Compare Amos 6:4 with Luke 12:19. What similar warnings do they provide? Reading the Two Passages • Amos 6:4: “You lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge on your couches, eating lambs from the flock and calves from the stall.” • Luke 12:19: “Then I will say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy: eat, drink, and be merry.’” Surface Similarities • Comfortable, luxurious surroundings (ivory beds; well-stocked barns). • Indulgent feasting (“lambs…calves”; “eat, drink, and be merry”). • Self-focused language—no mention of God’s purposes or of others’ needs. A Shared Heart Problem 1. Complacency – Both portraits show people settled into ease, convinced hardship or judgment cannot touch them (cf. Amos 6:1; Luke 12:20). 2. False security in wealth – Treasure and comfort become the foundation of hope instead of the Lord (Psalm 52:7; 1 Timothy 6:17). 3. Neglect of covenant responsibilities – Israel’s leaders ignore the poor and the prophetic warning (Amos 6:6). – The rich farmer ignores God and neighbor, hoarding surplus rather than stewarding it (Luke 12:21). Divine Response to Self-Indulgence • Amos 6:7: “Therefore, you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.” • Luke 12:20: “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’” • The pattern: sudden reversal—banquet replaced by exile; retirement plans replaced by death (Proverbs 1:32). Living Out the Warning Today • Hold possessions loosely; view them as tools for Kingdom service (Luke 12:33-34). • Cultivate gratitude and generosity rather than entitlement (2 Corinthians 9:11). • Stay alert to spiritual drift; comfort can dull the soul’s hearing (Revelation 3:17-18). • Anchor security in Christ, not in abundance (Hebrews 13:5-6). |
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