In Amos' day the people of God were facing a similar situation only on a greater scale. They had been given the law of God so they knew what was right and what was wrong, yet they rebelled against Him and followed their own desires. Amos was sent by God to preach a message of judgement and condemnation upon the people. His message was simple, "God will punish those who constantly rebel against him."

If you will, picture with me a basket of beautiful, delicious summer fruit sitting on this table. We have some nice, red, Washington apples. We have a few plump, juicy oranges. There are even a few dozen dark red strawberries. Sitting on top of all this fruit, I have placed a bright yellow banana. It has just been plucked and the ends of it are still green. In the first verses of Amos chapter eight, God shows Amos a similar basket of fruit. He uses this beautiful arrangement of fruit to explain to Amos that He is soon going to punish His people for their constant rebellion.

Since Amos was a fig farmer he understood what God was saying in the vision of the summer fruit. He understood that a basket of fruit that had been plucked at the end of the summer meant that the season for harvesting was finished. There would be no more fruit on the trees. The fields of trees and vines would be desolate and void of any hope for more fruit. Amos also understood from this vision that a basket of ripe fruit is evidence that God's own people were ripe for judgement.

First, in verses seven and eight, we see that God will punish those who constantly rebel against him by removing His protection. The old children's Christmas song that says about Santa Claus that he is making a list a checking it twice is also true of God. God says that he is keeping score. He says, "surely I will never forget any of their works." Because they had rebelled against God, He decrees that he will remove His protection from them.

Second, in verse nine, God will punish those who constantly rebel against him by turning prosperity into poverty. The rich class in Israel was daily becoming richer. They were a nation of great wealth and expanding borders. Verses five and six tell us how they have become so rich. Those who made a living by buying, selling and trading in the market place had become professionals at cheating. They were charging an inflated price for things and decreasing the amount of the thing that was purchased by the buyer. The marketers were becoming prosperous by falsifying the scales of weight and-measurement.

God is pleading with you today. Do not place your trust and security in ill-gotten gains. God will judge his people for their sins. Beware of the judgement of God. If you continue to rebel, the things you trust the most will be the things that fail you most.

Third, in verse ten, we notice that God will punish those who constantly rebel against him by turning their religious practices into pitiful mourning. The people of Israel took for granted the opportunity and privilege to worship their God. They had become hypocritical in their worship. In verses five and six God describes their hearts in relation to their religious practices. God condemns them in their rebellion for not worshiping Him. God reveals through Amos in verse ten that there would be no more reason to celebrate. Their feasts would be turned into pity parties. Their temple songs would turn into screaming and wailing.