The Lord Will Roar From Zion

Amos 1:2 ^(KJV) … The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

Why are we in the Book of Amos? Why are we in the Old Testament at all?

Because the Old Testament is the foundation of our New Testament. The Apostles and our Lord Jesus Christ quoted extensively from the Old Testament. Before there was a written “New Testament” the Bible was the Old Testament. The Old Testament is important – and very rarely read.

I heard a preacher once tell his congregation to “Turn to the Book of Hezekiah”. After listening to the pages rustle for a few minutes the preacher told the congregation that there is no Book of Hezekiah – Hezekiah was a King of Israel mentioned in 2 Kings which IS a book of the Scripture. Dr. Adrian Rogers once told His Church “If I asked you to turn to Phillips 66 some of you would try to go there!”

There is a Book of Amos. Go to the Psalms, the center of your Bible. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentation, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. If you hit Obadiah you have gone too far.

What is the Main Point of Amos?

1 God’s Word Is To Be HEARD and OBEYED, Or God’s Roar Will Come.

Amos 1:2 ^(KJV) … The LORD will roar from Zion…

God made us, created us in His image, and God knows what is best for us. God loves His creation. He loves every person. The Bible says:

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God offers His creation blessing – but blessing comes only through heeding and living by His Word. God is not asleep in the Heavens. He is aware of what we are doing, and God WILL JUDGE sin. Those who love and walk with God will be protected – but those who DO NOT will be judged.

I believe that America is headed toward judgment. I believe that a large part of the so called Church in America is headed toward judgment. But I believe that those who love the Lord and hear and obey His Word will be blessed while others shall be judged.

When you read the Old Testament you see nations who were destroyed because they turned away from the Word of God and to their own desires.

You see Adam and Eve cast out of Paradise because Adam received the word of the world over the Word of God.
You see Cain murdering his brother Abel because Abel followed the Word of God in worship, but Cain thought that his own feelings and desires were best.
You see God destroying a world by water, saving only Noah and his family, a few people who believed God’s Word.
You see Israel being denied the Promised Land because they rejected God’s Word to advance, whereas Caleb and Joshua entered the land and were blessed.
You see the shepherd David trusting in the Word of God, slaying Goliath, and eventually being advanced by God to become King in place of Saul – whereas Saul lost the Kingdom because he would not heed to Word of the King of Kings and Lord of Lord.
You see Lot leaving Sodom with his daughters while his wife becomes a pillar of salt, looking back, turning from God’s Word to the World’s woo.

I could go on and on for an hour, but you get the point. When we read the Old Testament we see when a people follow God’s Word they are blessed, but when they reject God’s Word they are cursed. To reject God’s Word is to bring God’s Judgment on us. But if we heed and live by His Word then we shall be blessed.

On Monday April 4^th 2016 the Tennessee State Senate voted 19-8 in favor of a bill to make the Bible the “Official Book of Tennessee”. Whether the Governor Bill Haslam will approve or veto the bill is yet to be determined. I admire our State Senate for attempting such a thing. Yet whether the Bill passes or not, the Bible is forever the Word of God. To heed and do God’s Word is to be blessed. To reject His Word is to be cursed. As Jesus said:

Matthew 7:24-27 (HCSB) Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!

Again, I admire our Senate for what it is trying to do.

Until each person regards the Bible as THE Word of God and acts appropriately there will be no widespread blessing, no light, no safety from the storm.

a The LORD Will Roar From Zion …. And Amos Heard Him And Was Not Afraid.

When God speaks to us, He speaks to us in a language we can understand. When He spoke to Amos, God spoke to Amos in a language he could understand. Amos was a HERDSMAN.

Amos 1:1 ^(KJV) The words of Amos, who was among the HERDSMEN of Tekoa …

A HERDSMAN is someone who farms SHEEP or CATTLE for a living. God called this simple but honest man out to stand up for Him and speak His Word. God calls each and every one of us to stand with Him, to hear His Word and be blessed. If you hear and apply the Word of God then you will be blessed. God uses the willing. The Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 1:28-29 ^(HCSB) … God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world — what is viewed as nothing — to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one can boast in His presence.

Anne Graham Lotz wrote in her book And We Are Changed:

“You may think you are ill equipped, but that is irrelevant. We are all ill equipped! He doesn’t need our equipment to take care of His business! We need His equipment, and the Bible declares emphatically that He has ‘given us everything we need for life and godliness’ (2 Peter 1:3).”

As a Shepherd Amos was acquainted with LIONS. When a LION roared it was a warning. The first words God tells Amos to utter is …

Amos 1:2 ^(KJV) … The LORD WILL roar from Zion …

When the LION roars the prey is frightened, but the lion cub is comforted. When the LORD roars the godless are disturbed, but those who love Him and walk with Him are at peace!

Hosea 11:10^(HCSB) They WILL follow the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west.

The Lord roars from Zion to call His children to Him, to call the faithful to walk with Him. But He also roars to warn the disobedient that He is coming to execute judgment against those who will not hear Him.

Adrian Rogers said “Hope” means certainty, but not just any certainty. When the Bible says “hope,” it means a rock-ribbed assurance with anticipation, based on the Word of God. When I was a little boy, my dad would take us out for a ride on Sunday afternoon. We kids would be in the back seat, getting into squabbles. If things got too heated, my dad would turn around and say, “When you boys get home, I’m going to whip you.” With my dad, I knew this was a rock-ribbed truth! We could anticipate it, but not with gladness!

Hebrews 10:31^(HCSB) It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

Amos didn’t have to worry about the Lion of Judah attacking him – he was walking with the Lord! If you’re a shepherd a lion is no threat if it is on your side.

The Lion of Judah was on Amos’ side because Amos was on the Lord’s side. Though many nations will fall in Amos’ time, he will be preserved.

Psalms 37:34-39 ^(HCSB) Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land. You will watch when the wicked are destroyed. 35 I have seen a wicked, violent man well-rooted like a flourishing native tree. 36 Then I passed by and noticed he was gone; I searched for him, but he could not be found. 37 Watch the blameless and observe the upright, for the man of peace will have a future. 38 But transgressors will all be eliminated; the future of the wicked will be destroyed. 39 THE SALVATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS FROM THE LORD, THEIR REFUGE IN A TIME OF DISTRESS.

2 What Does This Text Tell Us About The Roar Of God?

a It Is An Eternal Roar. “The LORD Will Roar From Zion”. Notice that the word LORD is all UPPER CASE. When you come across this in the King James Version this is the YHWH – Yahweh – the Eternal Name of God. When Moses asked God “Who shall I say has sent me?” the Lord replied:

Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Our God is the Eternal God, and His Word is the Eternal Word. What He has said is right is right yesterday, today, and forever. God’s Word does not fluctuate, but it endures. God calls people everywhere to salvation by faith in His Word.

1 Peter 1:23-25 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. [24] For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: [25] But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

b This Roar Is NOT Against Those Who Love The Lord. We read again:

Amos 1:2 ^(KJV) … The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem

Notice that God roars FROM Zion to the world – but “UTTERS HIS VOICE” – He speaks – FROM Jerusalem. God loves His children saved by faith. Jerusalem is an Old Testament picture of God’s Church, those Who love Him and who are loved by Him.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.

Isaiah 53:5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Those who love the Lord need not be fearful of His roar. His roar is against those who have rejected His Word. His roar is against those who have rejected His Grace.

c At The Roar Of The Lord “The Habitations Of The Shepherds Shall Mourn”. The false shepherds – those who twist the Word of God rather than speak the Word of God – shall be exposed. The Lord will roar from Zion. His Word will be heard!

There are false prophets who have not presented the Word of God but instead used His Word for their gain. The Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus’ day were of this sort. But there are many more besides who blaspheme God by twisting His Word.

I heard a “Television Preacher” say at a funeral “no matter what this good man believed, I know that he is united with his wife in Heaven”. Is that true? No. For Jesus has said:

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

I heard another preacher say “When we come together, we do not need to always speak about Jesus”. That is rot! I have to speak about Jesus. I have to hear about Jesus. A good Shepherd will always point to the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

d When The LORDs Roar Comes, Prosperity Will Cease.

Amos 1:2 ^(KJV) … The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

Economic ruin comes to the nation that hardens its conscience against God and His Word. With moral failure comes eventual financial collapse.

and the top of Carmel shall wither

The nations had been enjoying prosperity – they were on the golden mountaintop of Carmel – but now this would wither. God roars against six very powerful nations because of their crimes against humanity. What did they do?

Damascus (Modern day Syria 1:3) and Edom (1:11) had little regard for human life. They were merciless and cruel when they killed.
Gaza (1:6) and Tyre (1:9) treated people as property. They loved to trade slaves for profit, robbing others of their God given freedom.
Ammon (1:13) was guilty of not only aborting babies, but killing pregnant mothers.
Moab (2:1) burned the bones of the King of Edom and mixed them with lime. They mocked and dishonored the dead.

Each of these nations were guilty of crimes against humanity. They were no longer doing what God created nations to do!

God created nations and governments to protect those within its border so that every person can have the opportunity to be saved by faith in Him.

God destroyed the nations in Noah’s day because …

Genesis 6:5 ^(HCSB) … the LORD saw that man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time ..

these nations no longer existed to protect its citizens so they could freely consider God’s Grace. Because of that God wiped out all but eight souls. When Noah and his family got off the Ark God warned them – and warns us today –

Genesis 9:5-6 ^(HCSB) I will require the life of every animal and every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each man’s brother for a man’s life. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in His image.

God said “I made man in My image”. Man did not descend from a monkey. He was not an evolutionary quirk. We did not crawl from goo to good to the image of God.

We were made in God’s image by the God Who loves us.

America rose from obscurity to become one of the greatest superpowers in the world because – as a nation – we honored God. The American Revolution was fought by Christian men and women who believed that certain truths were self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness (Declaration of Independence). An honorable America fought in World War II to overthrow nations that were guilty of crimes against humanity. A Christian America stood against atheistic Communism and the murderous rule of the United Socialist Republic – the USSR. Only when this evil system toppled did we discover that in Stalin’s reign alone some 70 million people were murdered. From its founding America has led the way in being used of God, and we were blessed as a nation because the Bible says:

Proverbs 11:19 ^(HCSB) Genuine righteousness leads to life, but pursuing evil leads to death.

If God used America to overthrow nations that despised life, what nation will God now use to overthrow US, for do we not despise His Word?

3 Through Amos, God Is Calling His People To Be Light In The Midst Of Darkness. If you read Amos chapter 1 you hear the LORD roar against Damascus (1:3), Gaza (1:6), Tyre (1:9), Edom (1:11), and Ammon (1:13). In chapter 2 God speaks against Moab (2:1). As Amos preached against the six nations I’m sure the congregation was shouting and clapping. When he finished addressing the sixth nation I’m sure than many leaned forward, closed their Bibles, and started gathering up their possessions so they could get to the nearest Kosher Deli before the tables were all taken. But Amos wasn’t done. In Chapter 2:4-16 Amos addresses Judah and Israel, God’s Old Testament divided people. God told His people ….

Amos 2:10 ^(KJV)Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.

God has been good to us. He has been good to His Church. We have the blessings we have because we listen to our Lord, our Father, and the Holy Spirit of God. God said to His Judah:

Amos 2:4-5 ^(KJV) Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked: 5 But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.

We are saved by the Grace of God. But once saved, we are to follow the One Who saved us. Jesus declared:

John 14:14-15 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. [15] If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 15:9-10 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. [10] If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

Matthew 22:37-40 ^(HCSB) … Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.

Please stay on the right side of God’s Word. Hear and obey His Word, or He will roar!