Do Not Fall From Grace | Amos
by Rev. Jeremiah Cheung
From Amos 2:4-16
2:4 This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent. 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, 5 I will send fire on Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem.”
2:6 This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent. They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. 7 They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. 8 They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.
9 “Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below. 10 I brought you up out of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness to give you the land of the Amorites.
11 “I also raised up prophets from among your children and Nazirites from among your youths. Is this not true, people of Israel?” declares the Lord. 12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.
13 “Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain. 14 The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life. 15 The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his life. 16 Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.
In Amos 1:1-2:3, the Lord pronounced the judgments that will come upon six Gentile nations through the prophet Amos. These nations are: Damascus, Philistine, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab. And then the Lord pronounced judgment on Judah and Israel. The pattern by which the judgments are pronounced is similar: First. ‘This is what the Lord says’. Second. ‘For three sins and four (sinned again and again)’; Third. ‘Because (declared the sins committed)’; Fourth. ‘I will send fire’ (God’s plan); Fifth. ‘Declares the Lord’.
Despite the similarities, there is one noteworthy difference in the way the Lord judged their sins.
- In declaring judgment upon Judah, He says in Amos 2:4 that Judah deserved judgment “because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept His decrees.” The Lord specifically pointed out their rejection of His laws and decrees.
- In pronouncing the judgment for Israel, the Lord says in Amos 2:10, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness to give you the land of the Amorites.” The Lord mentioned specifically the story of their exodus from Egypt and their entry into Canaan.
The first six Gentile nations did not have the law of God and they have no story of being led out of Egypt and entering Canaan. Judah and Israel were nations that had specifically experienced the grace of God yet they fell from grace, thus, God’s judgment was coming upon them.
When we think about what the prophet had said, we see that their sins cover five (5) aspects: idolatry, oppression of the poor, fornication, violation of the Law, and defying God’s command given through the prophet. These five aspects of sin tell us that they did not regard God as God, and that they have fallen from His grace. As a result, there was a more terrifying judgment from God. In Amos 2:14-15, the Bible declared six (6) judgments: the swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, the warrior will not save his life, the archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed cannot get away, and the horseman will not save his own life. This tells us that no matter how powerful we or our methods may be, we cannot escape God’s judgment. Their end is described in Amos 2:16 “Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.
Church, may we not fall from grace. The Lord has given us so much and He will ask as much from us. Let us turn back now!
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不要在恩中墜落 | 阿摩司書
張國強牧師
阿摩司書 2:4-16
2:4 耶和華如此說: 猶大人三番四次地犯罪, 我必不免去他們的刑罰,因為他們厭棄耶和華的訓誨, 不遵守他的律例; 他們列祖所隨從虛假的偶像使他們走迷了。5 我卻要降火在猶大, 燒滅耶路撒冷的宮殿。
6 耶和華如此說: 以色列人三番四次的犯罪, 我必不免去他們的刑罰, 因他們為銀子賣了義人, 為一雙鞋賣了窮人。7 他們見窮人頭上所蒙的灰也都垂涎, 阻礙謙卑人的道路, 父子同一個女子行淫, 褻瀆我的聖名; 8 他們在各壇旁鋪人所當的衣服, 臥在其上, 又在他們神的廟中, 喝受罰之人的酒。
9 我從以色列人面前除滅亞摩利人。他雖高大如香柏樹, 堅固如橡樹, 我卻上滅他的果子, 下絕他的根本。10 我也將你們從埃及地領上來, 在曠野引導你們四十年, 使你們得亞摩利人之地為業。
11 我從你們子弟中興起先知, 又從你們少年人中興起拿細耳人。以色列人哪, 不是這樣麼? 這是耶和華說的。12 你們卻給拿細耳人酒喝, 囑咐先知說: 不要說預言。
13 看哪! 在你們所住之地, 我必壓你們, 如同裝滿禾捆的車壓物一樣。14 快跑的不能逃脫, 有力的不能用力, 剛勇的也不能自救。15 拿弓的不能站立, 腿快的不能逃脫, 騎馬的也不能自救。16 到那日, 勇士中最有膽量的, 必赤身逃跑, 這是耶和華說的。
神藉著先知阿摩司書在1:1-2:3先宣告六個外邦國家要受的審判, 她們分別為:大馬士革、非利士、推羅、以東、亞捫與摩押這六個國家。然後神就向猶大與以色列宣告審判, 宣告的模式也是很相同的: 第一.耶和華如此說; 第二. 他三番四次的犯罪; 第三.因為他(宣告罪行); 第四.我必降火(神的安排); 第五.這是耶和華說的。
但我們要注意一件事, 神向他們宣告罪行的時候卻有一點不同, 宣告審判猶大的時候, 2:4因為他們厭棄耶和華的訓誨, 不遵守他的律例。神特別提出他們厭棄耶和華的訓誨與律例。宣告審判以色列的時候, 2:10 我也將你們從埃及地領上來, 在曠野引導你們四十年, 使你們得亞摩利人之地為業。神特別提出他們出埃及與進迦南的故事。前面六個外邦國家沒有神的律法, 也沒有出埃及入迦南地的故事可以講的, 因為猶大與以色列是特別蒙恩的國家, 但他們卻在恩中墜落了, 所以神的審判要臨到他們。
當我們再思想先知所說的, 他們的罪可以包括五方面: 1.拜偶像 2.欺壓貧窮 3.淫亂 4.違背律法的規定 5.藐視神藉先知的命令。這五方面的罪告訴我們, 他們不以神為神, 他們在神的恩中墜落了。結果有來了神更可怕的審判。2:14-15, 聖經提出了六方面的審判 A.快跑的不能逃脫 B.有力的不能用力C.剛勇的也不能自救。D.拿弓的不能站立E.腿快的不能逃脫F.騎馬的也不能自救。這告訴我們無論怎樣有能力有方法都不能脫離神的審判, 結果是2:16 到那日, 勇士中最有膽量的, 必赤身逃跑, 這是耶和華說的。
教會, 不要在恩中墜落, 神給的多, 祂要求的也多, 快回頭吧!