As we conclude our series learning from Amos, we notice a stark change of tone. Mostly severe for the first 8 1/2 chapters, the second half of Amos 9 is saturated with hope and mercy. Why this change? Did God change his mind? Or did he have a plan the entire time?
Fairness and Mercy
This morning we ask, “Does God’s judgment mean God is cruel?” As we’ve seen throughout Amos, God’s judgment is not cruelty; it is actually a form of his mercy. As CS Lewis wrote in The Great Divorce, “There are two types of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘Thy will be done.’ ” Which will you choose?
Seek the Lord and Live
“Seek me and live,” God tells his people in Amos 5. This morning we continue learning from the Old Testament prophet Amos, as we see that God’s deepest longing is that we would find life in following God, and that paradoxically, we gain the most when we give the most away.
A Severe Mercy
Sometimes God’s mercy takes an unexpected, even sharp, form. As we begin a four-week study of the Old Testament prophet Amos, we see this that God is not a doom-and-gloom masochist who delights in the groveling of his people, but a tender God who wants his people to live the most fully human and joyful lives possible.