At Ease in Zion?

Background Scripture: Amos 6; Zephaniah 1
Lesson Scripture: Amos 6:1-7; Zephaniah 1:12-13; Ephesians 5:14-17

Introduction

Amos and Zephaniah spoke to both the kingdoms of Israel and Judah shortly before their destruction. Amos was a layman, a shepherd called by God out of the kingdom of Judah to go preach to the Israelites. They were on the verge of being conquered by Assyria. Zephaniah was a prophet called to preach repentance to the kingdom of Judah shortly before being taken captive by Babylon. Both of these prophets spoke to a people who had become complacent. They had slowly allowed riches, position and power, and ease of life to take their zeal away from serving God. This had left them with a mere shell of spirituality, an outer cloak of a pretense of serving God, while the inner part of their worship was void and dead. This lesson is a wake-up call for God’s people. The final day of the Lord is surely at hand. Have you fallen into a pattern of careless, indulgent living? Are you concerned about keeping yourself unspotted from the world? Are you at ease in Zion?

Key Verse

That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Heb. 6:12).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

“But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24). This verse embodies the passionate appeal the Lord had for the northern kingdom of Israel. The rich of the land were enjoying a time of peace and prosperity. There was a certain pious veneer of humility and religion, but their luxurious living and oppression of the poor told a different story. The message of Amos was a pronouncement of judgment upon the Israelites. He came in humility yet delivered a fiery rebuke to a people who had become complacent in serving God. Those who were living in comfort would soon find themselves bound in slavery. Amos’s message is a timeless warning to God’s people to not become overconfident in wealth and luxurious living. Amos was not the son of a priest or king or prophet but was a simple layman, taking care of the sheep and living the daily shepherd’s life. We can gather, though, that Amos loved the Lord and had a zeal and love for God’s people. When the Lord spoke to Amos, he was obedient. The confidence Amos showed in going right away speaks of the daily relationship he must have had with his Lord. He had made the choice to serve God long before he was called to bring God’s message to Israel.

“Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger” (Zeph. 2:3). This verse expresses the heart of Zephaniah’s message to the people of Judah. Zephaniah was a prophet of God and bound to speak the truth, a mission that he faithfully discharged. Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah. It was during this time that the Book of the Law was found in the temple and read to the people, leading to a general revival within the kingdom. Zephaniah zealously fanned the fire and encouraged the people to return to the Lord. The first chapter of Zephaniah starts with a thunderous call to repentance, followed in chapter 2 with a whisper of quiet hope to God’s children. Chapter 3 ends in a crescendo with the prophet exhorting the people to sing and shout and rejoice. The Lord promises to eventually take away their condemnation and rebuke and turn again to his people. Sadly, this time of revival did not last long. Within the space of twenty years, Babylon invaded Judah, and the first prisoners were taken away.

Although both Amos’s and Zephaniah’s messages are from long ago, they are yet a relevant warning of the judgments of God. We need to take heed because God does not take sin lightly. His wrath will someday prevail upon this world. His Word clearly teaches that this world will pass away, but there is another to which He will safely bring his children. Both of these books also offer hope to the faithful followers of God, the remnant who will awake out of slumber and listen intently, choosing God over the world. Have you decided that you will follow God to the end? Will you humbly worship God and be faithful to the covenant you have made with Him and his Word?

Practical Truths for Today

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:19-21). Jesus clearly states that our heart follows our treasure. If your treasure is in this earthly life, then that is where your heart will be. If your treasure is in heaven, your heart will be there also. Our heart is the seat of our affection and represents the very essence of our being. The Bible tells us that it is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, yet out of it flow the issues of life. The most important life decisions are made within the heart. It is where God’s Holy Spirit dwells when we yield our lives to the Lord but also where Satan brings his temptations.

Jesus told us in Matthew 6:24 that we cannot serve both God and mammon. The word mammon is unique in the Scripture because its origin is Aramaic. The translators of the Bible could easily have given a Greek translation of this word—for instance money or wealth—but they left it in its original form. Perhaps it would be best understood if used as a proper name (that is, not just a generic noun). Continuing with this thought then, Mammon’s identity is wealth personified, a god who is in direct conflict with the Lord. It is a demonic power with a will of its own and, given the opportunity, can master a person’s soul. Mammon is associated with the antichrist. Anti, as used here, does not mean against but instead of. It wants to take the place of Christ in a person’s life. Mammon would persuade us to believe that unconsecrated material pursuits are just investing wisely. It tells us we can use our Christian life with all its benefits to get gain in this life, thus using religion to grow rich. Our flesh would desire to have ease of life, but that often comes with a price attached for our soul and the worship of something besides God.

God has given us a choice to decide which one of two kingdoms we will belong to: the kingdom of God or the kingdom of the world. If we do not choose the one, we choose the other by default. How do you know which kingdom you belong to? When you are alone and free to think, where do your thoughts turn? What are some of the things you value most in life? What is it that brings you the most pleasure? What thing would you hate most to give up? God has invited us to decide where our treasury is, either in this life or in heaven. It has been said that he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Which treasury are you most focused on: the one here or the one in heaven? It is true that we must have something to do with this life. A living must be made, payments come due, and taxes must be paid. The question lies, though, with our affection. How much emphasis are we placing on this life? As Christians, we know that someday all of this will disappear, and nothing material will remain. Both riches and possessions will lose all of their value. The spirit of being a pilgrim and stranger places emphasis on the next life, where our treasury has eternal benefits. The apostle Paul recognized that this life has no lasting value. To this end he exhorted the believers who were rich and tempted to live an easy life: “That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:18-19). The more time we spend with the world that money makes, the more we will become conformed to its image. What we possess and what we do in this life not only indicates where our heart is now but also determines where our heart will go in the end. We as humans have a tendency to be nearsighted, looking at the here and now and putting the future off until another day, but the whole of the Bible is about being farsighted. Focusing on our destiny, not just the path we walk today, is central to God’s Word. We are living now in the shadow lands, and except for those alive at the return of the Lord (1 Thess. 4:15-17), we will all die someday. Either way, this earthly life will come to an end, and on that day we will sign the portrait that we have painted of our lives.

Let us use this lesson to take an honest look at our lives. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you, and ask Him to reveal any area that may be unconsecrated and bound to this life, whether it is in fashion, finance, or ambition. Ask Him how to walk closer for an awakening out of the sleepy stupor of casual, materialistic unconcern. Ask Him to give you a zeal for Zion, for a focus on what is eternal. Each day is a page in your autobiography. In the end, it will tell the story of how each of us lived.

Questions

1. How can we be enthused with life and yet maintain the proper perspective of our life here on earth?
2. Do you ever think of God as an indulgent, heavenly grandfather—nice to have around but not a real force in shaping modern life?
3. Discuss: Things of themselves are morally neutral; the problem lies in our devotion to them.
4. Define what a luxurious lifestyle is.
5. As we grow older and financial burdens ease, what should our attitude be about the remainder of our life? Can we sit back and enjoy retirement?
6. Discuss: One of the greatest riches we can possess is “poverty of desire.”

Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).