20th Sunday in Trinity, Amos 5:6-15

October 14, 2012; 20^th Sunday in Trinity; Texts: Psalm 90:12-17; Amos 5:6-7, 10-15; Hebrews 3:12-19; Mark 10:17-22; Title: Through Fire and Water; Rev. Tim Beck

             

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Do you remember the gist of our Old Testament lesson? “Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire… it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” Why is it the Old Testament prophets walk around whacking people with a         2x4? There’s so much law in the Old Testament! There’s a lot of law in the New Testament too… our reading from Hebrews goes right back to Moses, to rebellion, to dead bodies littering the wilderness.  The (EPA) Environmental Protection Agency would never stand for it, nor does the Lord stand hard hearts, even if they appear to be soft. For example, when asked by a nice young man about eternal life, Jesus goes right to the 10 commandments and beyond, “Give away all you have and follow me.” It’s so hard, so unfair to our way of thinking, so demanding, so absolute, like a marble cake made of real marble and no swirl to fudge. And fools that we are we think God is unreasonable and unmanageable because He’s an angry God, angry at us. He is a consuming fire.

          When we were little, I suppose none of us got a good paddling for running out into a busy street? None of us had parents who tried to keep us from disaster? There’s sanity to the switches in the heavenly Father’s woodshed. They’re cut from the Father’s love, calling us back to His good order, that we repent the disorder that leads to death. Creation was perfect, not only in moral quality but also in fellowship, in a common participation in righteousness with joy. The order of creation wasn’t a list of rules to destroy freedom, but a way of freedom that blossomed through mutual service. But Adam and Eve rebelled, and were pursued by the one who loved them. He found them hiding and called them to confess, “What have you done?” The Lord was ready to forgive but they made excuses, lying to themselves again. They chose the death of God’s image in them. As promised, their loving God cursed them so that death reigns, so that the law can do its dirty work. 

          Adam and Eve, seeing dirt in the law’s mirror, broke. They saw no hope in themselves or in the fallen world. Then God spoke again. He promised a Saviour. That promise healed hearts broken by the law. So if you don’t want the prophets to beat you to a pulp don’t run and hide. Take your licking. There’s a reason we need see what’s in our hearts. There’s a reason the Heavenly Father covers Himself in dark cloud, flashing lightening and tempest. He storms so that we see what we are apart from him, and how great our need. And that is a work of hidden love, like a parent’s discipline. Then He speaks another word, of compassion, of grace, of the Saviour. For you know who crushed the devil’s head, who gave Noah the rainbow, who delivered a people from slavery and why David was given a kingdom. You know who suffered the death, bore the curse, bled and died on a tree, the Son of David, God in human flesh. You received the grace of that sacrifice in the washing of Holy Baptism, and believing this grace, you fellowship in His very body and blood.

          So you put up with the law’s burning pains - because the Great Physician wields the knife. You hear the warning, “do not have an evil unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God…” That’s why you go to the Great Physician like going to the dentist with a toothache. You will be healed.  Destruction is not what God wants for you. He bids, Seek the Lord and live, seek good and not evil, that you may live… and the Lord of hosts will be with you… it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,     will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

          That promise has a holy history of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, one God, dealing with an unholy people, making them holy. God doesn’t work in the abstract, but with real people. Scripture tells of the real couple named Adam and Eve. So too it tells of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David. So Amos preached and wrote during the reigns of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam II of Israel. For you scholars, that’s about 795 to 745 B.C., during a time of peace. Their former enemy to the North was conquered. That meant prosperity. Israel and Judah expanded their borders, taxed new trade routes, embraced Canaanite religions that validated personal extravagance. What is more enjoyable than Hollywood gods, sensual gods, care free gods? As wealth flooded in, the mighty cared less and less about their neighbor’s good; in fact, they wanted more of those goods. The kings, the nobles, the big merchants built huge estates, taking land from small farmers by bribing court officials, for one example. So the Lord called Amos, a small farmer and a shepherd. He was the Almighty’s prophet to call the powerful to repentance. He went to the city gates. That’s where business was conducted, the place of the court, of rule, authority, and influence. He preached what you hear today. Did those folks listen?

          To make a long story short, the nation of Israel fell in 720 B.C. to Assyria, and Judah fell to the Babylonians about 600 B.C. The devastation was terrible. Yet the Lord preserved a remnant, a remnant of faith. Why did God preserve a remnant since with few exceptions, the kings of Israel and Judah from the time of Amos on were ungodly? Why, since with few exceptions, the nobility of those nations and the common folk did not abandon idolatry and return to the true God? Why did so few repent, given the wrath that raged in invasions, wars, plagues, earthquakes, famine and civil disorder? And why did some seek the Lord: because the Lord is faithful - to apply the law for repentance and the promise for faith. The promise was given Eve and Adam after the fall, again to Noah, again to Abraham and the patriarchs, again to David. It saved those folks. The promise was declared by the prophets and a remnant believed. That promise is also for you, all that is fulfilled and shall be fulfilled. The Lord made promises to the house of Joseph, and because the Lord made the promise He sees it through. He is gracious to a remnant of Joseph.  The Lord of hosts, the ruler of armies, the mighty one of Israel, is gracious. He preserved Joseph in Egypt and lifted him to command all Egypt.  The Lord of hosts 400 years after Joseph called Moses to free the tribe of Israel from Egyptian slavery. And the Lord did it.

          The God of hosts’ almighty hand still sustains the needy, cares for the distressed and delivers the oppressed. But that is not his greatest work. The greatest is why we do not need to hide our sins from Him. Let us turn from our evil ways, seek Him and live. “He will be with you,” says the God who breaks out like fire. He is angry no longer by the death of His Son. His wrath is consumed, his fire burnt out upon the justice of His love, upon the cross of your salvation. And faith receives that promise, the word that names sinners good, the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Faith receives His grace, and you, the remnant, are preserved. That’s why we exhort each other, “Take care, brothers, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”  “For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our first confidence firm to the end.”  We share in Christ, He is for us and with us and working in us - for a great salvation. The Living God works our salvation, saving us by grace alone; so we remain in the confession of that faith, one Lord, one baptism, one God and Father. We remain through receiving the gifts that sustain faith; for there is so much grace in the Old Testament, as Amos declares.

          There’s so much grace in the New Testament too, as the Apostles declare. There’s so much for you in Christ crucified, risen and ascended; our Lord sending the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the enabler. Do not hide your sin but confess it; so that it is covered under the blood of the Righteous One, blood that restores you and me to God as our dear Father. So much sin remains in us, but the guilt is washed away and Christ’s life was given us in the promises of water with the word. In our struggles against sin our Savior bids us receive His body and blood, and the forgiveness of all our sins for life and salvation.  We the have victory. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Rm 8:1, 2) Don’t ask, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” That’s a law question. Under the law it is impossible. An inheritance is given, not earned. An inheritance is always a gift.  Jesus Christ gave you His testament. That means you inherit all that is in it, a fullness of life, a restoration of a righteous fellowship, we cannot yet comprehend.  Creation shall be more than restored. Through Christ we have become the sons of God, sharing the inheritance with the firstborn brother from the dead.  He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. Grant this Oh Lord unto us all.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.