We come now to Amos’ final words, and we are finally relieved to find that they are not words of judgment but of hope and promise. Nothing has changed on the part of the people. It’s not as if he saw some spark of interest in their eyes. In fact, we would not be surprised to find that many of the members of the original audience back in their homes, no longer listening to the rambling prophet.
Regardless, this nation full of hypocritical worshippers will, once again, find grace in the eyes of the Lord. The judgment of exile that we considered last week would be followed by a day of restoration for God’s true people.
Amos 9:11–15
What would have been left of Amos’ audience after hearing the words and visions of judgment? Imagine their indifference or anger about what has been said. Those who had tried to tune him out, might have perked up at the language of the conclusion.
How could this book end with good news?
It catches all of us a bit off guard. And maybe that’s the point. Maybe hearing the glorious promise of the conclusion would cause them to return to the beginning of his prophetic word and take everything else a bit more to heart.
In the end, only the remnant that we considered last week would turn to God in faith and repentance:
Amos 9:8
Those who would survive the judgment had this incredible promise to encourage them to persevere during the exile. For them, this promise was something they looked forward to in the future. For us, this is a promise that is being fulfilled presently, but also awaits a full and final consummation at the Lord’s return.
David’s greater Son has established a greater kingdom that will enjoy an everlasting abundance of blessings.
1. An Expanded Kingdom (11-12)
2. An Abundant Kingdom (13-14)
3. An Everlasting Kingdom (15)
1. An Expanded Kingdom (11-12)
Although the exile will send the dynasty of David into chaos and ruin, the Lord will raise it up and rebuild it:
Amos 9:11
“Booth” refers to a dwelling place, but it is a simple structure. This is what Jacob built for his livestock after building his own house (Gen. 33:17). It’s what Jonah built for himself when he was pouting over Nineveh’s repentance (Jonah 4:5). It is the temporary structure the people were to live in during the 7 day Festival of Booths (Lev. 23:34).
Booths provide shade and shelter, but they are temporary and point to their wilderness wandering (similar context to their scattered existence in exile). In other words, the Lord is saying he will start over with his people. He will bring them back to the status they had with him under David’s reign.
But even more than being reconstructed, the kingdom will also be expanded:
Amos 9:12
Remember Edom? There were one of the long-standing enemies which neighbored Israel. They were one of the nations Amos pointed out when he began his message of judgment (Amos 1:11-12).
David was the only king to conquer Edom (2 Sam. 8:14). Because of this, Edom became a symbol throughout prophetic literature of the comprehensive reign of the future messiah.
Edom is representative of the defeated nations, but Amos declares there will be a “remnant” among them! And not only among Edom, but “all the nations who are called by my name.” The Lord is going to ensure that the promises he gave to Abraham are fulfilled in this restored kingdom.
This future son of David (Matt 1:1) will take possession of a heritage that will include all the nations (Psalm 2:8). In Him would be fulfilled the promise given to Abraham, “you shall be the father of a multitude of nations” (Gen. 17:4-5).
At the Jerusalem council, James quotes this passage to speak of the expansion of the kingdom to include Gentiles.
Acts 15:13–15
Notice what he makes obvious about Edom in his quote:
Acts 15:16–18
“Edom” is replaced with “mankind”. James makes it absolutely clear that what they were seeing with the conversion of Gentiles is the fulfillment of Amos 9:11-12.
And that work remains ongoing until John’s vision comes to fruition in the new heavens and new earth:
Revelation 5:9–10
This is the hope of our mission work around the world. Our work will not be in vain because we know a remnant of God’s chosen people exists among every people group.
› An expanded kingdom often means a thinning out of the resources. This kingdom, however, will experience an increase. It will be…
2. An Abundant Kingdom (13-14)
Amos 9:13
While the previous harvest is still underway, the plowman are ready to begin their work of turning up the soil for another. The one treading out the grapes, making wine, will continue to do so when the season of planting seeds comes around again. Essentially, the people will be unable to keep up with the overflow of crops.
Douglas Stuart helpfully points out the practical experience of this blessing that is being described.
Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 31: Hosea–Jonah Comment
Barley and wheat are ripe in Palestine by early May; grapes by early September. Ploughing begins in October, followed immediately by sowing. These times will virtually blend together in the almost constant harvesting of the eschatological age, restoring the original promise of such bounty (cf. Lev 26:5, on which this wording is perhaps based).
The abundance of blessings will surpass the garden of Eden. The consequences of the Fall will be reversed.
Not only would there be an abundance to gather, but the people will also be in a position to enjoy the fruit.
Amos 9:14
This is a description of the reversal of the curses upon the land Amos had described earlier (Amos 5:11).
Because of the spiritual damage of the Fall, physical famines as well as harvests were used to picture the spiritual poverty or strength of God’s people. Therefore, the abundance that God’s people will enjoy is much greater than the blessings of a large harvest.
The land cooperating with the people testifies of a God who is no longer at enmity with them. Not only are they now at peace, but there is forgiveness, reconciliation, and provision.
One of the most impressive displays of reconciliation I’ve read is when Louis Zamperini, the WWII prisoner of war and survivor (the subject of Unbroken), had an opportunity to meet his prison guards, many of whom were serving sentences in prison for their war crimes.
Five years after the war, Zamperini was saved and began visiting the these guards who had tortured him. His display of forgiveness won several of them over to Christianity.
However, one guard in particular, Mutsuhiro Watanabe – nicknamed “the Bird”, was a man Zamperini dreamed about hunting down and killing after the war had ended. However, “the Bird” had evaded arrest and prosecution by spending 7 years in hiding until all charges were dropped. It wasn’t until 1998, over 42 years after the war had ended, that Zamperini would try to see Watanabe again, but Watanabe refused.
Zamperini’s offer of forgiveness is so powerful because it displays an attitude that is contrary to all expectations. We would understand if he had said he had forgiven them, but wanted nothing to do with them. But that would not be a display of true forgiveness.
In the promise of an abundance of blessings, to be poured out upon a people once considered enemies, we not only see the appeasement of God’s wrath, but we also witness his Fatherly heart. No longer his enemies, the remnant would be adopted as his children.
In Christ, God has blessed us with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” (Eph. 1:3). Those who believe have entered into this season of harvest that will continue to bring forth an abundance of fruit.
› Finally, the only thing that could improve upon the joy of an expanded kingdom, with an increasing abundance, would be the an increase in the time alloted for our enjoyment of this kingdom. Amos concludes with the promise that it will be…
3. An Everlasting Kingdom (15)
Amos 9:15
God’s promise to his people is that they will have an eternal security inhabiting a land from which they will never again be removed.
This promise is not limited to Israel. Paul would speak to the Romans about the remnant that existed in their time:
Romans 11:5
It is to this expanded remnant, the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16), that these promises belong (Rom. 11:29).
The author of Hebrews makes it clear that we have entered into our enjoyment of these promises by faith in Christ, but there is still a hope of receiving an eternal inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-5).
The ultimate enjoyment of this security is found in the new heavens and new earth, where God will dwell with his people, and “he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be not more, neither shall there be mourning, not crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:3-4).
› In…
Conclusion
David’s greater Son has established a greater kingdom that will enjoy an everlasting abundance of blessings.
The fulfillment of an expanded kingdom will reach its ultimate consummation at the return of Christ, when our congregation will gather with a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation at the throne of their Lord.
The fulfillment of an abundant kingdom will reach its ultimate consummation at the return of Christ, when your enjoyment of the reward of the harvest is so overwhelming that it overlaps the work of those planting new seed.
The fulfillment of an everlasting kingdom will reach its ultimate consummation at the return of Christ, when our God will wipe away every tear from your eyes and death will be no more!
Amos’ final words of promise concluded with the common, but remarkable phrase “says the Lord your God.” We have a God who is not indifferent to his creation. He is a personal God. There is only one question left to answer:
Is He your God?