Overcoming The lion has roared; who will not fear? Indifference - PDF document

2019-11-12 God’s Passion for Justice God’s Passion for Justice Overcoming The lion has roared; who will not fear? Indifference The Lord God has With Action spoken; who can but prophesy? Amos 6:1-8 Alas for those who are at ease in Zion, and for those who feel We’re secure on Mount Samaria, the Number notables of the first of the nations, One to whom the house of Israel resorts! Boasting in Their Position Cross over to Calneh, and see; from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. • They are ‘first of the nations’ (v1) Are you better than these • They are ‘better than their kingdoms? Or is your territory neighbour’ (v2) greater than their territory, O you that put far away the evil day, and • No one compares with them bring near a reign of violence? • A national arrogance

2019-11-12 Reveling in Ease & Arrogance • ‘At ease in Zion’ (v1) • ‘Feel secure on Mount Samaria’ (v2) • Better than the rest (v2b) • Affluence, comfort, hedonism The Temptation Pride in Defence & Achievement • Tendency to boast in ourselves • ‘Secure on Mount Samaria’ • Egocentric arrogance • Territorial extent of the nation (v2) • Trusting in self and personal • A belief in their own ‘manifest achievement rather than God destiny’ Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and The calves from the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and Prophetic like David improvise on Critique instruments of music; who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils,

2019-11-12 Individual Affluence • Lifestyle of luxury and ease but are not grieved over the ruin of • Seven verbs: lie, lounge, eat, sing, Joseph! Therefore they shall now improvise, drink, anoint be the first to go into exile, and the • Luxury seen in ivory, eating lambs, revelry of the loungers shall pass idle pleasure, wine by the bowl, away. finest oils • A party atmosphere – ‘revelry of the loungers’ Social Indifference Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, • Not grieved over the ruin of Joseph’ Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring • Oppression of the poor righteousness to the ground! • Indifference to the needs of others Wormwood = bitterness, grief The Nation Will Be Judged The Problem of Indifference • The result is judgement by God • Only concerned with our own reality • The first to go into exile (v7 bookends v1) • Ignore the needs of others • Story of the rich man and Lazarus • ‘I will deliver up the city’ (Luke 16:19-31) • But the people do not want to • Simply a concern for amusement hear of decline

2019-11-12 The Message • To those with a relatively high standard of living - not to be So What? indifferent to the needs of others • Not a time for pious words From Indifference Live With to Action • Live in dependence upon and in • Rouse ourselves to heal, feed, relationship with God clothe • Be active in God’s Kingdom • To bring shalom where there is • The humility of servanthood no shalom I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, other-centered men can build up.