Amos: Chapter 9 Summary and Questions
Chapter 9 focuses on God's inescapable judgment. God is patient and kind, but he is also just. He will give the sinner many chances to change his ways. There will come a point when the line is crossed, and judgment begins. In Amos's last vision, he saw the Lord standing at the altar, overseeing the sentence pronounced against Israel. The doorpost is the structurally most substantial part of a house; when it is broken, the house will collapse. They could run, but they could not escape the judgment. They could dig into hell and climb to heaven. Go to the top of Carmel, or hide in the depths of the sea. Judgment would find them no matter where they went. "I will set my eyes on them for harm and not for good" (Amos 9: 4b).
It is important to remember who God is, what He has done, and what He will do. Verses 5-6 bring to mind who He is. He touches the earth, and it melts. He causes the rivers to swell and subside. He founded His strata in the earth. He calls the waters of the seas and pours them out on the earth. "The Lord is His name." God makes a list of sinful nations and places Israel on an even lower level. They are a wicked nation. The nations he names did not have the privileges of knowing God, but Israel was His chosen people, and they had turned their back on Him and went after other gods. They were without excuse. How horrifying to be called a sinful nation. He will destroy them from the face of the earth by allowing them to be spread throughout the nations, but only the sinners will die by the sword. He gave them chance upon chance to humble themselves and repent. They will be sifted, and the grain will be saved. Some still had not bowed a knee to Baal and would be saved. There is always a remnant. He will purify them and save the grain.
They were in covenant with God. Read Deuteronomy 28:15 and 63. This lays down the conditions of the covenant, which was serious. When we receive Christ as our Savior, we are also in covenant with God. We have access to God that did not exist in the Old Testament. The new covenant brings together all of God's work through history so that all have access to his saving power. "For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Through Christ's death and resurrection, we are completely forgiven of our sins. It was a sacrifice freely given. We have but to reach out and receive it. Romans 8:31b says, "If God is for us, who can stand against us?" Read Romans 8:31-39.
The transition from verse 10 to verse 11 is startling. It goes from judgment to restoration. God's heart is always set on salvation and restoration. David's Tabernacle was restored through Christ, and Edom and the Gentiles were included. "That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and the Gentiles that are called by my name, says the Lord who does this thing" (Amos 9: 12). The Northern Kingdom had rejected David's house and had chosen a leader who had led them into idolatry. The Messiah was the only hope of restoration. God would raise up the ruins and rebuild them. "Therefore, If anyone is in Christ , he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" ( 2 Corinthians 5:17). Israel and the Gentiles were brought in under Christ.
Verses 13-15 paint a picture of God's blessing. It is a picture of prosperity. God blesses beyond measure. The blessings overflow. God is a generous giver of blessings. He always outgives us, but we must continue to sow and reap when we walk through the valley as his church. We must be about the Father's work in good times and bad.
Questions:
1. Why is it appropriate for Israel's judgment to be made at the altar?
2. How does God proclaim His ability to carry out judgment in verses 2-4?
3. What does "I will set my eyes on them for harm and not for good" tell us about the issue God had with them? Look at Deut. 28.
4. How is God described in verses 5-6?
5. Who is the sinful nation in verse 8? What hope is given?
6. What will be done to the nation of Israel? Who will die by the sword?
7. What would be restored, and who would be added during the restoration?
8. How is the restoration described in verses 13-14?
9. What promise is given in verse 14?
10. How can Christians today apply the concepts in Amos 9 to life on a personal and international level?
