Living in a Drunk Stupor | Amos
By Rev. Jeremiah Cheung
From Amos 6:8-14
6:8 The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself—the Lord God Almighty declares: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it.”
9 If ten people are left in one house, they too will die. 10 And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn them asks anyone who might be hiding there, “Is anyone else with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will go on to say, “Hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”
11 For the Lord has given the command, and he will smash the great house into pieces and the small house into bits.
12 Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness— 13 you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar and say, “Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?”
14 For the Lord God Almighty declares, “I will stir up a nation against you, Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.”
The Chinese have a saying that translates to “thrive in calamity and perish in ease and pleasure.” It means that in an environment full of adversity, we would survive, but in a comfortable environment, we would perish. This sounds ironic but it is a very real situation.
Today’s passage once again established the reason for Israel’s downfall. The Israelites perished as a result of their comfortable lives because they had lived in a drunken stupor. They were not roused even when disaster was at their door. They were not stirred at all.
Amos 6:14 “For the Lord God Almighty declares, “I will stir up a nation against you, Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.” This referred to the Assyrian army’s coming, but they were oblivious to it, why? Do you remember what we saw in Amos 6:1-7? They were lounging in their ivory beds, feasting on choice lambs and fattened calves. They were strumming away on their harps and singing their time away, they were drinking wine by the bowlful and putting on the finest lotion; meanwhile, they did not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. That is why I say they were living in a drunken stupor.
Why did God use the Assyrian army to attack them? This passage tells us three reasons:
1. God abhorred them.
Amos 6:8 … “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it.” All their deeds vexed the Lord to the point of disgust. God could no longer tolerate them. True, the Lord is not easily angered, but that does not mean that He will never get angry. Can a righteous God be called a righteous God if he sees injustice yet does not get angry?
2. They had perverted the meaning of righteousness and justice.
Amos 6:12 “…but you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness.” Justice had become poison, and righteousness had become bitter. Poison and bitterness are both bitter things. Righteousness and justice are good and wonderful but they became bitter, because these people who were in authority actually corrupted righteousness and justice; should God not be angry?
3. Their boasting.
Amos 6:13 “you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar and say, “Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?” They really thought that it was by their own human strength that they had triumphed and conquered. They relied on their own strength instead of on the Lord who brought them out of Egypt into Canaan. Therefore, should the arrogant not be humbled?
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醉生夢死 | 阿摩司書
張國強牧師
阿摩司書 6:8-14
6:8 主耶和華萬軍之神指著自己起誓說, 我憎惡雅各的榮華, 厭棄他的宮殿; 因此, 我必將城和其中所有的, 都交付敵人。9 那時, 若在一房之內剩下十個人, 也都必死。10 死人的伯叔, 就是燒他屍首的,要將這屍首搬到房外, 問房屋內間的人說: 你那裡還有人沒有? 他必說:沒有, 又說: 不要作聲, 因為我們不可提耶和華的名。11 看哪, 耶和華出令, 大房就被攻破, 小屋就被打裂。12 馬豈能在崖石上奔跑, 人豈能在那裡用牛耕種呢? 你們卻使公平變為苦膽, 使公義的果子變為茵蔯。13 你們喜愛虛浮的事, 自誇說: 我們不是憑自己的力量取了角麼? 14 耶和華萬軍之神說, 以色列家阿, 我必興起一國攻擊你們,他們必欺壓你們, 從哈馬口直到亞拉巴的河。
我們中國有一句話 「生於憂患、死於安樂」。意思是在一個充滿患難的環境裡, 我們還可以生存下去, 但在一個安逸的環境下, 我們卻活不去了。這是非常諷剌的情況, 但卻又是非常真實的情況。
今天這段文就是再一次証明以色列人滅亡的原因, 他們真是死於安樂, 因為他們在醉生夢死裡面, 但他們完全沒有醒悟, 患難已經在面前, 他們沒有醒覺。6:14 耶和華萬軍之神說, 以色列家阿, 我必興起一國攻擊你們,他們必欺壓你們, 從哈馬口直到亞拉巴的河。這是指亞述的大軍要來了, 但他們卻不知不覺已啊, 為什麼呢? 你還記得在6:1-7所就的嗎? 他們躺臥在象牙床上, 他們喫群中的羊羔與棚裡的牛犢; 他們彈琴鼓瑟唱消閑的歌曲, 他們以大碗喝酒, 用上等的油抹身, 卻不為約瑟的苦難擔憂。所以我說他們是醉生夢死了。
為什麼神要用亞述大軍來攻擊他們呢? 這段經文告訴我們三個原因:
1. 神憎惡他們。
6:8 – 我憎惡雅各的榮華, 厭棄他的宮殿; 因此, 我必將城和其中所有的, 都交付敵人。以色列人所作所為已經達到神憎惡的程度, 神不能再容忍他們繼續下去, 神不會輕易發怒, 但不要說成神永不會發怒, 公義的神看見不公義的事而不發怒, 還能稱為公義的神嗎?
2. 他們將公平公義變了質。
6:12 – 你們卻使公平變為苦膽, 使公義的果子變為茵蔯。公平成為了苦膽, 公義成為了茵蔯; 苦膽與茵蔯都是非常苦的東西, 公平公義本來是良善的, 美好的, 但他們卻使人感到痛苦, 因為這群在上在權柄的人, 他們竟將公平公義變了質, 神能不發怒嗎？
3. 他們的自誇自大。
6:13 – 你們喜愛虛浮的事, 自誇說: 我們不是憑自己的力量取了角麼? 他們還以爲真是人力勝天, 他們要憑自己的力量而不倚靠那位帶他們出埃及進迦南的神, 豈不是自高的要降為卑嗎？