NO WHERE ELSE TO RUN
1. Amos said a time was coming when people would mourn in the “broad ways” (verse 16).
2. That is, on public streets and in the cities people would be crying.
3. People in the vineyards (places of joy in the country, verse 17), would also be weeping.
4. The
heartache in
A. This must have shocked the people who heard it.
B. The people from this culture had professional mourners.
C. People would come to funerals and publicly grieve.
D. For some people this was a job.
E. Amos said there would so many funerals the professional mourners would be overwhelmed.
F. There would be so many funerals there wouldn’t be enough mourners.
G. The people would need to call in the vineyard owners to help with the funerals.
5. As our nation continues to reel from the events on September 11th this passage is amazingly relevant.
6.
7. New Yorkers have needed more resources than they had available.
8. We have seen a time of national calamity that has dwarfed everything else.
A. Our period of national grief and tragedy time is very similar to what is described in Amos 5.
B. The prophet illustrated things in his day and time with the information in verse 19.
C. Let’s think about what this verse describes.
9. Amos pictures a man who is being chased by a lion.
10. I suspect that the chance of escaping from a lion is pretty slim.
11. This man flees. He attempts to get to safety. Somehow he escapes from the lion.
12. Imagine the feelings that would go through the mind after escaping from a lion.
13. Anyone who has escaped from a lion probably sat down and thought about their narrow escape.
14. Escaping from a lion would be a tale that could be told for generations.
15. As this man is reflecting upon his escape from the lion, a bear appears.
16. Here is another predator that can destroy him.
17. The man is again in mortal danger so for a second time he tries to escape.
18. He sees a house; a place of safety. Here is a place to escape from the bear.
19. The man is able to enter into the house.
20. We can imagine how someone in this situation would slam the door shut.
21. Perhaps someone running from a bear would block the door and put extra protection at the windows.
22. Amos described a man who came close to death two times but somehow survived.
23. Snakes sometimes hide inside walls.
24. As this man was resting against a wall in the house Amos said that a snake appeared.
25. This snake bit the man who had gotten away from the lion and a bear.
26. This fascinating picture was designed to show Israel what she would experience.
A. God had punished Israel in different ways but she had not been destroyed.
B. Like the man fleeing from a lion and a bear, Israel thought she had escaped.
C. God brought punishments upon this nation bit Israel felt she had managed to scrape by.
D. God said a time was coming when she would no longer escape.
E. There was a snake in the wall (Assyria) and there would be no more getting away.
27. SINCE WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS WE DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY WITH CERTAINTY THAT GOD HAS CAUSED OR NOT CAUSED CERTAIN EVENTS TO HAPPEN.
A. We can, however, make some thoughtful observations.
B. We know that Israel was living in a way that displeased God.
C. Notice 5:12 15, 21-23.
D. The religion that was practiced in Israel was corrupt.
E. When the people went to church God didn’t pay attention.
F. He hated the worship His people offered.
G. Amos used a word that shows that the people’s singing was like a “wearisome noise.”
H. People offered worship but the worship annoyed God.
I. The lack of justice and righteousness in the land made Israel ripe for judgment.
J. According to Amos the people didn’t understand this.
K. The people of Israel thought God was with them.
L. Notice verse 14. (14b is the point to emphasize).
M. People said God was “with them” but this was not true.
28. In looking at this material we may make some direct parallels to America.
A. By in large most in this country have reasoned, “God is with us.”
B. God stands with, watches over, protects, and blesses our country.
C. Are we not the nation that has God’s name on our money?
D. Are we not the nation that boldly declares we are “one nation under God?”
E. Do we not have songs about “God bless America?”
F. By in large people feel that God is with our country.
G. The people in Israel also felt God was with them but this wasn’t true.
29. In this country we have been chased by the lion and the bear.
A. We have been subjected to bad weather, just like the nation of Israel.
B. That worried us for a time but that passed.
C. We had a federal building blown up in Oklahoma.
D. Like the man being chased by the lion that concerned people for a while.
E. With the passage of time people returned to their ways.
F. There were, by in large, no lasting changes.
G. We have seen several school shootings.
H. Like the man who escaped from the bear, Americans began to feel reassured.
I. Those in our country sensed danger for a little while but it passed.
J. The name Columbine is almost a distant memory.
30. Almost two weeks ago it wasn’t a lion and it wasn’t a bear.
31. This time the threat came from a hidden enemy.
32. A force attacked like a snake hidden in a wall and our nation was bitten. It was bitten hard.
33. Shortly after our nation was rocked by the attacks some religious leaders made some statements.
A. Pat Robertson, 48 hours after the attack, made some people very angry.
B. He said that Americans have pursued health, wealth, and pleasure.
C. He said our nation has pursued illicit sexual relationships and Internet pornography.
D. We like secularism, the occult, and have more than 30 million abortions a year.
E. Because of these sins and other things Mr. Robertson said God is lifting His hand of protection.
F. Without God’s protective hand we are exposed.
G. Mr. Robertson attributed the attacks to God.
H. Jerry Falwall went a little further.
I. He blamed the attacks on pagans, abortionists, feminists, homosexuals, the ACLU, and others.
J. Apparently Mr. Falwall received a call from the White House the following day.
K. It is reported that someone told him the President was not pleased with his remarks.
34. I looked at Mr. Falwall’s website.
35. I found that Mr. Falwall has apologized for singling out certain groups.
36. He did not, however, deny that the attacks are possibly associated with God.
A. We seem to have two extreme views being circulated about God and the attacks.
B. One view says God had nothing to do with it.
C. Evil men did it and God is completely out of the picture.
D. The other radical view says that the attack came from the hand of God.
E. When we look at the book of Amos we learn an important principle about God.
F. Perhaps the best way to demonstrate this principle is to use Jn. 2.
G. Do we remember the story of how Jesus turned water into wine?
H. This was a miracle.
I. However, this miracle used existing materials.
J. Jesus did not create new jars (water pots).
K. He did not use empty water pots to create the wine.
L. He used jars that were filled with water.
M. He took what was in existence and used it to accomplish His purpose.
N. How does God accomplish His will in our modern world?
O. The book of Amos teaches that He uses the things that exist.
P. In the days of Israel there was a nation that was aggressive.
Q. This nation (Assyria) wanted to punish and overcome Israel.
R. When God’s people would not turn to the right way God let Assyria fulfill its will.
37. In America what exists?
A. We have people who are willing to shoot others.
B. We have people who are willing to smash airplanes into buildings.
C. There are people who want to harass and terrorize people in this nation and other places.
D. Can God use these people who are evil to correct this nation and call it to repentance?
E. He has used aggressive and wicked people in the past to bring a nation to repentance.
F. There is no reason to conclude that He is incapable of doing the same right now.
G. Some say, “Were the recent acts of terrorism acts of God?”
H. This question is too broad and it is poorly worded.
I. God did not approve of terrorists killing thousands of others.
J. God did not personally send those terrorists to destroy lives and property.
K. Evil men did, however, turn this nation’s attention to God and spiritual concerns.
L. Think for a moment about what has happened in the last two weeks.
M. The president of our country has called this nation to prayer.
N. Our congress has called us to prayer.
O. State governors have told the people in their states to pray.
P. Our mayors have encouraged us to pray.
Q. Some of our most liberal media personalities have said it is time to pray.
R. About the only people left to ask us to pray is our supreme court.
38. Amos spoke of wailing in the streets and in the vineyards.
39. Americans can identify with that. To us this now makes perfect sense.
40. Around the world people are grieving with Americans.
41. Amos 5:14 says to our nation, seek good, not evil.
42. The prophet said, let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream (verse 24).
43. Imagine a rushing river that removes everything in its path.
44. This is what the prophet pictured.
45. He wanted justice to sweep through the land and the wickedness to be swept away.
46. After the river was gone there was to be righteousness, goodness, and true service to God.
47. Our nation can let the events of September 11th, 2001 be a river.
A. We can say that this country has drifted too far.
B. We have sinned. This country, by in large, has forsaken God.
C. We have ignored the one in whom we should trust.
D. We have trusted in our own strength, wisdom, and military might.
E. We now know and remember that true hope and protection are only available in God.
F. The events from two weeks ago should be a call to national repentance.
G. Let the government do its job of rooting out terrorism.
H. As individuals we must “seek God so we can live” (verse 14).
48. In addition to this we should thank God for His mercy.
A. One of the first thoughts that I had after hearing the initial reports was “God has been merciful.”
B. The part of the Pentagon that was hit was under construction.
C. There were a limited number of workers in that section.
D. Some of the construction had already been completed and this helped save many lives.
E. The loss of life in this structure was in the hundreds, not the thousands.
F. Some 50,000 people worked in the world trade center.
G. The loss of life in this area is being estimated at less than 7,000.
H. We didn’t lose 50,000 people.
I. We didn’t lose half that amount (25,000).
J. We lost a little more than 10%.
K. Every single life was important and the loss was tremendous.
L. The difference between 7,000 and 25,000 or 50,000 is surely proof of God’s mercy.
M. The
mercy of God is also seen in the resources we had in
49. God
has been merciful, and our nation has received, just like
50. Nothing is more important in life than seeking God.
51. Are we heeding that call?