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Pastor Nathaniel's Blog May 25, 2023
"God’s Care and Judgement X"
Last week Amos 3:11 talked about God addressing Israel's sins against their neighbors and fellow citizens. This week Amos 3:12 talks about God addressing Israel's sins against himself: "Thus says the LORD: 'As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel be taken out who dwell in Samaria - in the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch!'" (NKJV). This verse is quite complex, because it is filled with imagery of judgment that is tinged with compassion.
Here is the literal translation of Amos 3:12: "Thus says Yahweh, 'As the shepherd is rescuing from the mouth of the lion two shanks or a separated ear, thus the sons of Israel will be rescued: the ones sitting in Samaria in the edge of a couch, and the ones sitting in a Damascus divan.'" God claims that he will rescue Israel from danger - in this case, Samaria (the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel) and Damascus (the capital of Syria, Israel's most trusted ally). But God points out his rescue will be similar to that of a shepherd rescuing a sheep from a lion: even though the shepherd will fight valiantly for the sheep, the lion will devour the sheep and the shepherd will only succeed at saving pieces of the sheep. Basically, God will only be able to save a small portion of his people Israel - a remnant, if you will - while most will be destroyed.
The reason for this small redemption is hinted in verse 12: similar to sheep who sit or lie down where they're most comfortable, the people of Israel consider Samaria and Damascus their home rather than God. This is made clear in verse 14, where God identifies Israel's sins with "the altars of Bethel" and "the horns of the altar" - an indication that Israel was happy to worship God, just as long as it was on their terms instead of God's terms.
Friends, it is just as much a sin to not worship God, as it is to worship erroneous views of God or not trust in him altogether. Let's put our trust in God, rather than ourselves, others, or incorrect notions of God's character - because "thus says the Lord."
God bless,
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
