Ripe for Judgement and a Famine of the Word

Text Amos 8 Time 27 02 22 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

We are now in the final section of Amos, in Chapters 7-9. The earlier part of the book contains prophecies against the nations (Chapters 1 and 2) and prophecies more directly to the Israelites (Chapters 3-6). From Chapter 7 on we have a series of visions. Last week we looked at Chapter 7 and the three visions there - the locusts, the fire and the plumbline - and the historical section where we learn of some personal interaction between Amos and his persecutors. As we said then, the prophets sometimes speak of seeing visions rather than simply speaking messages from God. Amos's book begins (1:1) The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa - the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel. Isaiah and Obadiah begin in a similar way. There is just one vision in Chapter 8. We want to say four things tonight then from the chapter.

1. Consider the basket of fruit Amos sees and its meaning and ask when you will be judged

The fourth vision comes in the first three verses of Chapter 8. This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: a basket of ripe fruit. "What do you see, Amos?" he asked. "A basket of ripe fruit," I answered. Then the LORD said to me, "The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies - flung everywhere! Silence!"

So a very simple point. Amos is shown a basket of fruit, the fruit is said to be summer fruit or ripe fruit. The LORD uses the picture to show that the time is ripe for judgement for Israel. Now the NIV has made things appear slightly different to what is actually said. It is actually a play on words - summer fruit involves a word very like the word for end. It is more like showing the prophet a basket of the fruit tamarind and then saying the timeo'therend is here. The niv still makes the right point that the basket of fruit speaks of the fact that The time is ripe for God's people Israel; I will spare them no longer he says. Although the exact time is not stated, they now know it is not far off.

He the Sovereign LORD adds that "In that day ... the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies - flung everywhere! Silence!" The worship in their temples will come to an end. There will be silence. For the singers will not be singing but wailing in light of the Assyrian attacks.

2. Observe the sins of Israel and ask whether you are also guilty of such things

In verses 4-6 we go down to the market place and we get another glimpse into the sins that were common in that time. A number of sins are highlighted.

Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying, "When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?" skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.

There was a general lack of concern for the needy and the poor. They were the downtrodden of their day and rather than doing away with the poor of the land by making them rich they were seeking to grind them into the dirt so that they cold no longer live.

The people claimed to be religious but see how Amos pictures them When will the New Moon festival be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat? They were more interested in business and making money than they were in religion.

Then there were the sharp practices such as skimping on the measure, so that on each sale the buyer would lose a little, boosting the price above what the sale was really worth and cheating with dishonest scales, so that again a little extra money was made on each transaction.

Finally, he speaks about buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, people being forced to sell themselves into slavery at a pittance and selling even the sweepings with the wheat to once again make a little profit.

It would be good to think that such things do not exist in our day but sadly that is not the case. Businesses use hidden charges, binding contracts, small print and late payments of bills to try and take advantage of the unwary. We know that sometimes manufacturers use deceptive statements to lure in the unwary customer. So low fat often means lots of sugar and when they describe what is in a serving the serving may well be much smaller than you would imagine. Have you heard of mechanically recovered meat? There are still ways of using it in food products.

And what about us in our business dealings? Are we honest and fair?

3. Hear this word of judgement on Israel and consider the fact that you too will be judged

The charge sheet of sins is followed by this statement in verses 7 and 8 The LORD has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob: "I will never forget anything they have done. "Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt."

Here the solemn warning is again of coming judgement. It is put in terms of trembling - Israel is going to be shaken; and of mourning - there will be many deaths; and also of the Nile rising up and sinking, which it did annually - there will be a tumult, a great uproar.

The sovereign LORD goes on in verses 9 and 10 with more images, "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your religious festivals into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. The idea of the sun going down at noon is apocalyptic language that speaks of revolution and radical change. The great and powerful will lose their power and greatness. Mourning is again mentioned, along with weeping and the accompaniments of mourning - sackcloth and shaved heads. In a powerful image we read I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.

As we have said the waning here is of the Assyrian invasion which happened in 722 BC. What lies ahead for us, we do not know but I'm sure the pandemic and this current war in Ukraine focusses the mind. Who knows what might happen? Even if we escape the worst of such things, there will be a judgement. No-one will escape the final judgement. It is fast approaching. Are you ready? We must trust in the Lord Jesus now, before it is too late.

4. Worse than hearing of judgement, worse than famine or drought - no word of the Lord

The chapter finishes not where we might expect it to but with a warning of a famine - not a famine of food or of drink either but of Gods Word. In verses 11 and 12 we read "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.

What is this a reference to? As you know, from the time of the last of the Old Testament prophets to the New Testament, there was a period when God did not speak, when there was no revelation and that could be the reference. It is more likely that Amos is saying that a time will come before the end when there will be no prophesying like he is giving it to them at this time. They may not like his messages but there is something worse - no messages at all.

Verses 13 and 14 add that "In that day "the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst. Those who swear by the sin of Samaria - who say, 'As surely as your god lives, Dan,' or, 'As surely as the god of Beersheba lives' - they will fall, never to rise again." Israel was given over to false religion. They would even go all the way down to Beersheba to get it. Amos warns that it will do them no good, especially as the day of judgement approached Then they would see how useless it is.

Our situation is such that there is not a full famine of God's Word such has been the case in the past in this country and in others - where you cannot even get hold of a copy of God's Word - as is the case in Saudi Arabia or North Korea today. However, there is little reading of the Word, little interest in it. Preaching of the Word is despised. We ought to realise what a dangerous state that is when the Word of God is scarce. Yes, nobody enjoys being reminded of their sins or of the judgement but better that then no warning at all.

In Ukraine today they are hearing wailing sirens announcing bombing raids and the need to find shelter. Not pleasant at all. However, you would rather that, surely, than no sirens, no warnings. Let's be thankful for God's Word. Let's heed its warnings.

We are ripe for judgement. Let's not deny it. Are we ready?