In the sermon 'A Privilege Scorned,' Peter Allison explores the theme of disregarding the privileges granted by God, as illustrated by the biblical passages from Amos and the story of Esau. Amos warns of the destruction awaiting those who turn justice into bitterness and ignore the Lord's laws. The sermon draws parallels to Esau, who despised his birthright for a temporary satisfaction. Allison emphasizes the privilege of having God's law and the importance of acknowledging His hand in our lives, especially during calamities. He criticizes the cultural tendency to avoid mentioning the Lord when disasters occur, urging believers to see such events as opportunities to learn and turn back to God. The sermon concludes with a call to recognize the privilege of knowing God, teaching His statutes to future generations, and the joy of declaring His works.

Amos chapter 6, beginning at verse 9, Beginning at verse 9, Then it shall come to pass, That if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. And when a relative of the dead, With one who will burn the bodies, picks up the bodies to take them out of the house, he will say to the one inside the house, Are there any more with you? Then someone will say, None. And he will say, Hold your tongue, for we dare not mention the name of the Lord. For behold, the Lord gives a command.

He will break the great house into bits and the little house into pieces. Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood. You who rejoice over Lodobar, who say, have we not taken carnaim for ourselves by our own strength?

But behold, I will rise up a nation against you, O house of Israel, says the Lord of hosts, and they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the valley of the Arabah." May the Lord consider our affliction and deliver us as we remember His law. Almighty Father in heaven, thank you that you have given your law to us. You have privileged us with it. We ask that you would open our hearts and our minds. That we may behold wonderful things in your Word.

That we may be transformed and our minds renewed by your word. That we may be fed this morning by your word. We ask, I ask that you would sanctify my sinful lips to proclaim the Gospel of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Amen. I'm sure you all remember the story of Esau, how he came in from the field, and he was a man of the field.

His brother Jacob was the one, the more domesticated one and he's famished as the outside, as only the outside can do to you. He's famished and comes in and asks his brother, his twin brother, if he would feed him with some of that red stew. For he said, I'm very weary. And Jacob, being the opportunist that he was, said, sure, just give me your birthright. Sell it to me, in fact.

And Esau said, I'm about to die, I'm famished, what's his birthright to me anyways? Sure take it, doesn't mean anything. And Jacob being the crafty deceiver that he was, assumed other people were the same, he said, well, you've got to swear to me that you're going to do that. So Esau swore to Jacob that he would give him his birthright in exchange for a bowl of stew, a bowl of lentils. He ate and he drank and he went away.

And the Bible says that he despised his birthright. He had a great privilege. It had been given to him. And He despised it. He threw it away for a mere bowl of food.

He didn't even get a bowl of food every day for a year. It was just one bowl of food. He ate and went away, and for it he gave up his entire birthright. That is a classic example of despising, despising a privilege. And the message Today is really very simple.

It's got one point. And that is that we, brothers and sisters, have a great privilege to praise and to thank our God who created us, who's given us life. He's given us the breath that we have. He has given us everything that we have. Every blessing that we have.

He has given it to us. And He has also given us His law. He has revealed Himself in that Word. He has given it to us. And it is a privilege.

It is a great privilege. And we despise that privilege when we forget these things, when we forget to praise Him, When we forget to see His hand in our lives. We are despising the privilege that He has given to us. To praise Him and to thank Him. And that's what Amos is talking about in these few verses.

People who despised the privilege, the great privilege that God had given them. And so I want to emphasize this privilege that we have. That it is ours. That we can. We have a mouth and we have a mind and we are able to read his word and to thank him and to praise him and to see his hand in our lives.

And that's a privilege. That's what he's created us to do. But This passage begins by describing a calamity. Ten men are in one house. He's just described a couple other calamities of war and people going out and coming back decimated.

Their armies are decimated. And he describes people going into captivity, being removed. But these are apparently ten people in this house that have escaped these prior calamities. And Amos says they're going to die. They won't escape God's righteous hand.

And It says, then a relative of the dead with one who will burn the bodies, picks up the bodies to take them out. Now, I think that's a very confusing translation. I think the King James and the other Reformation Bibles translate it a little bit better and capture it better when they say that a man's uncle is a relative, it's somebody who has this duty to these families. So if the entire line is cut off, then the next in line would be an uncle. That's how the inheritance works.

And then if he's not there, then you would go to his descendants. So this is a house that everybody's been cut off. That's why that word literally, relative of the dead, is probably uncle. And King James translates it, and a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burns him to bring out the bones of his house." That word that's bodies there is actually bones. I don't know why they translated it bodies.

The idea is this. The next verse says, well, the idea is this, a calamity has happened, all the people in this family have been killed by this calamity, this pestilence, and there's nobody left to bury the bodies. Enough to bury the bodies. And when that happens, and the Bible describes that sometimes, Psalm 79 describes their blood being shed like water all around Jerusalem and there is no one to bury them. Or when King Saul died, remember that they hung his body up on the wall and his sons and some of his family came and took them down and they burned the bodies but they took the bones with them.

So they had no way, they're coming there in a sense undercover, they're taking these bodies off the wall of the enemy, they're not going to be able to cart the bodies back so they burn the bodies but they save the bones And they take the bones back and bury the bones. And that's the sense here. It's a calamity. They're not able to properly bury the bodies. So they burn the bodies and they take the bones.

So King James says, He that burns him to bring out the bones out of the house. This person says, he will say, Is there anyone with you in the house?" And someone will say, no, there are none. And he will say, hold your tongue, for we dare not mention the name of the Lord. That's a frightening statement. We dare not mention the name of the Lord.

It's become culturally unacceptable to mention the Lord's name in connection with this calamity. But there's another, and I think that's one sense, but there is another possible sense of it, and that is that He's saying, okay, there are no witnesses, there's nobody else here, then don't say anything, for we dare not mention the name of the Lord as a way of saying we're not going to keep the ordinances of God." In Exodus 20, after giving the Ten Commandments, Moses said to the people, Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, so that you do not sin. So the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near the thickness where God was. And then the Lord said to Moses, You shall say to the children of Israel, You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven." And he says, God gave him the first commandment, You shall not make anything to be with me. Gods of silver, gods of gold, you shall not make for yourself.

An altar of the earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name, I will come to you and I will bless you." And then it goes on in the next verses to talk about using a tool on the altar. They want to use an iron tool on the altar. In other words, when the Israelites followed the Word of God in offering sacrifices to the Lord, The Lord says that they are recording His name. They are making mention or remembering the name of the Lord.

Psalm 119 also connects remembering the name of the Lord and keeping His precepts. Psalm 119.55, I will remember your name in the night, O Lord, and I will keep your law. So this could also be a statement about don't make mention of the Lord. We're not going to follow His ordinances here. There were certain requirements for touching a dead body, where they had to go through a purification process and be cleansed.

This is using the waters of Nidah. There's a process. Hebrews refers to this process. It's called when it talks about the baptism of the dead and when it talks about or Paul mentioned in Corinthians the baptism of the dead. Hebrews mentions it talking about the ashes of the red heifer.

This is the process that they had to follow to be cleansed from touching a dead person. It really was pointing to the resurrection when God would redeem death. And that's what all these things in the Old Testament pointed to. And so he may be saying here, hold your tongue, we're not going to keep these ordinances of the Lord. He despised them.

Either way you take it, the Lord is being despised here. His ordinances are not being followed or they're not mentioning His name. They're not acknowledging that this calamity is from the Lord. Calamity is from the Lord. They deny that God had anything to do with it.

We should always learn to ask ourselves when we see these things happen around us. We should ask ourselves, not just other people, but ask ourselves, What is the Lord teaching us in this? What does He want us to learn? He's done this. If calamity falls on a city, has not the Lord done it?

He's done this. What does He want us to learn from it? How can we glorify Him in this time? And it might be that we need to acknowledge sin. It might be that he's giving us a warning, and we need to acknowledge that and turn to him.

Because he promises to redeem and to save those who call upon Him. The worst thing we can do is to despise this privilege that He's given us. And to not acknowledge His hand in the things that are happening. To not acknowledge that He's doing something to get our attention. He's graciously chastening us for a purpose.

They had this idea that they were untouchable, that these calamities may not reach to them, that they'd be protected from them. And Amos says, no, there are no privileged homes that God cannot touch if He desires to. Verse 11, for behold, the Lord gives a command. He will break the great house into bits and the little house. You can't say, well, my house is really great.

I've got really strong protection and fortifications. I've got my generators and all my safes and everything and so I'm pretty safe God says the Lord gives the command, He will break the great houses. Or you can't say, well my house is nothing, nobody will bother to destroy it. The army won't be interested in my little house. God says, no, He will break the great house into bits and the little house into pieces." You see, in Amos's time, like in our time, it was culturally unacceptable to mention the Lord as the one who sent calamity.

If there's a hurricane, if anybody ever says anything about God's hand of judgment, just notice how quick people are to condemn that. Say, no, no, no, you can't say that. You don't know that. Well, we certainly shouldn't be pointing a finger at other people, but we should be pointing it at ourself. See, first, it was a privilege that they had God's law.

A law that they despised, but it was a privilege that they had it. In Deuteronomy 4, I'm going to read a little bit of a lengthy passage. Moses makes this point to the children of Israel just how privileged they were to have God's law. Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the Lord had commanded me that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore, be careful to observe them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the people who will hear these statues and say, surely This great nation is a wise and understanding people Moses says for what great nation is there that has God so near to it as the Lord our God is to us?

This was a privilege that they had God's law that he was near to them This very law that these people are despising, God says this is a privilege. Privilege that you have it. There is no other nation, no even the greatest nations that had the privilege of having the law as you do. We have that same privilege. We have God's Word.

And it speaks to our country and our rulers, just as it does to Israel. What great nation, he goes on, well, for what great nation is there that has God so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him. That's a privilege, to be able to call upon the Lord. And here's Amos is describing people that say, we're not going to even mention the name of the Lord. They're despising a great privilege.

We have to call on the Lord. Only, in what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law, which I set before you this day?" It's a rhetorical question. There isn't any. He's telling them, you've been greatly privileged to have God's law, to have His Word, to know justice and righteousness. Only take heed to yourself and diligently keep yourself lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.

And one of the best ways to remember these things is to teach them to our children and to others. Somebody once said that the Lord gave children to parents so the parents could learn. Because it's when you teach that you learn. Only take heed to yourself and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget these things that your eyes have seen, unless they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren so you don't get off the hook just because they're your grandchildren.

Grandparents have a responsibility as well. And a privilege. It's a privilege to teach the statutes of the Lord to their grandchildren. Especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb. And the Lord said to me, gather the people to me and I will let them hear my words.

I will let them hear my word." God is guaranteeing us a privilege that we can hear His word and that we can remember His works, and that we can teach them to our children, and we can make mention of His name, and praise Him for all that He does. That, brothers and sisters, is a great, great privilege. That they may learn to fear me all the days they live on the earth and that they may teach their children. It's so important that we teach these things so that it's important for our children and grandchildren yes, but it's important for us that we teach them so that we have the enjoyment of the privilege of knowing the Lord, of naming His name, of remembering His works. And what better way is there than when we teach them?

Isaiah 12 talks about acknowledging God. Isaiah 12 is a wonderful messianic promise in the beginning of that book, prophecy. There are many dire prophecies against Israel and other nations in that book. But I say at 12, there's this wonderful promise. In that day you will say, Oh Lord, I will praise you.

Though you were angry with me, your Anger is turned away. See, this is describing people who recognize the privilege they have of praising God in that day when the Lord visits them. That you were angry with us. You were angry with me, but your anger is turned away and you comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation.

I will trust and not be afraid, for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song and He also has become my salvation. Therefore, with joy, you shall draw water from the wells of salvation. And in that day you will say, Praise the Lord. Call upon His name. Declare His deeds among the people.

See, when the Lord is gracious to us, then we praise His name. We call upon His name. We declare His deeds among the people. Amos' day, and too often in our day, they say we must make no mention of the Lord. We can't mention the Lord in the public square.

We can't talk about in the legislative hall about Jesus Christ being our King and His law our law, the standard of truth and justice. And we're despising a privilege. Therefore with joy you shall draw water from the wells of salvation. And in that day you will say, praise the Lord, call on His name, declare His deeds among the people, make mention that His name is exalted, sing to the Lord, for He has done excellent things and this is known throughout all the earth. Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst." That's our privilege, to cry out and shout to all the inhabitants of the earth how great the Lord is and what his deeds are.

Psalm 136 is another example of giving thanks to the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord for his good, for his mercy endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods for his mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords for his mercy endures forever. Paul said to the Colossians, and let the peace of God rule in your heart to which you were called in one body, and be thankful in everything to the Thessalonians.

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you. In everything give thanks." And as we heard last week from Pastor Kaiser for everything, we can also give thanks. In all your ways, acknowledge Him. Acknowledge the Lord and He will direct your paths. So, woe, woe, woe, To this idea that we have to hold our tongue and we dare not mention the name of the Lord.

That is a great tragedy. And this arose out of this presumption of God's covenant blessing to them. The Israelites thought that because they were God's covenant people, God would never send them into captivity or allow the land to be conquered. They thought that God was somehow bound to them, for He had pledged to be their God, to be their Father. And they looked at this adoption and they became proud.

They puffed up their hearts. And Amos now reproves this presumptuous security. Can a horse run on a rock? Can one plow with oxen? But no, you have turned justice into gall and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.

You ought to have been a vineyard and field of the Lord. Justice and judgment ought to have flown down from them. They ought to have reigned among them, but they have despised this privilege. And so God is not going to act toward them in a gracious way. He must judge them.

He said, let the wicked be wicked still, and let the righteous be righteous. Horses don't run on rocks. You can't plow rocks with oxen. And so Amos reproves their haughtiness, who thought God was bound to them. You think God will always be gracious to you because He adopted you?

No. No. They were to walk before Him and be perfect, but they instead had turned judgment into gall and righteousness into hemlock. They've despised and abused that privilege. Since then they are covenant breakers.

God is going to proceed in judgment upon them. He gives one more example. Those who rejoice overload the bar, who say, have we not taken car name for ourselves by our own strength? Again, There was a great expansion under Jeroboam, as we've mentioned before. If you look on the maps on the first page, a privileged scorned Amos 6, 9 to 14, you see on the left those two cities that were conquered by the Israelites.

They were taken back from Syria. And on the right is a map of the extent of the kingdom under Jeroboam and Aziah. And you see how it extends up quite far north and quite far south. But these two cities have been conquered back and they're rejoicing and they're thinking, we've taken these by our own strength, completely missing an opportunity to thank the Lord for delivering these cities back into their hand. And there's a bit of a play on words, because lo-dabar, lo means nothing, and so the name of this city, dabar is the word for words, or davar, but it can also mean a thing.

And so this is saying, you rejoice over nothing. You're rejoicing over nothing. And you say, have we not taken carnaim for ourselves? And the word, that's a city, but the word means horns. And so have we not taken these horns for ourselves by our own strength?

And it's foolishness because no, they didn't do it by their own strength and they are soon going to lose them when Assyria comes back. Because God says, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel, and they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the valley of the Arava or Araba. If you look on the map on the right there, you see Lebeau, Hameth, up at the top. That's just the entrance of Hameth. Some Bibles say the entrance of Hameth.

And so that's up at the top, all the way down to the valley of the Aravah. And the valley of the Aravah is not listed on the map, but it would be right, it would run along Edom there. But that word also could be, that word means wilderness. And I don't know why they used valley, I looked in all the other, most every other translation of the Bible translates that word correctly as river. I don't know why the new King James called it a valley, but it's really a, they will afflict you from Hamath to the river of the wilderness, the brook of the wilderness.

Well we saw brook of Egypt, it's listed there, circled on your map, the brook of Egypt is the southern border of the promised land. And you see the wilderness there in one of the other maps was labeled the wilderness. So God is saying this nation that He would send, which was Assyria, would afflict them from the very northern Tip to the very southern tip of the of this land the greatest extent of this kingdom would be judged Afflict they would be afflicted in God see God is not mocked And these who despise this privilege then face God's judgment at the hands of the Assyrians. As I close, I would just like to remind us with three passages of the privilege that we have of calling upon the Lord. In Psalm 73, the psalmist, there is trouble by those who seem to prosper." He said he was foolish and ignorant like a beast because he realized that nevertheless I am continually with you, you hold me by my right hand.

God holds us by our right hand. That's a position of great privilege. You will guide me with your counsel. That's another privilege. His counsel is his word, his law.

And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you, and there is none that I desire on earth beside you. This is the cry of a thankful person for this great privilege. There is none that I desire on earth beside you. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For indeed those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who desert you for harlotry, but it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in God. Why? That I may declare all of your works." That's why God brings us to him so that we can declare his works.

He's raising up a people who will make His name known. And that's our great privilege. Truly, truly God is good to Israel. Or in John 17 in Christ's prayer, He says, I do not pray for those alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you. And that they may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.

And The glory which you gave me I have given them that they may be one just as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world might know you have sent me. What a privilege that we should be one and in the Lord. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave me may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which You have given me, for You loved me before the foundation of the world." Christ is praying that we might enjoy this great privilege of being with Him. See, and in the passage that we read this morning in Revelation 4, all things are created by God for God.

It's our privilege to know His law, to acknowledge His wonderful works, and to recount them, to make mention of His name. Pray that we enjoy that privilege this week. Let's pray. This week. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, indeed what blessedness that we should be called Your children. That we can pray to you as our Father who is in heaven. Holy is your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And we can pray Lord to you for our daily bread.

And we can pray to you to be delivered from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the glory and the power forever. Father, what a great privilege to be your sons and daughters. We ask, Lord, that you would forgive us where we have despised that privilege. May you renew our zeal and restore us, that we should delight in recounting your wonderful works, in making mention of your name to the nations, to our neighbors, to those around us, as well as to our children and grandchildren.

Oh Lord, may you loose our tongues, may you enlarge our hearts, may you fill us with your praise and your glory. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.