Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20100627.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Amos: Heeding The Word Of The God Of The Whole World
Part XI: Our Great Need To Avoid Complacent Self-Sufficiency
(Amos 6:1-7)
  1. Introduction
    1. We all have heard of "the good life" that involves living a comfortable life free of material hardship.
    2. However, regardless what level of "ease" we enjoy materially, it is not to be the goal of the believer in Christ: like Jesus, "our meat" should be to do the will of God, and to finish His assignment, John 4:34.
    3. Amos 6:1-7 reveals this truth, and why it is so important, and we view it for our instruction today:
  2. Our Great Need To Avoid Complacent Self-Sufficiency, Amos 6:1-7.
    1. God pronounced a "Woe" on those in Mount Zion of Judah and on those on Mount Samaria in Israel who complacently felt secure, men upon whom others in Israel relied to guide their national affairs, Amos 6:1.
    2. Such a pronouncement of "Woe" was normally spoken as an expression of grief at the death of a party (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1441), so its use here implied a prophecy of certain death!
    3. Though Judah's sin is mentioned with Israel's sin in Amos 6:1, the text at Amos 6:2-7 returns to discuss the complacent self-sufficiency of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Ibid., p. 1442.
    4. To explain how a dire destiny was in store for Israel's leaders, God directed them to visit those cities that once saw themselves as secure in their material and physical greatness like Israel's men did, and to learn from their respective falls not to think that way, but to repent and trust in God, Ibid., p. 1442; Amos 6:2:
      1. Calneh and Hamath, city-states in northern Aram, had been overrun by the military campaign of Assyria's Shalmaneser III in 854-846 B. C. less than 100 years before this message (Ibid., p. 1426), and Gath in Philistia had been devastated in 815 B. C. by Hazael, king of Aram just over 50 years before.
      2. God told the complacent, self-sufficient leaders of Israel then to visit these cities and see that Israel was no more secure or even as large as these other nations that had suffered such devastation, so Israel as a nation could not escape falling to an invasion [under God's permissive will], Amos 6:2.
      3. Nevertheless, the self-reliant leaders of Israel "scornfully dismissed any thought of coming calamity," all while their actions were leading to a coming "reign of terror," Ibid., p. 1443; Amos 6:3.
      4. This reign of terror was fulfilled in the last years of Israel's history: in a 31-year time period between Jeroboam II and the Assyrian conquest, Israel had six kings, three of whom seized power by coups and assassinations, Ibid. It was an era of great fear and violence, typified in the 2 Kings 15:16 events; Ibid.
      5. This reveals that complacent self-sufficiency in leaders breeds a lack of vigilant responsibility in them that leads to a breakdown in law and order in the institutions they lead! No wonder God directed Israel's kings in Deuteronomy 17:18-20 to study Scripture daily to heed it and be blessed as leaders!
      6. Meanwhile, Israel's complacent, self-reliant leaders lived in careless irresponsibility, Amos 6:4-6a:
        1. They lay at night on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounged during the day on couches instead of responsibly getting up to work productively as overseers of the nation, Amos 6:4.
        2. At meals, they dined on the choicest meats, strummed harps to improvise new music while drinking wine by the bowlful and anointing themselves with fine lotions in a life of selfish ease, Am. 6:5-6a.
        3. Such complacent, irresponsible living foolishly ignored the coming ruin of the nation, a ruin to begin by a coming reign of terror and ending in a horrible invasion by Assyria, Amos 6:6b; 6:3.
      7. Consequently, these complacent, self-reliant men would be the first in their nation to go into devastating, humiliating exile in stark contrast to their past life of selfish ease, Amos 6:7!
Lesson: In turning complacently self-sufficient, Israel's leaders irresponsibly gave themselves to a life of selfish ease while not paying heed to Scripture and their duties to maintain law and order in the fear of the Lord. The result was an eventual reign of terror that ended in the fall of the nation in judgment.

Application: (1) May we heed God's Word and revere the Lord as our SOLE Source of sufficiency in ALL realms lest we fall prey to careless complacency that breeds moral decay, lawlessness and divine discipline. (2) If we see we are complacent or irresponsible, may we repent, return to Scripture input and apply it to get back to responsible living in the will and resulting blessing of the Lord!