is, before the clearance of all things in judgment God shows how He can overturn evil in the way of grace and truth. There are many earthquakes alluded to in Scripture; one took place when Jesus rose from the dead. There had already been an earthquake when He died, and there was a great earthquake when He arose, showing that God has shaken all that man boasts in from its very foundation. What is all the boast of man in the presence of the cross of Christ?
Prophecy is to give us peace as to what is coming on the earth; so Jesus said when He prophesied. “For three transgressions ... and for four” is to give space to repent; God moves slowly in judgment. These spoken of in Amos chapters 1 and 2 were nations occupying land round Israel, and nations having come into contact with christianity stand in a [p. 426] special responsibility. In each case it says, “Because ...”. The sentence of judgment on all the evil has gone forth, Israel and Judah being included also on this ground. What is going on now is a mere trifle to what is coming on the earth.
I am persuaded that the crowning sin of the present dispensation will be the murder of the saints. The end of the Jewish dispensation was the crucifixion of Christ, and so the end of the christian dispensation will be the murder of the saints.
Hence God roars. Nothing can prevent God speaking and that in the midst of His people. He is doing that now. The whole book of Revelation is very much like the roaring of the lion. No one could be surprised at anything happening in the world who reads that book. These things should be known in the assemblies of His people. The Christian has clear light; he should know exactly what is going to happen. The judgment in this chapter is almost invariably for cruelty to the people of God. Moab is an exception, exhibiting an extraordinary unnaturalness of action. It shows how God is observant even of how the nations make war.
The most important matter at present is the gathering out of joint heirs with Christ, and the judgment of the nations may have to wait, it is a sideline. The main line is the gathering out of the joint heirs with Christ. He will judge the nations as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow morning. The four transgressions have not yet been reached by any of the nations. When it comes to Judah and Israel they have been in the primary place of relationship. The truth of christian fellowship is not accepted with most as an obligation — that God has called all believers to the fellowship of His Son, of His death, of His body and blood, and of the Spirit. The obligation rests on all believers. The present condition of Christendom is a despising of the truth of 1 Corinthians 12: 13, that we have all been baptised by one Spirit into one body. Lies have caused them to err (chapter 2: 4). If my opinion is a lie, what good is it to me? “After which their fathers walked” — what have the commandments of the Lord to do with all that?
[p. 427] The testimony of Amos embraces both Judah and Israel. Israel was corrupting the two things that God intended should be in Israel. God intended there should be prophecy and that that would bring about Nazariteship. They are two important features today. The ministry of prophecy is a part of the order of the assembly. There is the communication of God’s mind through prophetic gift, and Nazariteship, that is, a definite dedication to His service in separation. That is what the Lord is looking for from us all now, that we should be Nazarites. No young man is worth his salt unless he starts as dedicated to the Lord. Nothing can deprive any of us from that service. The only one who can is oneself! Satan is set against it; he is always saying to the prophets, “Prophesy not”, and giving the Nazarites wine to drink (chapter 2: 12). Let our concern be that nothing should distract us from the Lord. The whole clerical system is a silencing of the prophets; the unconverted man may be in the pulpit and the prophet in the pew unable to speak. The prophetic word results in separation to the Lord, so that we gladly take up separation to the Lord.
The judgment of what is evil is never God’s terminus, He has always something good in view.