Let us turn to this short portion
of scripture we've just read in Amos chapter 3 and considering
in particular what we have in the 7th verse. Amos 3.7 Surely
the Lord God will do nothing but He revealeth His secret unto
His servants, the prophets. Surely the Lord God will do nothing
but He revealeth His secrets unto His servants, the prophets. The words of the prophet then
here in chapter 3 and verse 7. We know that Amos was ministering
at the same time as Isaiah and and Hosea. These three prophets and their
ministry very much associated with the days of King Uzziah
as we see in the opening verse of the three books in Isaiah
chapter 1 and verse 1 then in Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 1
and here also in the opening verse the words of Amos who was
among the herd men of Tekoa which he saw concerning Israel in the
days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the
son of Joab king of Israel and we're told it was two years before
the earthquake. They were ministering then about
seven centuries before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we turn to this verse
that I've announced for a text here in chapter 3 and verse 7,
I suppose we would recognize that there is a new testament counterpart to
this particular verse we have it there in the second epistle
of Peter in chapter 1 and verse 19 where he says we have also
a more sure word of prophecy where unto you do well that ye
take heat I would see that as very much
a reflection of these words, surely the Lord God will do nothing
but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the the prophets
and looking at the context there in second Peter it's Interesting
to observe that previous to making that great statement concerning
a more sure word of prophecy he speaks, does Peter, of his
own experience there in the Mount of Transfiguration. In the previous
verses he declares concerning himself
and the apostles and their ministry we have not followed cunningly
devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of his majesty
and then he speaks of what he witnessed there in the mount
he received from God the Father honor and glory when there came
such a voice to him from the excellent glory this is my beloved
son in whom I am well pleased and this voice which came from
heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mount and
we might well say well wouldn't it be wonderful if we were those
who were present in the days when the Lord Jesus Christ was
here upon the earth ministering amongst men and we actually experienced
and saw something of the things that these men saw and heard
the actual voice of the Lord Jesus Christ and yet Amazingly
really, the Apostle goes on to say that we have also a more
sure word of prophecy. It's not that he decries his
own experience. He can be a witness, and He is
a faithful witness to those things that He was able to see during
the days when He was one of the disciples of the Lord, but He
is aware that there is a more sure Word. And what is that Word? It is, of course, what we have
here in the Holy Scriptures, and it's the Word that's being
spoken of here back in Amos chapter 3. Surely the Lord God will do
nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the
prophets." And so I want us tonight to just look at this statement
for a little while, and to take up the theme really of God's
sure word of prophecy. God's sure word of prophecy. And observing two aspects to
that sure word First of all, to say something with regards
to the determination of God in making that Word known, and then
in the second place, to consider the remarkable condescension
and compassion of the Lord God as He does indeed make His Word
known. First of all, the determination
that we see, and that's evident from the opening word in the
verse, the word, Of course, it has the force of Yah, certainly. It's really the language of an
oath. And isn't that what we have in
the Word of God? When He gives promise to Abram
because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself.
He confirms His Word. He magnifies His Word above all
His nine. There is a determination in the
Lord God then to make his word known and in part the reason
for that is that none should be able to plead ignorance, ignorance
of God and ignorance of his words and his dealings. Therefore, what has the Lord
God done with His creation? He has given a revelation of
Himself. We know that there is a general
revelation in the works of His hands. The heavens declare His
glory, says the psalmist. The firmament of the heavens
showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth voice,
night unto night showeth knowledge. And God's line, in that sense,
goes out into all the worlds. There is a general revelation,
the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen being understood by the things that are made,
even His eternal power and Godhead. So they are without excuse. The language of Paul there in
Romans chapter 1 and verse 20. And here, when we consider the
ministry of Amos, one of the Lord's prophets, we see that
determination in the Lord God. He deals with his creatures,
he deals with all those nations round about Judah and Israel. In the opening chapter, right
through chapter 1, right through to the beginning of the second
chapter, we read of God's judgments on all those various nations
round about. He speaks of Syria, very much,
of course, in the news at the present moment. Here is God's
Word, all those many centuries ago. Thus saith the Lord for
three transgressions of Damascus, and for four I will not turn
away the punishment thereof. And there's a word then to Damascus,
the capital of Syria. But then also in verse 6 of that
opening chapter, there's a word to Gaza. Thus saith the Lord
for three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not turn
away the punishment thereof. And you can go right through
that chapter and see how God's giving his word to these various
nations. He speaks of Tyre, and Edom,
and Amnon, and Moab. God takes account of these peoples. And as God speaks, so they are
accountable to him. They cannot lead ignorance of
Him. There's that determination in God that men should be without
any excuse. And ultimately, we see here how
God speaks to His own peculiar people, to His own special people,
to Judah and to Israel. When we come into the second
chapter, And there at verse 4, 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 LORD of
the LORD, and have not kept his commandments. And then also there's
a word to Israel, verse 6, Thus saith the LORD for three transgressions of Israel and for four I will
not turn away the punishment thereof." Ultimately God will
deal with his own people because he has given something more to
them. All the nations of the earth have that general revelation.
All peoples witness that in the works of his hands when they
look into the starry heavens. when they behold the world and
God's providences throughout the earth. There's a voice, as
we said, in all of these things. But hasn't God given something
peculiar and special to His people? And that's the rebuke that we
have there in verse 4 of that second chapter when He speaks
of the punishment of Judah, because they have despised the law of
the Lord and have not kept His commandments. And the language that we have
here in this third chapter, he reminds and does it in the
opening words of how he had called them out of Egypt. He was the
one who formed them as a nation really. There was, previous to
the exodus from Egypt, there was no nation of Israel. they
were strangers and pilgrims were the patriarchs but when God through
Moses calls them out of bondage and takes them into that land
of promise he will settle them there and make a nation of them
and he says doesn't he here in the second verse you only am
I known of all the families of the earth how favoured they were
above all other people He showeth His word unto Jacob, His statutes
and His judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any
nation as for His judgments. They have not known them, the
language that we have there at the end of the 147th Psalm. How
favoured they were, they had this special revelation, because
God had set His love upon them, they were His chosen people.
but how striking are the words there in the second verse and
that word therefore you only have I known of all the families
of the earth therefore or because they were so special to him I
will punish you for all your iniquities unto whomsoever much
is given of the same shall much be required and we we see it
we see it so clearly when we come to the gospel and the ministry
of the Lord Jesus Christ and the language that we have there
in Matthew 11 verse 20 then began he to upbraid the cities where
he most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Well unto thee, Bethsaida, for
if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in
Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth
and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall
be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment
than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art
exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell. For if
the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in
Sodom, it would have remained. until this day. But I say unto
you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the
day of judgment than for the earth. How true is that word! Those who receive much, why,
much shall be required of them. How God is resolving to deal
with those peoples who have received so much of his goodness and can
we not say that those words of the Lord Jesus in the gospel
must surely apply to such a nation as our own? Oh, what land so favoured of
the skies and now, alas, so vile when we think of the rich heritage
that is ours, because of the gracious works that God was pleased
to do throughout these islands. And yet, where are we now? God's
truth is fallen in the street. There's the willful rejection
of God and his word, God and his day, and our rulers, why
they're blinded. They seem to be under some strange
delusion. It's part of God's judgment,
surely, upon a nation that has received so much. And what have
we returned to the Lord for His many favors? Why, we don't even
turn our faces to Him, but we turn our backward parts. All
we do is depart and depart and depart again. And how we see
here God's resolve to to make his judgments known unto such
a people as Judah at this particular time. The end of verse 8, The Lord
God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? In the opening words of the chapter,
hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children
of Israel. God's determined that His word
will be heard. And in a sense, He comes here
through the prophet and He begins to interrogate them. If you look at the passage that
we were reading from verse 3 right through to verse 8, I think there
are some some nine questions. Nine questions, God is interrogating
them. God, He cannot walk with them,
but will rather be a God who is going to prey upon them. They
were His. He married Himself to them. They were His peculiar people. But He says in verse 3, Can two
walk together except they be agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest
when he hath no pride? Will a young lion cry out of
his den if he hath taken nothing? Instead of walking with them,
God will pray upon them in his judgments. Again, we have it there in the
opening chapter and the second verse. He said the Lord will
roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem. And the
habitations of the shepherd shall mourn, and the top of Carmel
shall wither when the Lord roars." Oh, there's such a determination
in the Lord God that He will deal with His people. He doesn't
wink at their sins. No, there will be judgment for
them. What are the snares that God entraps his people with, well,
there would be wars and droughts and pestilences and famine. That's a remarkable word, isn't
it, that we have in the 6th verse, the end of verse 6. Shall there
be evil in a citizen? And the Lord hath not done it. Now God is not the author of
sin. And we need to mark the fact
that the word that we actually have here, which is rendered
evil in our authorized version, more literally has to do with
calamities. Those things that to his people
seem to be great evils that have come upon them. God will deal
with his people. The Lord's voice cries unto the
citizen. says the prophet Micah, and the
man of wisdom shall see thy name, hear the rod, and do as appointed
it. It was, of course, the charge
of these prophets as the voice of the Lord to give warning to
the people. And they would clear their own consciences as they
did that. If they gave the word of warning
and the people ignored them and the judgments came, Well, the
prophets were clear. No charge could be laid against
them. Surely the Lord God will do nothing
but He revealeth His secret unto His servants, the prophets, and
they proclaim, they preach His word. There's those words that
we have in the book of the Prophet Ezekiel in the opening part of
chapter 33. here we see the prophet of the
watchman again the word of the Lord came unto me saying son
of man speak to the children of thy people and say unto them
when I bring the sword upon the land if the people of the land
take a man of their coast and set him up for their watchman
if when he seeth the sword come upon the land he blow the trumpet
and warn the people then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet
and taketh not warning if the sword come and take him away
his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the
trumpet, and took not warning, his blood shall be upon him.
But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the
watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and
the people be not warned, if the sword come and take away
any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity,
but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand." And
these Old Testament prophets we see time and again how they
were faithful men, how they spake God's Word whatever the cost. I know in the days of Jeremiah
there were many false prophets, and how the people loved to hear
the voice of the false prophets. and how they despised and even
persecuted Jeremiah because he was a faithful servant of the
Lord. But we see that God has His determination. He will do
nothing. Surely the Lord God will do nothing,
but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets. Well,
we can view the verse as it were from that perspective, the determination
of God. His prophets are clear, He Himself
is clear, because He has given fair warning. But in the second
place, I want us to consider the verse in another aspect. There's not only that determination
to leave them without excuse, but there's also in God here
surely a gracious condescension, because He gives warnings before
the judgment comes. He gives warnings. And isn't
that really a mark of the grace of God? Or we see it back in
Genesis 18 with Abraham. Shall I hide from Abraham the
thing which I do? Asks the Lord God, as he were
addressing himself. Shall I hide from Abraham? What was God going to do? He
was going to visit judgment upon those wicked cities of the plain
Sodom and Gomorrah. And that was the place where
Abram's nephew Lot was, there, in that fertile plain. That's
the land that he had chosen when there'd been dispute amongst
the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. Lot had been given the first
choice and he'd chosen that lush land. But there he was ensnared
amongst those wicked Sodomites. And God's going to judge them.
I'm sure you're aware of the account. It's a remarkable account
because we find Abraham pleading with God, praying to the Lord
God for those wicked cities. Will God spare them if they can
be? But I think it's five at the
end, isn't it? There are five righteous people
or ten righteous people. And God said if they can be found,
you're spared the land. But ten could not be found. But
God doesn't hide from his servant
Abram the thing he's about to do and this is the ministry of God
by his servants the prophets there in Jeremiah 11 and verse
7 we read of God rising early and protesting saying obey my
voice speaking to the people through the prophets Again, in chapter 7 of Jeremiah,
I think there are various times that this sort of statement is
made in the book of Jeremiah, but there in chapter 7, at verse 25, and the following verse is, Since
the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt
unto this day, I have even sent unto you all My servants the
prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. Yet they hearken
not unto Me, nor incline their ear, but harden their neck. They
did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all
these words unto them, but they will not hearken to thee. Thou
shalt also call unto them, but they will not answer thee. But
thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not
the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction. Truth
is perished, and is cut off from their mouth." I think that sort
of statement, that sort of ministry is repeated many times by the
prophets as he seeks faithfully to give warning to them. And it was a most gracious ministry
really. God favoured them above all the
nations of the earth. The language of the Apostle again
in Romans 3 says what advantage then has the Jew? That's the
question. What advantage has the Jew? And
Paul answers the question much every way chiefly because that
unto them were committed the oracles of God. Oh, what a favour
to have the oracles of God, the lively oracles of heaven, the
words of the living God. This is a great favour, surely
it is, for a people to have God's words. But remember how in this
prophecy of Amos we do see the remarkable contrast in those
words that we have at the end of chapter 8. Verse 11, Behold the days come,
saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not
a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the
words of the Lords. And they shall wander from sea
to sea, and from the north even to the east. And they shall run
to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find.
That's a terrible, terrible judgment. There are such solemn words that
we have there at the end of that eighth chapter. One of the greatest
judgments that God can visit on any nation is to remove His
word from them. Worse than any other form of
judgment. And in a way, isn't that true
of this nation today? Oh, we have the Word of God and
there are still Bibles being printed and published, maybe
even purchased. Are God's words ever read by
the people? We know that today there is a
woeful ignorance amongst the masses, a willful ignorance.
People scarce know one end of the Bible from the other, they've
never heard of the Ten Commandments. It's a judgment that has come
upon the nation. And what are we to do as the
people of God? Well, certainly we should be
those who, above all things, cherish God's words. God comes and God speaks. God
tells us of His doings. Surely the Lord God will do nothing.
He's not obliged to tell us anything, but the Lord God will do nothing.
But He revealeth His secret unto His servants, the prophets. And
as God tells us of His doings, should not there be some response
on our part? I want to mention some three
things. First of all, there should be that grace of fear. That grace of fear. What is the Word of God? It's
like a lion roaring. That's the image that we have
here in verse 8. The lion hath roared. Who will
not fear? Or are we those who fear any
scorning of the Word of God? We often times sing that hymn
of Joseph Hartz. 878 say Christian, wouldst thou
thrive in knowledge of thy Lord against no scripture ever strive
but tremble at his words. Are we those who are tremulous?
Tremulous at the words of God. Now these people, they were guilty
of rejecting. They rejected the very word of
God. Even the priest there in Israel,
we see it in chapter 7, In verse 10 we have mention of
Amaziah the priest of Bethel who sends to Jeroboam king of
Israel saying I must have conspired against him in the midst of the
house of Israel the land is not able to bear all his words And
then verse 12, what Amaziah says to Amos, O thou seer, go, flee
thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy
there, but prophesy not again any more of Bethel, for it is
the king's chapel, and it is the king's court. There was a
deliberate rejection of the word of God. Again, we have it there
in chapter 2 at the end of verse 12. They commanded the prophet
saying, prophesy not, prophesy not. It's a fearful thing, isn't it?
And of course, what they principally have here in the Old Testament
is the law of the Lord. that was what Judah were rejecting
there in that fourth verse of the second chapter because they
have despised the Lord of the Lord and have not kept his commandments well when we come to the New
Testament we have of course that fullness of the revelation of
God in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And we can think
of the language of the Apostle there in Hebrews 12. He says,
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escape
not who refused him that spake on earth, at Mount Sinai, much
more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh
from heaven. And in that In that 12th chapter
of Hebrews, of course, he's drawing the comparison between Mount
Sinai and Mount Zion. It's a fearful thing, isn't it,
then, if we refuse the Word of God, to receive the Word of God. And if we receive the Word of
God, what will we do? Well, we'll be more than hearers,
we'll be doers of the Word. be you doers of the word and
not hearers only deceiving your own selves says James now we
should have such a reverence then for for God for his words
to be those who tremble these are the ones that the Lord God
looks to even them that tremble at his word and as God comes
to us in his word so we can go to him. Oh, we see that. We remarked just now on Abram
there in Genesis 18. Shall I hide from Abram the thing
which I do? No, God doesn't hide anything. He tells him. And what does Abram
do? He prays. There's a response. to the word
of God, there's a pleading with God and God of course invites
us to do that very thing, take with you words he says and turn
to the Lord and say take away all iniquity and receive us graciously,
what a privilege yes there's that fear yet we can come as
those who can be familiar with God and speak freely with God
he says concerning the works of my hands, command ye me And so the third thing I would
observe here, surely, is that we're not to be without hope.
We're not to be without hope. Remember what I said at the outset,
there's a comparison to be drawn between the text that we have
here in verse 7 and those words in 2 Peter 1.19. We have also a more sure word
of prophecy. What a blessing is that, a more
sure word of prophecy. And he goes on, wherein ye do
well, that ye take heed, as of a light that shineth in a dark
place, until the day draws and the morning star will arise in
your hearts. Oh, we have that sure word. God shows us his secrets. I know it says in Deuteronomy
the secret things belong unto the Lord, the things that are
revealed belong unto us and to our children. But God does reveal
some of his secrets. His covenant is revealed, isn't
it? That great verse in Psalm 25,
the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him. He will show
them His covenant. There are the secret things.
There are the great eternal purposes of God. The Lord knoweth them
that are His. We can't pry into God's purpose
of salvation, predestination, and the fearful the decree of
reprobation. We can't pry into those things,
we have to leave these things with the Lord. But He does reveal
His covenant, the secret of the Lord. It's
with them that fear Him. He shows them His covenant. How does He reveal these things?
By His Spirit. God has revealed them unto us
by His Spirit, says Paul. The Spirit searches all things,
yea, the deep things of God. There is that that God does reveal.
There's a mystery. There's that mystery that the
Apostle speaks of there in Ephesians, the end of chapter 2 and the
beginning of chapter 3, the calling of the Gentiles, the mystery
that's now revealed, and his own ministry. What is his ministry?
Well, he asks the Colossians to pray for him that he might
make known that mystery of Christ. Again, to the Ephesians in chapter
6, he wants their prayers that he might declare the mystery
of the gospel. Oh, there are these secret things
that are revealed, profound things, truths that we cannot really
begin to comprehend, the mystery of the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the mystery of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Surely
God will do nothing but He reveals His secret. He reveals His secret
unto His servants the prophets. And these things therefore are
before us in the Word of God and we need the Spirit to come
and to enlighten our understanding that we might begin to perceive
something of these blessed truths. Remember the words of Jacob there
in Genesis 32 when he is at Peniel, isn't he? He's returning now. He spent all those years with
Laban and he's returning with his wise, he's concubines, he's
children, he's fearful that his brother Esau is going to revenge
Jacob because he'd stolen the birthright but he's mistaken
in that he's mistaken in that and he acknowledges God's goodness
I am not worthy he says of the least of thy favours and all
that truth that thou hast shown unto me Now the Lord has to show
us these things. But we have His word to plead.
He does reveal His secrets to His people. The great truths
of the everlasting gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the great theme of all the prophets, isn't it? They all bear testimony
to Him who is the only Saviour of sinners. Surely the Lord God
will do nothing but reveal of His secrets unto his servants,
the prophets." Well, the Lord be pleased to bless the word
to us tonight. Let us, before we turn to prayer,
sing the hymn 832 to the tune Dennis, number 26. The men that
fear the Lord in every state are blessed. The Lord will grant
whatever they want. Their souls shall dwell at rest,
His secrets they shall share, His covenant shall learn, Guided
by grace shall walk His ways, And heavenly truths discern. 832 TUNE NUMBER 26