1 00:00:00,625 --> 00:00:03,825 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 2 00:00:05,725 --> 00:00:07,825 Amos does not mince words. 3 00:00:07,825 --> 00:00:11,225 He does not hold back and for good reason. 4 00:00:11,425 --> 00:00:16,525 The very first words of his prophetic act come in Amos chapter 1, 5 00:00:16,525 --> 00:00:17,425 verse 2. 6 00:00:17,625 --> 00:00:25,825 Yahweh, Roars from Zion, Amos will not let Yahweh's roar go unnoticed. 7 00:00:26,025 --> 00:00:32,125 In fact, he asks does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey. 8 00:00:32,825 --> 00:00:35,325 Well, certainly not and Yahweh is 9 00:00:35,525 --> 00:00:41,425 roaring like a lion because he has his eye on Israel who stands in 10 00:00:41,425 --> 00:00:43,625 need of repentance. 11 00:00:44,325 --> 00:00:51,625 So again, Amos says a lion has roared who should not be terrified. 12 00:00:51,925 --> 00:00:52,525 The Lord 13 00:00:52,525 --> 00:00:56,625 Yahweh has spoken who cannot but prophesy. 14 00:00:57,625 --> 00:01:04,325 Here Amos stands, he can do no other than to open his mouth and sound 15 00:01:04,325 --> 00:01:04,925 forth 16 00:01:04,925 --> 00:01:08,125 the lion's roar. To sound forth 17 00:01:08,225 --> 00:01:10,925 Yahweh's call to repentance. 18 00:01:11,625 --> 00:01:12,925 You just heard it today. 19 00:01:13,625 --> 00:01:16,925 The roaring voice of Yahweh through his prophet 20 00:01:16,925 --> 00:01:17,225 Amos 21 00:01:17,225 --> 00:01:21,225 is this seek Yahweh and live. 22 00:01:22,325 --> 00:01:28,125 It's a word that Amos needs to shout because it is not Yahweh, that 23 00:01:28,125 --> 00:01:29,725 8th Century BC. 24 00:01:29,725 --> 00:01:34,825 Israel is seeking after. If they were seeking Yahweh 25 00:01:35,225 --> 00:01:37,925 they would not have turned justice into 26 00:01:37,925 --> 00:01:42,925 wormwood nor would they have thrown righteousness down to the ground. 27 00:01:44,125 --> 00:01:51,725 Yahweh's Justice is good and lovely, but they have perverted Justice 28 00:01:52,125 --> 00:01:54,325 and thrown it down to the ground 29 00:01:54,325 --> 00:01:57,225 making it bitter and repulsive. 30 00:01:57,925 --> 00:01:58,525 Yahweh's 31 00:01:58,525 --> 00:02:02,425 righteousness, makes you stand up in his presence. 32 00:02:03,625 --> 00:02:08,825 But Israel has thrown justice down to the ground where the wormwood 33 00:02:08,825 --> 00:02:09,625 grows. 34 00:02:10,925 --> 00:02:11,425 Amos 35 00:02:11,425 --> 00:02:16,625 hears the Roaring voice of the lion and so he cannot be silent. 36 00:02:16,925 --> 00:02:19,725 He calls Israel to repentance. 37 00:02:21,425 --> 00:02:27,725 And yet sinners are proud enough that they fashioned themselves to be 38 00:02:27,825 --> 00:02:29,425 lion tamers. 39 00:02:30,425 --> 00:02:37,525 Surely Amos his call to repentance isn't for me, right after all, he 40 00:02:37,525 --> 00:02:41,625 cries out against those, who trample on the poor by putting a heavy 41 00:02:41,625 --> 00:02:46,525 tax on them, so that they might have elaborate homes built out of hewn 42 00:02:46,525 --> 00:02:47,525 stone. 43 00:02:48,325 --> 00:02:53,125 It doesn't apply to me because after all I don't make any tax laws, 44 00:02:53,725 --> 00:02:56,625 that's what comes out of the swamp. 45 00:02:56,625 --> 00:02:58,125 That's what the problem is. 46 00:02:59,125 --> 00:03:03,825 And how about how Amos nails those who take a bribe 47 00:03:03,925 --> 00:03:06,125 while thrusting away the needy. 48 00:03:06,425 --> 00:03:11,725 Now, that sounds more like the condemnation of the politicians and not 49 00:03:11,725 --> 00:03:17,225 only am I not a politician but I like how this is playing out. 50 00:03:17,625 --> 00:03:17,925 Go 51 00:03:18,125 --> 00:03:20,525 get them Amos nail 52 00:03:20,525 --> 00:03:21,725 the politicians 53 00:03:21,725 --> 00:03:23,725 it's all their fault. 54 00:03:25,325 --> 00:03:31,725 And so I a poor miserable sinner am taken with hubris. 55 00:03:32,925 --> 00:03:40,225 Making myself to be a lion tamer, taking that roaring voice of Yahweh 56 00:03:40,825 --> 00:03:45,625 and turning it into a soft little meow within my ear. 57 00:03:47,125 --> 00:03:50,625 But Yahweh will not be tamed. 58 00:03:51,225 --> 00:03:55,225 Amos's call to repentance is meant for all. 59 00:03:56,025 --> 00:04:00,425 You cannot dodge the shame of the poor being exploited 60 00:04:00,425 --> 00:04:03,325 by pushing it off, on the swamp. 61 00:04:04,125 --> 00:04:07,025 Ours is a corporate shame. 62 00:04:07,925 --> 00:04:14,425 Amos's fellow 8th Century prophet, Isaiah famously says, woe is me 63 00:04:14,525 --> 00:04:20,425 for I am a man who lives among a people of unclean lips. 64 00:04:21,825 --> 00:04:27,925 And faithful, humble lips among us will say, woe is me for, I live 65 00:04:27,925 --> 00:04:31,325 among a people who exploit the vulnerable. 66 00:04:33,025 --> 00:04:36,125 Yet, our shame is not only corporate. 67 00:04:36,525 --> 00:04:39,725 It's also individual and personal as well. 68 00:04:40,725 --> 00:04:46,125 Listen again to that roaring voice of the lion delivered by Amos. Seek 69 00:04:46,125 --> 00:04:49,725 good and not evil, so that you may live. 70 00:04:50,725 --> 00:04:55,625 You cannot claim to be seeking Yahweh when you are not seeking good. 71 00:04:56,225 --> 00:05:02,325 After all, it is Yahweh who has ordered his creation to be good. To 72 00:05:02,325 --> 00:05:02,625 seek 73 00:05:02,825 --> 00:05:08,425 evil, instead of good is to set yourself up against the very fabric of 74 00:05:08,425 --> 00:05:11,125 what Yahweh himself has created. 75 00:05:12,325 --> 00:05:16,725 It's not good to give excuses for this fallen world. 76 00:05:17,725 --> 00:05:24,525 It is not good to simply point the finger of blame at others, rather 77 00:05:24,525 --> 00:05:29,825 than seeking the good so that you do good for others. 78 00:05:31,625 --> 00:05:34,725 Can you hear the lion roaring? 79 00:05:36,525 --> 00:05:43,025 Listen, a little bit closer because he roars with promise. 80 00:05:44,825 --> 00:05:52,525 Seek good and not evil so that you may live and then it will be so. 81 00:05:52,625 --> 00:05:53,625 Yahweh. 82 00:05:53,725 --> 00:05:56,725 God of Sabbath will be with you. 83 00:05:58,125 --> 00:06:03,925 Yahweh, most certainly is with you in all his goodness. 84 00:06:05,925 --> 00:06:07,625 Good teacher. 85 00:06:08,025 --> 00:06:11,525 What must I do in order to inherit eternal life? 86 00:06:13,125 --> 00:06:13,925 Why do you call me 87 00:06:13,925 --> 00:06:16,325 good? There is none 88 00:06:16,325 --> 00:06:17,225 who is good 89 00:06:17,225 --> 00:06:18,925 except God alone. 90 00:06:20,425 --> 00:06:22,025 Do you hear what the lion is saying? 91 00:06:22,925 --> 00:06:25,325 He calls the rich man to sell 92 00:06:25,325 --> 00:06:29,625 all he has give it to the poor and follow him. 93 00:06:30,425 --> 00:06:36,525 He calls him, not simply to bemoan the lack of good among others. 94 00:06:37,425 --> 00:06:39,925 He calls him to do, good. 95 00:06:41,125 --> 00:06:43,425 But the rich man was not that good 96 00:06:43,625 --> 00:06:46,025 and so, he walks away sorrowful. 97 00:06:47,525 --> 00:06:50,725 But Jesus is good. 98 00:06:51,325 --> 00:06:53,925 He is good incarnate. 99 00:06:54,625 --> 00:06:56,425 So he gives up everything. 100 00:06:56,825 --> 00:07:01,625 Gives up all of his Justice, his righteousness and he gives it to the 101 00:07:01,625 --> 00:07:04,725 poor. Poor miserable 102 00:07:04,725 --> 00:07:08,225 lion tamers who have tried to soften his voice. 103 00:07:09,425 --> 00:07:15,225 To such poor ones, the lion continues to speak and for them 104 00:07:15,425 --> 00:07:21,725 the lion gives up all that he has, so that they might have all 105 00:07:21,725 --> 00:07:23,125 that is his 106 00:07:24,225 --> 00:07:28,125 They have good, they have Jesus. 107 00:07:29,325 --> 00:07:33,525 It is as the lion promises roaring through his Prophet. 108 00:07:33,525 --> 00:07:39,525 Amos hate evil and love good and establish justice in the gate. 109 00:07:39,625 --> 00:07:40,425 Perhaps 110 00:07:40,425 --> 00:07:41,225 Yahweh 111 00:07:41,325 --> 00:07:46,825 God of Sabbath will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. 112 00:07:47,725 --> 00:07:50,825 Justice is found only where there is good. 113 00:07:51,725 --> 00:07:53,325 Only in Jesus. 114 00:07:53,925 --> 00:08:01,225 Who does justice for you. Only in Jesus, who is gracious to you. 115 00:08:02,625 --> 00:08:05,725 Now this good promise is found in Amos 116 00:08:05,725 --> 00:08:08,225 Chapter 5 verses 14 and 15. 117 00:08:08,625 --> 00:08:13,625 Which happens to be the very center of Amos's prophetic work. 118 00:08:14,125 --> 00:08:20,225 There are one thousand and nine words before chapter 5, verse 14. 119 00:08:20,325 --> 00:08:25,225 And there are one thousand and six words after chapter 5 verse 15. 120 00:08:25,725 --> 00:08:31,425 Now you blessed students of Hebrew, poetry ought to really get excited 121 00:08:31,525 --> 00:08:32,125 about that. 122 00:08:32,925 --> 00:08:36,225 Because you can appreciate how these words are at 123 00:08:36,225 --> 00:08:42,225 the very heart of Amos's prophetic work. Revealing, the very heart of 124 00:08:42,225 --> 00:08:42,925 this book. 125 00:08:42,925 --> 00:08:48,725 Revealing the very heart of the roaring lion. Hear 126 00:08:48,725 --> 00:08:56,225 now, as the voice of the lion roars, forth seek good, that you may 127 00:08:56,225 --> 00:08:57,125 live. 128 00:08:57,125 --> 00:08:57,825 Yahweh 129 00:08:57,825 --> 00:09:00,525 God of seba oath will be with you. 130 00:09:01,425 --> 00:09:04,325 Hate evil and love good. 131 00:09:04,525 --> 00:09:05,325 Yahweh, 132 00:09:05,725 --> 00:09:11,725 God of Sabbath will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. 133 00:09:13,125 --> 00:09:21,625 There is but one who is good and he gives you his good, his justice, 134 00:09:22,125 --> 00:09:26,825 his righteousness, his very self. 135 00:09:28,025 --> 00:09:32,925 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.