Amos 4:10

Your young men have I slain with the sword. .. yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the Lord.

God’s dealings with us nationally, and their object

While we are in this state of trial and probation God does not punish us, individually or nationally, in the spirit of vindictiveness” or vengeance, but out of love and compassion, and with the view of working in us that which is needful for our temporal prosperity and eternal welfare, and which His good gifts and past mercies have failed to effect.

I. The parties here addressed. Primarily the children of Israel. If we can trace a resemblance between our conduct and theirs, we must undoubtedly consider the words of the text equally addressed to us.

1. Pride was a striking characteristic of God’s people of old. What was the return they made for all the signal blessings bestowed on them? “Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked.” Have not we, nationally and individually, acted like them in this particular? How have we requited the good and gracious Benefactor for His great mercies? Have we not been lifted up in pride? Is it not the prevailing sentiment that it is to our own wisdom we owe our constitution, to our own exertions our wealth, and to our superior institutions our freedom from rebellion and revolution?

2. Israel had drawn down God’s judgments for their hypocrisy. They were very zealous in the profession of their religion. But their hearts went after their idols, and their hands were full of blood. Therefore God refused their worthless profession. And, nowadays, there is a vast deal of outward profession of religion, yet but very little real, practical, influential religion. Where is the self-discipline, “the self-denial, the self-sacrifice which our holy religion calls upon us for?

3. Forgetfulness of God, their great Benefactor, was a striking characteristic of the Israelites of old. And do we acknowledge God’s hand in the productiveness of our land, or in the failure of our crops?

4. Our sin and rebellion against God fix us with the applicability of these words to ourselves. Who can fathom the demoralisation and wickedness of the dense masses of our great cities, etc.!

II. God’s dealings with them in like connection with his dealings with us. Unexampled favours demand a higher standard of holiness and devoted obedience, and proportionately increase the heinousness of guilt. Trace the dealings with which God had visited the Israelites, in chastisement for their sins, which are referred to in this chapter. Scarcity, disease, war, etc.

III. What is the object of these dealings of God towards us? His yearning over us is that we should become a people fearing Him, and working righteousness. The nation is made up of individuals; and as far as individual responsibility is concerned, it will be by individual practice, example, and influence that we must severally promote that reformation amongst us which is needful to restore us to the Divine favour. (Edward T. Cardale.)