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SUBJECT O T c'1 f 1V-(.A?!(t1S) ~ :::::> E.F-~'----- Amos 9:5-15 CLASSIFICATION: TEXT------EXPOSITORY "00 WE HA VE A FUTURE?" - -BIOGRAPHICAL TITLi::------TEXTUAL --TOPICAL SCRIPTURE READIN,------DEVOTIONAL

DELIVERIES: Date Hour Place Results and Comments: F.B.C. 09-18-96 WEDS. San Angelo, TX xxx+++ );

BIBLIOGRAPHY------£/3C. fA I

DO WE HAVE A FUTURE? Amos 9:5-15

(Sixth in a series of six messages on the book and prophecy of Amos)

A young man in a wheel chair, The Basis of Hope discouraged by his condition, asked his :5-7 physical therapist, "Do you think I have a future?" The therapist replied, "As a pole­ As Amos struck this positive note of vaulter, no! As a man, yes!" hope-, he firm) )( ooted this hope in God. Israel In light of the dire predictions of the could have hope, not because of who they prophet Amos, his contemporaries might have were but because of who God is. Hope was asked, "Do we have a future?" Amos replied, rooted in the sovereignty and the providence '' As a continuation of the way things are now, of God. no! As a remnant, sifted by the judgment of Amos highlighted od's sovereignty God and purified into a new people, yes!" by referring to Him as ' e ord Almighty," That was the word of (9: Sn. Then, he described hope with which Amos God's control over all concluded his prophecy Man's sinfulness cannot thwart creation. Reading this God's plan for man's description of God from the

--o - -- redemption. In the darkest of prophet Amos brings to mind times, the light of God's grace the declaration of the Psalmist: ' The heavens J breaks through to give us hope , Hope for the future. 8eclare the glory of God; the in the midst of utter despair skies proclaim the work of was the common prophetic His ands' (Ps. 19: . stance, because they spoke not from the Earlier in his prophecy, Amos perspective of man's problems but from the accented the sovereignty of God to confirm perspective of God's eternal plan. Man's God's ability to seek out those who might try sinfulness cannot thwart God's plan for man's to escape His judgmen (9: l-4.). Now, Amos redemption. In the darkest of times, the light focused on the sovereignty of God to confirm of God's grace breaks tbroug to give us hope God's ability to seek out those whom He for the future. wanted to preserve. Brian's Lines 14 November/December, 1995

Amos highlighted God's providence by The prop_het had already predicted describing His guiding hand, not just in the Israel would be taken into exile. Now, he history of Israel but in the history of other reveals that the exile will not result in the nations as well (2::7). He was the God of ~~*"'._.,,. oflsrael but in the dj5cjplioin2 of israel. Yes, agreed the prophet, but He is also srael. The exile will be a time of sifting out of 14 ...... _.~<.&.1111 ·he God of thf-Cushites (9:7). He brought which will come a purified Israel. Israel out of Egypt. Yes, agreed the prophet, Old Testament scholar Kyle Yates but He also brought "the Philistines from explains the meaning of the sieve. "At least ~Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir" (9:7). two types were used for sifting grain in This sovereign God who created and ancient times. One type allowed.the chaff to controls the world and by whose providence pass through, retaining the grain while another all nations are guided · s the foundation fo and permitted the grain to fall, keeping pebbles in the source of the prophet's message of hope. the sieve. A family, consisting of a father and mother and a young son and an even younger daughter, visited the Carlsbad Cavern on their - vacation. -while exploring the cavern on their Regardless of the method, the result is the guided tour, the guide turned out the lights to same: A remnant composed of the faithful show how dark it was beneath the surface of servants of God, is separated and spared from the earth. Out of the darkness came two destruction." sounds, the gasp of the little girl who was The idea of the .w:n,nant runs caught by surprise at the sudden darkness, and throughout the Old Testament. ~-- who the comforting words of her older brother, survived the flood in which all of mankind "Don't worry, §is, there's som~one here who was destroyed Gen. b) d !L,g,t who survived knows how to turn on the lights." the destruction of Sodom in which all the That was Amos' word to his inhabitants of the city were destroyed ?Gen. contemporaries in the shadow of his message 18) ere forerunners of the remnant idea. The of judgment. "Dark days are ahead," the idea of the remnant appears in Isajah 7·l and prophet declared. But then he added this word: is alluded to in God's assurance to Elijah that "Don't worry, there is someone here who 7,000 had remained faithful (LKings 19:17- knows how to tum on the lights." .!22· Perhaps the clearest expression of it is in :Zephaniah 2:3:_ " eek he ORD, all you he Instrument of Hope lfumble of the land, you who do what he 9:8-10 co ands. Seek rig teousness, seek humilit);'., perha s ou will be sheltered on the day of the lHow could srael have hope in the ace ORD's anger:." of the prophet's essage oi irrevocable Amos used the idea of the ~1~ to judgment? The prophet explained in verse 8. offer hope to Israel. u gmen will not be The message of judgment, "I will destroy it complete. Some of God's people will be from the face of the earth" is countered with spared, not because of their goodness but the message of hope: "Yet I will not totally because of God's grace. They will be the aestroy the house of Jacoli " nucleus of the future people o · God. Brian's Lines 15 November/December, 1995

God has repeatedly used small, rfhe glory of the future is further seemingly insignificant people to further His expressed with a series of hyperboles kingdom. symbolizing productivity, prosperity, and Gideon gathered 32,000 men to carry p ermanence. out God's assignment. God said, "You have What a vivid picture of{f) roductivity in too many men. ' Through a process of ;verse 13 I The land would be so productive elimination, God reduced Gideon's force from that the workers in the field would overlap 32,000 to 300 men. With that small group--a each other. One set of workers would still be remnant of the initial army--God delivered gathering in the harvest when the next set of Israel. workers began plowing for the next season Saul gathered him 3000 of the (9: 13). best troops of Israel to confront the What an inviting picture of prosperity Philistines. God chose not to use this army to in verse 141 This was the ancient version of win the victory. Instead, he sent out fonathan "a chicken in every pot and two cars in every and his armor bearer in one instance to defeat garage." Cities would be rebuilt. The the Philistines 1 Sam. 14 and Ue used young essentials of life would once more be enjoyed. David with his sling shot in another instance Life would once more be enjoyable. to conquer the Philistines (i Sam. 17). With What a comforting picture of those two individuals--a remnant of the larger permanence in ers 15 ! The exile would army--God delivered Israel. remove Israel from their land. However, the ffhat \.Vas Amos' word to his remnant would be restored to the lan "never contemporaries. Their hope for the future did again to be uprooted." not reside in their strength as a nation. Instead, What does this mean for us today? It their hope for the future rested in a remnant o reminds us of two basic truths. the people who would be protected and ~ Amos reminds us that '.IiQ..d. empowered by God. controls the future. "We don't know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future." That has become a cliche in our day. However, it became a cliche because it is true. This is God's world. He cr_eated it e controls As a result of God's grace and with the it. And, because of His control, He will bring aid of this remnant, Israel would be restored. it to His predetermined end. How could this future hope be visualized? Second, Amos reminds us that ~ Amos described the glory of the future by future is bright. "The future is as bright as the recalling the glory of the past. Israel thought promises of God." That has also become a of DaYid's rule as their time of greatest cliche in our day, for the same reason as the prosperity. Consequently, David became the cliche mentioned above, because it is true. symbol of greater things to come. The picture Our God is a God of grace. He created us. He of the throne of David being reestablished and loves us. And, because of His compassion, the land being restored would stir hope once He will eventually create an environment in more in the hearts of the people of Israel which we can enjoy all of the blessings for 9:1 l-l2). which He created us.