WHAT GOD DOES WHEN HE IS FED UP WITH OUR SINS

The God we serve is long-suffering. He will tolerate our sins for a period of time. There is a time when our continued sins will result in His punishment. Eyes have not seen nor ears heard all that God will do to those that disobey His commands. God loves us and wants the best for us and chastises those He loves.

Amos 2:4-8

The nation of Israel, having been released from slavery in Egypt kept their slave mentality. They spent 40 years wondering in the desert because of their slave mentality. The God who freed them, gave them laws and doctrines of freedom. As a nation they refused to keep God\’s commands and thus lost their freedom. God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham that the promise land would  be given to His descendants (Gen 17:7).

God made a conditional covenant with Nation Israel concerning their prosperity in the promise land. Their success in the land was conditional on their obedience to God\’s commands (Ex 19:5)

THE SINS OF ISRAEL

V:4. \” This is what the Lord says: \”For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]. Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed.\”

A. True freedom comes from following God\’s commands.
In the New and the Old Testaments, we have two great commands;

(1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.
(2) Love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus said if you love me, keep my commands. True freedom is in the love of Jesus. God is longsuffering, but He is not pleased with our sins.
The Israelites had been in the promise land for 700 years as free people. They were free, but still: imprisoned by their pagan beliefs, following their slave habits, disobeying God\’s commands.

At Mount Sinai, God gave the nation of Israel His law to govern them and His decrees  to worship Him.  God made a covenant with Israel that if they kept His commands and statues they would prosper. God promised if they did not keep his commands, He would punish them.
First, The Israelites rejected God\’s commands. The commands of God covered every aspect of Jewish life. They did not want to live under God\’s rules. Second, They did not keep God\’s decrees for worship. Instead of bring the unblemished animals for a sacrifice to the Lord, they brought the lame and the cripple. Instead of bringing the best to God, the Israelites brought the worst animals for sacrifice.Third, the Israelites worshipped idol gods. Instead of worshiping the creator, they worshipped things created by the creator. Instead of worshipping the true and living God, they worshipped the gods of their imagination. Instead of worshipping the God who has all power, they worshipped the gods who had no power. Instead of believing the truth, they believed a lie.

V:5. \” I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem.\”

The Temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem was constructed according God\’s specifications.  It was adorned with the best gold, silver and bronze. It was the place where God visited His priests in the Holy of Holiness. It was the place where all sacrifices to God was made. In 586 BC, the Temple was burned down, Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were taken into Babylonian captivity for 70 years.

1. Some of the blessings of God are conditional on our obedience.
2. The wrath of God is conditional on our disobedience.

Forth they sold their own people into slavery…

V:6. \” This is what the Lord says: \”For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]. They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.\”

Not only did Israel turn against God, they also turned against their own people. They forgot the pain of their 430 years of slavery and enslaved their own people. They had a slave mentality, and found reasons to enslave their own. When their own could not pay a debt, they sold them into slavery for silver. They violated God\’s command, because a debt was to be forgiven in the 7th year. Honest people who could be relied on for repayment, were sold into slavery. The poor went into debt to purchase a pair of sandals. When they couldn\’t pay this small amount, they were enslaved. The Israelites became hard hearted in the face of the generosity of the Father.

Fifth, they denied justice to the poor

V:7. \” They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.\”

The Israelites took advantage of the poor by denying them justice due according to God\’s commands; they showed no compassion for those in need.  As it is today the rich are in collusion with each other to deny human rights. According to the Adam Clark commentary, their judges were corrupt and took bribes to condemn the righteous.

Sixth, the violated God\’s covenant of Marriage

Marriage is the first divine institution of God. The woman was created to be the help mate of a man, to be loved and admired. Women were never intended to be prostitutes. They were never intended to be abused and misused. The men of Israel openly exposed their disrespect and disregard for God\’s commands by committing adultery and fornication with young women.  Fathers and sons had sex with the same women in direct violation to God\’s commands. Leaders of the community and fathers become poor role models, training up the next
generation of Israelites to be more violent and corrupt.

Seventh, they compounded sins

V:8. \” They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their
god they drink wine taken as fines.

The Israelites compounded their sins by finding new ways to displeased God. If a poor man\’s garment was taken in pledge, it was to be returned at sun down (Ex 22:25-27). In this text the term Man is the noun the word Poor is the adjective. modifying or qualifying the noun.  In other words this man is a child of God who happens to be poor.

They, the ancient Israelites, took the garment of a child of God who was under the covenant of God and laid on it in temple of their idol gods. In doing so they violated God\’s commands by worshipping idols and the rights of the children of God by keeping their garments. Therefore, God gave them over to their reprobate minds. God fed up with Israel\’s sinfulness announced through His prophets the judgment of Israel. Although, this passage in contexts speaks of Israel, it ultimately speaks to us as Christians today because the principles are the same:

Just as God made promises to Israel under the Law, God has made promises to us under Grace.
1. Promises of success are conditional on our obedience to God\’s commands.
2. God\’s judgment is based on our disobedience

OUR GREATEST FREEDOM IS IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD\’S COMMANDS

Rev. M. Mitchell, Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church