The purpose of this lesson: To stress it takes a lot to make the God of grace angry, but when He is angry He has a just reason to be angry.
There are a few people that it takes a lot to make them angry. These are the people who are not easily provoked. Their tolerance of others is astounding! However, some get angry very quickly. They are easily provoked and quickly react with hot, negative emotions. There are still others who get angry and keep a sense of resentment for a long timetheir anger (which may have been a just provocation) poisons their future because they cannot forget what happened in the past. They simply cannot get past an injustice that occurred years before to see the present for what it is.
Anger is not an ungodly emotion if it is (1) just, (2) short-lived, and (3) not allowed to fester into ungodly emotions/reactions. Read Ephesians 4:26, 27 and James 1:19, 20. Human anger is often not godly because (1) it is not just but an emotional reaction, and (2) it lingers to produce forms of ungodly behavior or emotion. It is not the anger that is ungodly, but either the basis of the anger or the product of the anger that is ungodly.
One of the major injustices against God usually involves Gods anger. Those who misunderstand God and have little understanding of scripture often portray God as an angry, intolerant being who quickly, emotionally reacted to any human provocation or perceived injustice.
Gods anger often produces problems for unbelieving people. Commonly, the problem is the result of (1) assuming Gods anger was an unjust response, (2) failing to understand the human wickedness that surrounded the divine response, or (3) both.
Consider the situation Amos addressed as an illustration. Begin with the understanding that Israel started as a United Kingdom which included all the Israelite tribes. That United Kingdom ended with Solomons death because of Solomons idolatrous acts. When Solomons son, Rehoboam, made some critical mistakes in seeking to become King of the United Kingdom, ten of the Israelite tribes made Jeroboam king, established a new kingdom known as the Kingdom of Israel, and permanently separated themselves from the Kingdom of Judah.
Amos prophecy can serve as a good illustration. There were likely godly people who were victims of the wickedness of the majority. Undoubtedly, there were children and infants who were victims. Even until this day, the innocent suffer when people endure the consequences of the decisions and behavior of the wicked.
In this new kingdom that appointed Jeroboam as king, several things were true. (1) God promised to bless Jeroboam and establish his dynasty in that breakaway kingdom if he whole-heartedly followed God [1 Kings 11:30-40]. (2) Jeroboam, in fear, turned to idolatry and refused to trust God [1 Kings 12:25-33]. (3) From the time this kingdom began, there is no scriptural record of it ever instituting a religious reform to return to God. (4) In the kingdoms 200 plus year history as a kingdom, there is repeated declarations of the wickedness of the kings of this nation [as examples, 1 Kings 15:25, 26; 15:34; 16:7; 16:13; 16:25, 26; 16:30, 31; 22:52, 53; 2 Kings 10:29-31; 13:2, 11; 14:24.] (5) If it is assumed that Amos prophesied around 760 B.C., the wickedness and rebellion of the Kingdom of Israel lasted just over 160 years before Amos declared God would exact the consequences of the Kingdom of Israels wickedness. Though there were many past provocations in the Kingdom of Israel, never in those past provocations did God react as Amos declared was to come. Gods promised reaction was hardly a quick outburst of anger over a minor incident of injustice and rebellion!
The long-term wickedness of the Kingdom of Israel illustrates many things including (1) unrepentant wickedness can endure for so long that the consequences of evil are inescapable, (2) when the consequences of evil decisions/behavior occur, all suffer, and (3) evil can include self-indulgent neglect as well as ungodly behavior.
God had been patient for generations, and the Kingdom of Israel was not even aware of Gods patience. The Kingdom of Israel exploited Gods patience like someone who is delivered from an impossible indebtedness only to use their deliverance to produce a new impossible indebtedness. There was no appreciation of Gods patience, only an arrogance that increased the Kingdom of Israels self-indulgence.
Gods patience is not endless with a people who refuse to repent. Wickedness can persist to the point that even repentance will not eliminate consequences. The objective of repentance is improvement in the attitude and behavior of the person or people, not merely a declaration of I am sorry when the person sees consequences coming. Repentance is not a running from consequences, but a redirection of life.
Amos, in chapter 3, began to detail the reasons for God being infuriated. Chapter 3 only begins the reasons for Gods deep frustration with the Kingdom of Israel. This frustration does not mean there were no godly people in that kingdom (see 1 Kings 18:3, 4 and 19:18 as examples). It means the Kingdom of Israel was wicked as a kingdom in spite of the presence of some godly people. (Is it not frightening to understand that godly people can suffer as the result of the wickedness of the majority?)
The subject of this lesson is not intended to suggest these were the only things that frustrated God in regard to the Kingdom of Israel. Many things in Amos prophesy could be placed (properly) in a continuous examination of things they did to offend God. It is especially insightful to note that both self-indulgence and the neglect/exploitation of others are offensive to God.
Chapter 3 began with a series of rhetorical questions with obvious, predictable answers. The point: With an unusual relationship with God also comes unusual responsibilities. The fact these people in the past had a unique relationship with God meant they also had unique responsibilities. The fact such unusual responsibilities existed for them should be obvious! As a person had reason to fear when he heard a lion roar, the Kingdom of Israel had reason to be afraid when God was frustrated with them!
The objective of the rhetorical questions was to focus their attention on the undeniable truth of what Amos said. Self-justification was useless. If you acknowledge this is true, surely you have to admit that is also true. Amos was comparing the obvious to the obvious. Amos wanted the Kingdom of Israels offenses to be so obvious that they would not attempt to justify their behavior.
Thus God gave an invitation to the Philistines and the Egyptians to come watch what happens to those who offend God by (1) ignoring the needs of others and (2) trusting in the security they built.
This may have been done for one of two reasons. (1) God may have simply invited them to be witnesses. (2) Since each had a history that involved abusing and exploiting people, God was declaring this is what eventually happens to people who act in this manner.
God also could be saying to the Kingdom of Israel, Do not count on any other nation to rescue you.
Gods message to the Kingdom of Israel is this:
Note in these how unthinkable Amos warnings were in their situation of prosperity and political stability. In prosperous, stable times, a people facing danger usually are convinced they can buy their way out of danger or some divine or human force will come to our rescue. Amos declared neither would happen.
1. A superior enemy will surround you and make you powerless.
2. What you trust in as your protection and strength will not protect youyou will be looted as you powerlessly watch.
3. As a shepherd rescues pieces of a dead sheep to prove he did not steal the sheep, there will be nothing alive among you to rescue.
4. Your idolatry frustrates Me endlessly, and your false gods cannot protect their altars or you.
5. Your prosperous indulgence will not and cannot deliver youyour prosperity cannot buy your way out of My fury!
6. I, God, am telling you it is over!
This is a chilling rebuke for those who trust in themselves instead of the Creator God!
It is chilling to know that trust in us offends God. It is amazing to note that we become so acclimated to expressions of evil that we actually consider expressions of evil as expressions of good.
For Thought and Discussion
1. Give three reactions to anger found in groups of people.
2. What does one of the major injustices against God usually involve?
It often involves Gods anger.
3. When did the United Kingdom that included all the tribes of Israel end? Why?
The United Kingdom of the Jewish people ended at Solomons death. It ended because of Solomons idolatrous activity.
4. State five things that were true of the Kingdom of Israel.
1) God said if certain conditions of obedience were met He would be with Jeroboam and establish Jeroboams dynasty.
2) Jeroboam, in fear as King, turned to idolatry and refused to trust God.
3) There is no scriptural indication of a religious reform in the Kingdom of Israel declaring a desire to return to God.
4) There are repeated declarations of the wickedness of the kings of that kingdom.
5) It was around 160 years before their wickedness provoked God enough to deliver Amos message.
5. How long was God patient, not destroying the Kingdom of Israel?
Gods patience endured for generations.
6. Did Gods frustration mean there were not godly people in the Kingdom of Israel?
Explain your answer.
There is scriptural reason to believe there were godly people in the Kingdom of Israel. Add to the evidences cited the work of Elijah, Elisha, and Micaiah (1 Kings 22).
7. What should we today find frightening?
It should be frightening to understand that godly people can suffer as the result of the wickedness of the majority.
8. What was the point of the rhetorical questions in the opening of chapter 3?
Unusual relationship with God comes with unusual responsibility.
9. Give possible reasons the Philistines and Egyptians were invited to be witnesses.
a) They were simply invited to be witnesses.
b) They needed to learn (see) that ignoring the needs of others offended God and produced consequences.
c) They needed to learn (see) that trusting in the security they built offended God and produced consequences.
d) Perhaps, a declaration to Israel that their rescue would not come from other nations.
10. Give six statements of Gods message to the Kingdom of Israel.
1) A superior enemy would surround them and make them powerless.
2) When they trusted in their own protection and strength, they were actually powerless.
3) There would be nothing alive among them to rescue.
4) Their powerless idolatry frustrated God.
5) Their prosperous indulgence could not deliver them.
6) God said it was over!
11. Why should all find this rebuke chilling?
It is chilling to realize that trust in self instead of God offends God.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 5