Matthew 1:18 says, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.  Maybe I should have waited to closer to when we celebrate Christmas to look at the birth of Christ, but we need to remember His birth all year, and not just on a particular day.  This verse tells us of the miracle of the conception of Jesus and a fulfillment of a promise of God.  Jesus, the Messiah, would be born of a virgin.  Mary was espoused to Joseph, which was more like a an even greater commitment than we have with an engagement, I believe.  Mary was expecting a child, but Joseph and she had not been together in a sexual relationship.  Verse nineteen states, Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.  This verse refers to Joseph as an honorable man who did not want to bring dishonor to Mary, but he had to have believed that she brought dishonor to him.  He was seeing only with a physical understanding and not a spiritual one.  Verse twenty says, But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  God did not leave Joseph to his own understanding, but sent an angel to present the truth of Mary's pregnancy to him.  Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  We may not be able to really understand how this was achieved, but we can be certain that it did.  The God Who created all can certainly create one miraculous baby.  Jesus' physical life did not begin at birth, but at conception, as I believe all life does.  Verse twenty-one says, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  This was way before ultrasound, but Joseph was told by the angel that Mary was going to have a Son.  Joseph was also told that he was to name the baby Jesus, for He would save his people from their sins.  It is hard to imagine how difficult it must have been for Joseph to accept this.  The only way to do so would have been by faith in God.  Verse twenty-two says, Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,  The birth of Jesus, the Messiah, had been foretold by prophets of old, and that prophecy was now being fulfilled.  Verse twenty-three states, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  This prophecy that was referred to is found in Isaiah 7:14.  Verse twenty-four declares,  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:  Joseph could have just thought that he had a weird dream, but he put his faith in God's revelation into action.  It is not enough to just know what God wants us to do, but we must act on that knowledge.  Verse twenty-five says, And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.  Joseph married Mary, and did not have a sexual relationship with her until after the birth of Jesus.  I believe that only his faith in God allowed him to do this.  If God calls us to do anything, by our faith in Him we will be able to do it.

Matthew 1:1-16 says, The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. MAT1:02 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;  MAT1:03 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;  MAT1:04 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;  MAT1:05 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;  MAT1:06 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;  MAT1:07 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;  MAT1:08 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;  MAT1:09 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;  MAT1:10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;  MAT1:11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:  MAT1:12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;  MAT1:13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;  MAT1:14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;  MAT1:15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;  MAT1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.  This is the beginning of the New Testament, the one based on faith and not works.  These verses link the promise of God, made to Abraham and David, to the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ.  Matthew was a Jew by birth and a publican by trade, and he was with Jesus throughout His ministry. There is little to say individually about these verses, as they simply give the genealogy of Christ and prove the faithfulness of God to keep His promises.  Verse seventeen says, So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.  This was forty-two generations after God's promise to Abraham, broken down into three series of fourteen generations.  Some have attempted to use this as a reason to claim that there would be fourteen generations until the return of Christ, but since Christ Himself said He did not know the day of His return, I do not believe that the purpose here was to help us fix a time.  I am not even sure how many generations have passed since Christ first came to earth, but we can be certain that He will return, even if it is after forty-two generations or longer.

I will briefly review what I believe are some of the things the book of Amos tells us today.  As always, when we read the Bible, God's written word to us, we need to look for the message for us today.  First, we see that the people of Israel had become God's people in name only, and had no real relationship with Him.  Many today, in America, claim that we are a Christian nation, but our actions are often inconsistent with our words.  I am no longer sure that the majority would even claim this, but those who claim to be followers of Christ often live by the same standards as those who deny God.  The nation of Israel in Amos' day felt that they would be materially blessed simply because they were known as being God's people.  Some who profess to be Christians, God's people today, believe that this means that God will materially bless them.  Another thing we learn from Amos is that God has a great concern for the poor and helpless of the world and expects His people to help meet their needs.  At no point does God ask His people to be the judge of whether someone is worthy of help or not.  We, as followers of Christ, cannot simply ignore at best or look down on at worst those who are less fortunate than us today and claim they don't deserve help.  We never deserved salvation, and it did not come to us because we were worthy, but salvation was a free gift from God.  Just as we did not deserve salvation but God gave it to us freely, we must obey God's direction and help those who are physically in need today.  Helping the poor and needy is a consistent command to God's people throughout the Bible, and I don't believe this has changed today.  Also, Amos said the people would hunger and thirst, not for bread and water, but for the word of God.  We today need that same hunger and thirst. We have become an obese nation in America physically, but we seem to be starving spiritually and are not concerned.  Also, we are reminded that God does not accept empty, ritualistic worship that is not based on a personal interaction with Him.  Worship should always be our praising God, and He should be the focus.  As long as our focus is on God, we can worship Him wherever we gather in His name.

Amos 9:9 says, For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.  God said that He was going to sift the house of Israel to separate those who were really His spiritually from those who were His in name only.  Not the least of the grain, those who were true to God, would be lost in the process.  If we are truly followers of Christ, we may be shaken and sifted as God shakes and sifts the world, but we will never be cast out.  Verse ten says, All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.  All of the sinners of God's chosen people would be destroyed by the sword.  I do not believe that this means those who were occasionally guilty of falling short of God's standards, but those who had totally forgotten God and looked only to the world for guidance.  As followers of Christ, we are still capable of sin, but we will always be called back to God by the Holy Spirit.  Verse eleven states, In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:  We can look at this as the coming of Christ for the people of Amos'day, or now we can look at it as the second coming of Christ.  Jesus Christ did restore the kingdom of David and He Himself became the living tabernacle.  Verse twelve declares, That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.  Those who would become followers of Christ when He came would be victorious over the heathen, not by their power, but by the power of God.  The kingdom of God would be expanded to include all who came to God through faith in Christ, Jew and Gentile.  Verse thirteen declares, Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.  I believe that we must see this as a promise of spiritual blessings, which will know no limit, instead of material blessings.  Though our material needs will be met as long as we are faithful to God, we are never promised the riches of the world.  Verse fourteen says, And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.  God was going to restore His people, but I believe that this is those who are His by faith, and not by fact of birth.  We do not need to check our DNA to see if we can be a part of God's restored kingdom, nor do we need to check what country we were born in.  Through Christ, we who accept Him as Savior and Lord, are all God's people and a part of His kingdom.  Verse fifteen states, And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.  Once more, we can see this as a physical kingdom on earth or a spiritual kingdom in heaven.  I believe that since we are told that this earth will pass away at the return of Christ that this speaks of a spiritual, everlasting kingdom.  Either way, whether this was a physical or a spiritual kingdom, God will one day give His people an everlasting kingdom.  More accurately, God has already made those who follow Christ a part of His everlasting kingdom.

Amos 9:1 says, I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.  The people of Israel had profaned God's altar, but now God was standing on His altar.  We may profane the things of God today and look everywhere for Him, but I believe that God will always be present if we look for Him.  The people of Israel were still not really looking for God spiritually.  Those who had turned their backs on God were to be destroyed.  If we are looking for God today, we must first come to Him through the cross of Christ.  God calls us there, and we can only respond to that call.  If we do not, then eternal separation from God is our destination.  Verse two declares, Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:  No matter where those under God's judgment attempted to escape, from digging deep in the earth or fleeing to the highest mountain, they would not escape the judgment of God.  There is still no place we can go today where God isn't already there.  Verse three states, And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:  Basically this tells us that there is no place to escape God.  The people of Israel had been searching for God's word everywhere except by looking to God, now they were attempting to hide from God.  When we do not accept God's word, then we ultimately will be attempting to hide from Him, but He will always find us.  Verse four states, And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.  Even if the people of Israel were to be in captivity, they would no be escape God's judgment.  We may think that if we align ourselves with powerful people, even in a subservient manner, that we will be protected from God, but that is not the case.  God is in control of His universe.  Verse five says, And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.  God can indeed melt the land or send floods upon it.  Still, not all of these things are a result of God's direct action.  I believe that God sends a warning when He is going to punish someone or some group of people and does not just take credit for it afterwards. Verse six says, It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name.  Amos was making sure that the people of Israel knew or remembered Who God was.  God was the all powerful God, the only true God.  We today need to remember Who God is.  We serve a mighty God, the only true God that there is.  Verse seven asks, Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?  Those who were supposed to be the people of God, His children, had become just like the children of the rest of the world.  When there is no difference between God's people and the world, we can be certain that God's judgment will come on them.  We are called to be a peculiar people, set aside from the world.  I know we don't like the word peculiar today, but it simply means that we are different from the world, those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Verse eight says, Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.  God's chosen people were called a sinful kingdom and were going to be destroyed, except for that remnant that remained faithful.  We cannot think that God has to always deliver us simply because we call ourselves His people.  We must be obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in order to effectively follow God.  We must live by the standards of God and not the standards of the world.

Amos 8:8 says, Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.  God said that even the earth would tremble when His judgment came.  When God's judgment did come on Israel, then everyone that dwelt there would mourn.  God does not treat sin, especially those committed by His people, to go unpunished.  This warning from Amos of the coming judgment should have caused Israel to repent, but it didn't.  Israel had lost their willingness to acknowledge that God was indeed the reason for their greatness.  We today, as followers of Christ, have the warning of the coming judgment of God, but does it really have meaning to us in our everyday life?  Instead of being simply a way to avoid the penalty for our sins, salvation through Christ calls us to live by the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse nine says, And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:  God said that not only would the earth shake, but even the heavens would be affected.  Matthew Henry says that when the people of Israel thought they had all afternoon to continue life as usual, that God would cause the sun to set at noon.  I believe that this is a warning to us today that we never know how much time we have left to make things right between God and us, whether as individuals or as a nation.  Verse ten declares, And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.  The people of Israel may have been going through the motions of worshipping God, enjoying their feasts for their own benefit, but God said these feasts were about to become times of mourning.  God is never going to bless empty worship.  We cannot claim to worship God on Sunday and cheat our neighbors the rest of the week.  Following Christ is more than just a church commitment.  We are to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit every minute of every hour.  Verse eleven states, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:  We usually think of famine and thirst in material ways, but God told Israel that there was coming a day when people would hunger and thirst to hear God's word.  We, as God's people, need that hunger and thirst for God's word today.  We cannot effectively represent God in the world if we do not know His word.  Verse twelve states, And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.  The people of Israel would look everywhere for the word of God, but they would not find it.  I believe that this is because they were looking everywhere but to God.  They had followed religious practices and not a relationship with God for too long.  When we seek God's word, we must look to God for that word.  I believe that when we earnestly seek God that He will speak to us.  Verse thirteen says, In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.  Even the young people would not have enough strength to stand in that day.  Verse fourteen declares, They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.  Those who had followed false gods would fall forever.  The only way that we can stand forever with God is by putting our faith in Christ while we are still living.  If we follow false gods or no god at all, we will be eternally separated from God.

Amos 8:1 says, Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit.  Once more, God did not show Amos some astounding sight, but simply something that was very ordinary.  God may speak through extraordinary events, but more often He speaks to us through the ordinary things of life.  Still, even in the ordinary things, we need to listen, to behold, when God speaks to us.  In verse two, God asks, And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.  Once more, God was asking Amos what he saw.  When God is at work in our lives, we must see more than just the material things of life.  Amos answered God saying he saw a basket of summer fruit.  Without listening to what God had to say about this basket of summer fruit, Amos could only see the obvious.  When we rely on our own understanding, instead of listening to God, we will miss much of what God has to say to us.  The herdman Amos saw only a basket of summer fruit, but the prophet Amos was to be told what it signified.  God said this basket of summer fruit depicted the end of His people, Israel.  God was no longer going to protect them.  When those who are called God's people refuse to follow God's leadership, then they will never have His forgiveness and protection.  Verse three declares, And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.  Empty, polluted worship of God will never be acceptable.  We must take the worship of God seriously, especially when we gather together in His name.  We are not there to be entertained, but to worship God.  Verse four states, Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,  God cited some particular sins that His chosen people were guilty of.  Once more, the first focus was on the treatment of the poor and needy.  We, as followers of Christ today, need to ask how we treat the poor and needy of the world, especially if God has blessed us materially. I believe that God expects us to use all that He blesses us with to honor Him. Verse five says, Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?  The people of Israel were not content to oppress the poor and needy just six days a week, but wanted the religious holy days and the Sabboth to be over with quickly.  They evidently still went through the motions of observing them, but did not really use these days to honor God.  Today, we just incorporate materialism into the days that should be set aside to honor God.  There was also the charge that they cheated people that they traded with, using false balances, or scales.  Verse six says, That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?  The only concern God's chosen people had for the less fortunate was how they could use them for their own benefit.  The poor may always be taken advantage of, but it should never be by those who are God's people, true followers of Christ.  We cannot look down on or ignore the poor and needy of the world, and we certainly cannot abuse them and follow God's teachings.  Verse seven states, The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.  God declared that He would not forget the way those who were supposed to be His people dealt with dishonesty in the world.  God has not changed since that time.  We, who profess to be followers of Christ will be held to a higher standard than those who aren't.  The fact that through Christ all our sins are forgiven does not give us the freedom to sin.  We must do all for the glory of God.

Amos 7:10 says, Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.  Amos had just prophesied that Israel was going to be taken away captive and Jeroboam was to die by the sword according to God.  Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, told Jeroboam that Amos had conspired against Jeroboam.  When those who are supposed to be God's priests, His spokesman on earth among other things, do not even recognize God's word when it is spoken, no wonder God was ready to allow them to be destroyed.  We, as God's people today, a priesthood of believers, must put God above all else, even the government.  Verse eleven says, For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.  As just discussed, Amos was accused of somehow being against Israel and Jeroboam.  Yet, Amos was only proclaiming what God had revealed to him.  We must speak out against corruption in government, and even more so in the worship of God, when we see it and especially when God leads us to.  Some religious leaders may even disagree with us and accuse us of being subversive, but we must always follow God's teachings and leadership.  God will never lead us away from what His word has always taught.  Verse twelve states, Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:  Amaziah told Amos to go away, to Judah, and prophesy there.  It is a sad commentary when those who are supposedly God's representatives attempt to send away those who are speaking God's word, whether in Amos' day or today.  Verse thirteen declares, But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.  Amaziah told Amos not to prophesy anymore in Bethel, because it was the king's chapel and court.  That was the problem.  Everything that should have been God's had been claimed as belonging to His people, and not to God.  It should have been viewed as God's chapel, not the king's.  We today must never claim the things of God as our own.  Verse fourteen says, Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:  Amos did not defend himself by stating his credentials, but did the opposite.  He said he was a herdman and a gatherer of sycomore fruit.  When God calls someone to speak to people for Him, He qualifies them.  We do not need to look for earthly qualifications, but for a divine calling in God's preachers and teachers today.  Verse fifteen declares, And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.  Amos said God took him as he followed his flock and told him to go prophesy to Israel, God's chosen people.  I believe that if a person is to be successful as a spokesman for God today, they must be taken by, or totally dedicated to, following God's will and go where He directs them.  Verse sixteen states, Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.  Amos then tells Amaziah that he was one of those who needed to hear God's word.  Far from ceasing to prophesy, Amos had a particular prophecy for Amaziah.  We can never allow anyone to stop us from doing what God has called us to do, even religious leaders.  Verse seventeen says, Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.  This was God's sentence on Amaziah and his family in particular and then on Israel in general.  We might think this rather harsh, but I don't believe that God just arbitrarily made this happen, but that He saw the outcome of the actions of these people.  If we refuse to listen to God's word, then the outcome is always going to be bad, even if it is only spiritually.

Amos 7:1 says, Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.  Amos saw this in a vision.  God was pronouncing His judgment on Israel by saying He would send grasshoppers to devour all the crops.  These grasshoppers were to be sent especially by God to destroy the latter growth. This would have been a very devastating judgment, though the people may have deserved it because of their actions against God's will.  We can always be certain that if God sends His judgment on us, it is because we have earned it.  Verse two asks, And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.  Amos made an intercession with God on behalf of Israel.  Amos asked God how Jacob, or the nation of Israel, would survive this judgment.  They may have felt big and powerful, but Amos said they were small.  Any person or nation that stands against God is small.  Sometimes, someone we know may need us to intercede with God on their behalf.  Verse three says, The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.  God heard the question that Amos asked, and did not send this judgment on Israel.  It says that God repented, but I believe that this means that He did not carry out His plan and not that He had been guilty of any wrong doing.  We need to be in prayer for the lost of the world today that they might not be destroyed before they come to accept Christ as Savior and Lord.  Verse four says, Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.  Amos saw a second judgment coming to the people of Israel, and this one was a consuming fire.  When God sends His judgment, it will always be a consuming fire for sin.  The only way to avoid this is through faith in Christ.  Verse five asks, Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.  Amos once again intercedes with God for Jacob, or the people of Israel.  We should never give up on praying for the lost of the world.  Verse six states, The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.  Once again, the prayer of Amos was effective, and the people of Israel were spared this judgment.  We need to realize the true power of prayer.  Verse seven declares, Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.  This was a third vision that Amos had, and in it he saw God holding a plumb line, which is used to make sure that a wall or building is straight.  Verse eight says, And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:  God asked Amos a question, "What do you see?"  Sometimes, when God reveals His will to us, He may need to make sure that we really understand what He is saying.  Amos answered, "A plumb line," which was true.  God then told Amos the significance of the plumb line.  God was going to measure how straight the the faith of Israel was, and they were to be head accountable to God's standard.  So will we today.  Verse nine states, And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.  Since Israel had profaned the worship of God, their places of worship were going to be desolate and laid to waste.  God will never accept insincere worship.

Amos 6:8 says, The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.  When we take an oath, it  normally ends with so help me God.  We swear by God's name that we are going to tell the truth.  If a person doesn't really believe in God, then this really has no meaning.  Here, God says that He swears by Himself, and what He says is thereby true.  It doesn't matter if we believe in God or not.  What God says will always be the truth.  God said He abhorred the way those who were His people were living.  They thought it was in excellency, but God hated the way they were living.  We need to ask how God views our worship today as followers of Christ.  Verse nine says, And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.  Those who had escaped the war would find no safety in their homes.  They would die also.  We may think that having survived some great catastrophe that we are safe, but if we do not have Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we will still die spiritually lost.  We cannot escape God's judgment, even if we hide in His sanctuary.  Verse ten says, And a man’s uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD.  Those who came to bury the dead would find none left alive.  The whole family name would be cut off.  They were proud of their heritage, but forgot God Who gave them that heritage.  Those who were there would say that they could not even speak God's name, possibly for fear that God would strike them down as well.  When we find ourselves in trouble, then that is when we most need to call on God.  God will always welcome repentant sinners with open arms.  Verse eleven says, For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.  I believe that this was just a warning that God's judgment would encompass everything.  When God does come in judgment of sin, His judgment is all encompassing.  Verse twelve states, Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:  I believe that this was a warning that the ground would become like rock to them, useless for growing crops.  This was to be a direct result of their poisonous attitude toward justice and righteousness.  When we begin to pervert justice, we should not be surprised if God brings His judgment on us.  Verse thirteen states, Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?  The people of Israel had become vain about their own abilities.  They were no longer giving God the credit for their success.  If we begin to feel, especially we who are followers of Christ, that all our success in the world is due totally to our own ability, then we are setting ourselves up for a fall.  We must always acknowledge that God is the source of all good in life.  Verse fourteen says, But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.  Israel felt that they were secure in their success, but God said, "But behold."  It was time for Israel to look to God again, and they would not like what He was showing them.  There was coming a great defeat.  When we get away from God's guidance in our lives, we can listen for this same warning.  We need to look to God again, and if we have been far from His will, we may not like what He is showing us.  If so, then we must repent and return to following God's leadership.

Amos 6:1 says, Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!  The people of Israel were at ease in Zion, feeling that simply being close to the holy mountain of God would keep them safe.  We today may be at ease thinking that our claim to be God's people will keep us safe, but for us to really be safe in the world today, we need a real relationship with Christ.  I believe that when we begin to proclaim that all we have to do is claim what we want and God will give it to us, we have begun to believe that God wants us to find peace through the things of this world.  We should never feel that the things of this world will bring us peace and security.  Verse two advises, Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?  These were great cities that were now in ruins.  The people there had felt safe, but found that there was no security simply in the things of this world.  God asked if Israel was better than these cities.  Based on their own strength, the answer was that they were not.  When the people of Israel became at ease because of who they were, instead of whom God is, they were just as powerless as these other cities.  If we begin to believe that God has to bless us because of where we were born, or what family we were born into, then we should be ready for a fall.  Verse three declares, Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;  As the nation of Israel was at ease, they did not worry about the coming day of judgment.  I believe that we can say that God's judgment is not just something that will one day occur, but that God judges people every day.  We may escape the penalty of His judgment through faith in Christ, but that does not mean that we can live however we want to until Christ returns.  Verse four states, That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;  The people of Israel had become content with the riches of the world and had forgotten the God Who gave them those riches.  We hear the call for God to bless America again, as though we by right of birth deserve more blessings than people in other countries.  If we want God to bless us, we must first bless God with all that we have.  Verse five states, That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; Then verse six says, That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.  These two verses basically say that the people were going through religious ceremonies without there being any real meaning to them.  They had no real concern for the affliction of those around them.  I believe that as long as we go about living enjoying all that God blesses us with but with no compassion for others, then we are not living as God would have His people live.  Verse seven declares, Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.  Those who were most concerned with themselves and their own pleasure would be some of the first to go into captivity, and all those things that they celebrated for their own pleasure in the name of worshipping God would be removed.  God never takes empty worship lightly.

Amos 5:21 says, I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.  Amos warned the people of Israel that during this time of spiritual darkness that God would despise their feast days and would not smell their burnt offerings.  This warning still applies today. We are advised or commanded in Hebrews to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but if we are only assembling out of ritualistic habit and not truly worshipping God, then God is going to despise our assembly.  We cannot gather together to worship God and hate our neighbor and live for material success above all else and still worship God.  Verse twenty-two says, Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.  While the people of Israel lived in spiritual darkness, they may have felt that offering sacrifices to God would buy His favor, but God said it was not so.  A person may faithfully attend church and give their tithe or more, but this alone does not make them right with God.  If we are simply doing these things for self satisfaction, or thinking that we will buy God's favor by doing them, then God will not accept them.  We must first be right with God before we assemble together and give our tithes and offerings.  Verse twenty-three says, Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.  Music might have been a part of their worship, but that did not mean God had to hear it.  We today may sing praises to God, but if the words have no real meaning to us, then they are no more than any other song that someone may sing.  Verse twenty-four states, But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.  God told the people of Israel what He wanted from them instead of empty worship.  God wants righteousness to rain down.  We, as followers of Christ, must be righteous in our relationship to everyone.  This does not apply to just our fellow believers, but to all people that we have dealings with.  Verse twenty-five asks, Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?  God asked if during their wilderness wanderings if the people of Israel had offered Him sacrifices.  The answer was no, and yet God was still with them.  God's presence in the lives of His people was based on a relationship and not a ritual, and it still is today.  Verse twenty-six declares, But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.  Though the people of Israel had not been required to offer sacrifices to God in the wilderness, they now carried the tabernacle of false gods with them.  Anything that we allow to come between God and us becomes a false god to us, because it takes priority over our relationship with God.  Verse twenty-seven states, Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.  God pronounced His  judgment on the people of Israel.  They were to be taken away captive.  If we do not have a personal relationship with God today through faith in Christ, then we will be taken away captive to sin.

Amos 5:10 says, They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.  Amos was speaking to Israel at that time, but we can see where a lot of this applies to the world today.  Of course, Israel was God's chosen people, but we know that there are more people in the world today who ignore God than there are those who obey Him.  We just need to insure that we, as followers of Christ, are not among those who refuse to listen to God's teachings.  If we begin to abhor, or hate, those who speak God's word and walk uprightly, then we are no better than the lost world.  We must remember that morality matters in all things.  Verse eleven says, Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.  God's written word, the Bible, is filled throughout with warnings about mistreating the poor.  The people of Israel were warned about growing rich and building big houses on the backs of, or at the expense of, the poor.  This warning has not changed.  Verse twelve says, For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.  There is a list of the sins of God's people.  We need to remember that it was God's chosen people who were being addressed at this time.  It was those who called themselves God's people.  If we as followers of Christ today are guilty of some of the same actions, then what can we expect from the lost people of the world.  Verse thirteen states, Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.  Since the justice system was corrupt, then there was no reason to appeal for justice.  We hear a lot today that those with money or power can buy justice, so there is no way to win against them.  Still, I believe that God expects His people to cry out for justice.  Of course, if those who call themselves His people are corrupt, then where will we find justice?  Verse fourteen declares, Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.  This is the answer.  We are to seek good and not evil that God will be with us. Then verse fifteen says, Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.  If we are to be successful followers of Christ, this is what God expects from us today.

Amos 5:1 says, Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.  When God speaks, everyone should listen, especially those who are God's people.  When we don't, God may have a lamentation against us.  To lament is to regret the actions of or to be disappointed in.  At the time Amos was prophesying to Israel, God was very upset with them.  Verse two states, The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.  When Israel became unfaithful to God, there was no one who could lift them up.  When we fail in our relationship to God, there will be no one who can lift us up except God Himself.  This can only occur through repentance and a return to following God's will.  Verse three says, For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.  Disobedience to God results in a loss of His protection.  When they were obedient to God, the nation of Israel was powerful, but it was never because of their own strength.  This is still true today.  Verse four declares, For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:  God's people were called on to seek God and live.  If we want to avoid God's lamentation against us, we must seek His will in all that we do.  Verse five states, But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.  Without the presence of God in the places of worship, they were of no value.  We may gather in the church today, but if we are not being obedient to God's will, it does us no good.  There must be a personal relationship with God for worship to have any meaning.  Verse six advises, Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.  Amos gave the people of Israel, and people today also, the advice to seek God first.  We often think of this in terms of when we are in trouble, but if we seek God, or His will for us, first in all things we should never find ourselves in trouble of our own making.  The people of Israel were in trouble because they ceased to follow God's will.  Verse seven states, Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,  This is an indictment against Israel.  They were not righteous and just in their relationship with God and other people.  Verse eight declares, Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:  The people of Israel were advised to seek God once more.  They may have been known as God's people, but they had no real relationship with Him.  We must be more than God's people in name only, but we must follow His guidance in all that we do.  Verse nine states, That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.  When we follow God, He will provide our strength.

Amos 4:6 says, And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.  Since God had removed His blessing due to the sins of Israel, they were now going hungry.  This does not mean that all sinners, those who do not acknowledge God, will go hungry in this world, but even if they prosper, they will one day suffer when God's ultimate judgment comes.  Even when God allowed Israel to suffer, they did not return to Him.  Verse seven says, And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.  God's people should recognize that God is in control of the universe.  God can indeed withhold or send the rain when it is needed.  This does not mean that all natural disasters are caused by God though.  God may allow it, as He did with Job, without being the cause.  Verse eight states, So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.  God's chosen people, who were His in name only,  instead of returning to Him, went into other cities looking for water, but they were not satisfied.  If we are God's people in name only, we are never going to have our spiritual thirst satisfied, no matter where we look for that satisfaction.  Verse nine declares, I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.  The people of Israel should have been able to see what was happening and know that God was not happy with them.  If we do not honestly rely on God, then all the things that we depend on will ultimately fail us.  Even if we die rich in the eyes of the world, and we are not saved by faith in Christ, then we die spiritually destitute.  Verse ten says, I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your notrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.  We can read this as God actually doing it, or as His taking away His protection or blessing.  I believe that at times God does indeed send pestilence to attempt to bring His people back to a true relationship with Him, but not all pestilence is a direct result of God's actions.  I believe this was especially true in the Old Testament.  Today, as followers of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit to keep us attuned to God.  Not all natural disasters, which would be a pestilence, are an act of punishment on the part of God.  Verse eleven says, I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.  All of these bad things that were happening were done to bring those who professed to be God's people back to Him.  If we as God's people are suffering today because we have allowed sin back into our lives, it is to bring us back to God.  Verse twelve warns, Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.  Israel, the nation known to be God's people, were warned to be ready to meet their God.  One day, when Christ returns, all will meet God.  We, as followers of Christ, God's people today, should not need this warning, because we already know Him.  Verse thirteen states, For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.  There can be no doubt that there is but one God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who desires a personal relationship with every one.  Still, in all His power, God will never force a person into that personal relationship with Him.

Amos 4:1 says, Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.  Amos brings some of God's specific charges against Israel here.  They were in their nice houses, as stated in the last chapter, while taking advantage of the poor.  I do not believe that God ever expects His people to grow more and more rich in the things of this world and feel that these riches are all for their own benefit.  God's word, the Bible, has a lot to say about taking care of the poor and needy around us.  We cannot, as God's people, look down on the poor as if they deserve to be poor because of their own actions.  Even if we can somehow look down on what we see as their sin, we must still love the sinner.  Verse two declares, The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.  God's people, who were His in name only, were to be taken away captive, and their prosperity taken away with them.  Professing to be a child of God without any real relationship with Him through Christ will only bring an ultimate destruction of all that a person is so proud of.  God's gives us freedom over sin through our faith in Christ, but if we do not have a personal relationship with Christ, all the riches in the world mean nothing.  Verse three states,  And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.  God had provided Israel with a good land, but like cattle in a good pasture, they were not satisfied.  Now, since they had looked to the world for satisfaction, they were going to be removed from that land.  When we are not satisfied with God's blessings and begin to look to the world for satisfaction, then we are in danger of losing God's material blessings.  Verse four states, Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years: I believe that this is just a warning against empty, ritualistic worship without a relationship with God.  We may be in church faithfully and give above a tithe, but if there is no relationship with Christ as Savior and Lord, then we are wasting our time and money.  Verse five says, And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.  This is a continuation of the warning against empty worship.  It is done for our benefit, and not for God's glory.

Amos 3:8 says, The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?  The roar of the lion was a warning, and if it were ignored, then there was great danger.  When God has spoken His warning through His prophets, there is an even greater danger if we do not listen.  God put His words in the heart of the prophets, and they had no choice but to proclaim it.  God has given people ample warning of the dangers of sin today, and as His followers we must heed the warning.  God has placed His word in our hearts if we believe in Christ, and we can not fail to proclaim it to the world if we are to be obedient servants of Christ.  Verse nine states, Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.  God was pronouncing judgment on those who were called His people for their sins, and if He pronounces His judgement on them, then the world, those who do not even claim to be God's people, had better take notice.  Verse nine says, For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.  We must remember that this was said of those who were called God's people.  Amos said that they did not know to do right.  If we a truly followers of Christ, then we will always know what the right thing to do is if we rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us.  Verse eleven states, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.  God's chosen people were not living under the leadership of God, so they were to lose His protection of them.  When we allow sin back into our lives, as followers of Christ, then we lose God's protection in life.  We are still His children through our faith in Christ, but God will not protect us if we are not following His will.  Even if we do follow Him, we may suffer in this world, but God will always protect us spiritually.  Verse twelve says, Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.  Matthew Henry says this means that a few will escape to other countries, but I believe that it means more so that even though the nation of Israel will be devoured, or destroyed, that a few faithful will remain.  Not all of God's people had turned away from Him.  Verse thirteen says, Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,  Amos asks God's people to listen to Him and testify for Him.  If we are to be effective witnesses for God today, we must first hear what He says to us.  Verse fourteen says, That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.  The people were told that God would visit them for their transgressions, and that their altars would do them no good.  They had profaned the altars of God, so they would be destroyed.  Verse fifteen states, And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.  Those houses that brought God's people such pleasure would be destroyed as well.  All the things that give us great pleasure, if obtained outside the will of God, are ultimately to be destroyed by God.

Amos 3:1 says, Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,  This warning was not just for Israel, but for Judah as well.  They were all God's people, delivered together from Egypt and into the promised land.  This applies to God's people today as well.  We, as followers of Christ, are all equally God's people.  We may separate ourselves by earthly differences, but we are still united in Christ if we are truly following God's word.  What God says to His people applies to all His people.  Verse two says, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.  This does not mean that God chose, or knew, the people of Israel only for their own benefit, but He chose them to spread His word to all the world.  Since God had revealed Himself to them in a personal way, they had more accountability for their sins.  When we enter into a relationship with Christ, it is not just for our deliverance from sin, but also for our service to God.  Salvation is not just a get out of jail free card, but it is an everlasting relationship with God to do His will.  Verse three asks, Can two walk together, except they be agreed?  If we go back to the garden of Eden, we find God walking with Adam and Eve before they allowed sin to rule them.  Where they had been agreed, now they attempted to hide.  We cannot walk with God if we allow sin back into our lives.  Verse four asks, Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?  God was roaring out His warning to His professed people.  They were to be destroyed like a lion destroys its prey, if they did not heed His warning.  When we sin, as followers of Christ, He will roar out His warning to us.  Though we will never lose our salvation if we have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, if we allow sin back into our lives, we cannot walk freely with God.  Verse five asks, Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?  I believe that this is basically saying that like a bird caught in a snare, something has to tempt or entice us into sin.  If the snare hasn't caught anything, it will remain in place.  Sin is a snare that is always ready to entrap anyone who gets too close.  Verse six asks, Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?  The trumpet blowing was a warning of danger.  When the people heard it, they were to react.  The second part, that where there is evil in the city has God not caused it, I believe means that God has allowed it.  Matthew Henry seems to give God credit for the evil, but I do not believe that God is ever the source of evil.  Verse seven declares, Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.  This does not mean that God is not active in the world.  God always makes His will known.  God did this through the prophets then, and I believe that He does it in the life of each individual Christian through the Holy Spirit today.

Amos 2:13 says, Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.  God through Amos was speaking to Israel, His chosen people, at this point.  Amos had listed some of their sins, against both other people and even God's prophets.  In this verse, God said that their sins pressed down on Him, as though He were under a cart full of sheaves.  We need to acknowledge that our sins, no matter how minor they may seem, are a burden to God, especially if they are committed by those who profess to be God's people.  God had sent the people of Israel prophets, with the Nazarites being singled out especially, and they had attempted to and often did corrupt them.  God has sent us the Nazarite, Jesus Christ, and though He cannot be corrupted, we as His followers often corrupt His teachings.  Verse fourteen says,  Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:  The people of Israel had forgotten that their strength came from God.  We, as the church and as individual Christians, can never afford to forget this.  Without God, they were weak and powerless, unable to deliver themselves.  Without God, and as followers of Christ that means relying on the Holy Spirit in all matters, we are weak and unable to deliver ourselves from the power of sin.  Even though through Christ we are forever saved, if we begin to rely on our own power to daily overcome sin, then we are in danger of giving in to that sin.  This would then indeed become an unnecessary burden to God.  Verse fifteen states, Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.  Amos says that not only will their strength fail, but also the things they use to fight will fail also.  We may have come a long way from the bow and arrow and horses in battle, but all our weapons are just as useless in a battle against God.  Verse sixteen says,  And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.  Even the courageous would flee from the battle with God.  Remember, these were supposedly God's people that Amos was speaking to, but they were His people in name only.  The only way that we can stand before God without fear is through faith in Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Without a personal relationship with Christ, we are still at war with God, if only by the fact of our unbelief.

Amos 2:6 says, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;  Amos now pronounces God's judgment on the remainder of His people, the nation of Israel.  They were not divided in to two nations, Judah and Israel, by any action of God, but by their own actions.  If we, as followers of Christ today become divided by anything it will not be because of any action of God.  God said that Israel was guilty of selling the righteous and the poor for material wealth.  Verse seven declares, That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:  They were guilty of ignoring or even mistreating the poor.  As followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to help those who are less fortunate than us and not to ignore or condemn them instead.  The people of Israel, God's chosen people, were also guilty of sexual sins.  I believe that we can see enough of that today to know that this has not changed.  Verse eight states, And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.  This simply says that they used the things pledged to God for their own benefit.  As followers of Christ, we pledge everything that we have to God, yet we often treat what we have materially as if it is ours to do with as we please.  I believe that God expects us to help the poor and oppressed and not look down on them.  Verse nine states, Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.  God reminded the people of Israel that he was responsible for their success as a nation.  The Amorites had been a strong and successful nation in worldly terms, but God gave Israel the ability to defeat them.  Verse ten says, Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.  We need to remember that the nation of Israel spent forty years wandering in the wilderness because of their own lack of faith.  Had they had faith in the power of God when they first came to the promised land they would not have spent forty years in the wilderness.  Verse eleven states, And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.  God reminded the people of Israel that He had sent prophets to them to help guide them, and then asked them if this were not so.  When God sends preachers and teachers to us today, it is to help us follow Christ more closely.  God has never and will never leave His people without an understanding of His will for their lives.  Verse twelve declares, But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.  God's chosen people, who were so in name only, corrupted the prophets and told them to quit prophesying.  There are those today who would like to stop God's word from going forth, but hopefully it is not those who profess themselves to be God's people who do this.

Amos 2:1 says, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:  Though basically moving on to the judgment of God's people, here is the judgment of Moab.  The people of Moab were not just cruel to God's people, but they were cruel to everyone they overpowered.  They went so far as to burn the bodies of the people they defeated, with the king of Edom being singled out for this act.  They had no respect for anyone other than themselves.  There are nations today that have no respect for others than themselves, whether the others are living or dead.  They would willingly abuse a corpse just to show their contempt.  Not all actions have to be against God's people to earn the wrath of God.  Some are simply inhumane actions against any person or group of people.  Verse two says, But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:  Moab was to be destroyed with tumult and shouting.  I believe this means that they would be helpless in the coming destruction.  We can be certain that when God sends His judgment that those who stand against Him will be helpless to stand against it.  Verse three states, And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD.  Those who were seen as the people in power, the judges and the princes, would be cut off.  Verse four states, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:  Amos now moves to the judgment of God's chosen people, starting with Judah.  Just because God chooses a person, or nation, does not always mean that they choose Him.  What we have to realize is that God calls all people to salvation and not just a certain nationality.  Judah was to represent God in the world, and they failed.  They did not keep God's commandments and allowed lies to cause them to err.  If we are to be God's people, we need to follow His leadership at all times.  If we don't always look to God for guidance, then we are in danger of allowing lies, or sin, to come into our lives again.  Verse five declares, But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.  Those who are God's people in name only but do not have a personal relationship with Him can expect the same judgment as those who outright deny Him.  We cannot be a follower of Christ and ignore the word of God.

Amos 1:9 says, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant:  The people of Tyrus had sold God's people into captivity in Edom.  They were supposed to have a brotherly covenant with them according to this passage.  I believe that we can say that not everyone who claims to be a friend of God's people actually wants what is best for them.  Some so called friends would sell out Christians without any concern if it would profit them.  Verse ten states, But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.  As with all these cities, or nations, Amos states that God would send fire to destroy them.  As already stated, I believe that fire is used to symbolize total destruction.  Still, God does have it within His ability to reign down fire from heaven if He so chooses.  Verse eleven states, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:  The people of Edom were guilty of always pursuing God's people, their brothers or kinsmen by birth, and attempting to destroy them.  I believe that we can say those who refuse to accept Christ today, and thereby give up their birthright as a child of God, will never act in the best interest of Christians.  I believe that since Christ died for all people, that His salvation is a birthright that a person has to either accept or reject.  Salvation is an accomplished fact for all, but can only be claimed through faith in Christ.  Some people, or nations, even make it their purpose in life to kill Christians, and they may succeed for awhile, but God's judgment is coming.  Verse twelve declares, But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.  This is another pronouncement of the coming destruction of God.  The same fate awaits all who will not believe in God and those who harm His people.  Verse thirteen says, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:  This is a particularly cruel action on the part of the people of Ammon.  They had either killed the pregnant women of Gilead, or they had killed their unborn children.  We can make all the claims that we want otherwise, but when there is an end to a pregnancy other than by birth, it is an unborn child that dies.  If Ammon was judged for this, so will others be.  Verse fourteen says, But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind:  Once more, those who stood against God and attempted to destroy His people would themselves be destroyed.  Verse fifteen states, And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD.  Not only would the king be taken into captivity, but so would all the princes, or future kings.  They had killed the children of Gilead to increase their borders, but when God sent His judgment, they lost it all.  So will any person or nation today who abuse God's people for their own benefit, if not in this world, then in the judgment to come.

Amos 1:1 says, The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.  Amos was a herdman, or a country farmer according to Matthew Henry.  He prophesied before Isaiah.  He was just another simple man that God spoke to and worked through. The first chapter deals with prophecies about enemies of Israel.  Verse two states, And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.  This is simply a statement of the power of God's word.  As I have stated several times before, we should never underestimate the power of God's word.  When God speaks to a person, that person is indeed foolish if they ignore God's word to them.  The most foolish act is to ignore God's call to salvation.  Verse three says, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:  Matthew Henry says that the three transgressions, which are mentioned in all the warnings, are general sins, with the fourth being the specific sin the country is charged with.  This is the first of several nations that are warned of God's coming judgment and the giving of the reason why.  God said that Damascus, or Syria, had thrashed Gilead with instruments of iron.  They had terribly mistreated God's people.  Verse four states, But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.  God said He would destroy them with fire, or reduce them to nothing.  Verse five states, I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.  The people of Syria, instead of ruling, were going to be taken captive themselves.  Verse six says, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom:  Gaza was a city of the Philistines.  They had been guilty of carrying God's people, either Israel or Judah, away as captives.  Verse seven states, But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof:  We see God's judgment as being stated as destroying them with fire in these prophecies.  Though they may have been burned down, I believe that it is more a statement of total destruction.  We know that those who do not accept Christ as Savior are destined to end up in hell, a place of everlasting fire.  The really bad thing about this is that they will be forever separated from God.  Verse eight says, And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.  God said His judgment was to be on all the Philistines. They had believed themselves more powerful than God, and they had succeeded for awhile, but God's judgment was coming.  People today may mock God, and even destroy His people, and see nothing bad happen, but God's judgment has already been pronounced on them.  If not before, then when Christ returns they will know the truth of God.

Since Obadiah is a short book, the summation will not take long.  First, we can say that those who claim to be God's people by right of birth, but do not put faith in Him, will ultimately be judged by God.  Prosperity in this world is not the equal to being blessed by God.  Many who claim to serve God, but only do so for material success, will one day be judged by God.  They may feel superior to God's people, as did Edom, but their feeling of superiority will end when Christ returns, if not before.  Next, we learn that relying on our relationship with other nations will never give us ultimate success against God.  We may feel that we are on top of the world, but if our success is built on anything other than our relationship with God, it will one day be destroyed.  That might not even happen in this lifetime, but it is a certainty.  Whether we want to believe it or not, the soul lives on, and there are only two places where the soul can live: with God or separated from Him.  Then, we have a strong warning against government leaders who abuse God's people.  This is especially true for those who claim to be His people.  We should never stand against those who are followers of Christ.  Even if they have fallen into sin, we must condemn the sin, but we must do so to restore the brother or sister in Christ.  We must never be like Edom, or the descendants of Esau, and sell our birthright as followers of Christ for anything in this world.  No matter how rich or powerful we may become, if we do not accept salvation through Christ, we have rejected our spiritual birthright.

Obadiah 1:16 says, For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.  This is the promise to the heathen and to those who only claim to be God's people, but who in fact are simply looking for their own prosperity.  God said that these people would be cut off, as though they had never been.  Verse seventeen then declares, But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.  God was going to deliver His people, but the Edomites would not be a part of that deliverance.  Verse eighteen proclaims, And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.  Those who were truly God's people were to be delivered, but the people of Edom would not be among them.  They would be burned like stubble and utterly destroyed.  Those who claim to be God's people today only for their own benefit and not because of a real relationship with Christ will suffer the same fate.  Verse nineteen says, And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.  The defeat of Edom was to be complete, as will the defeat of all who stand against God.  Those who do defy or even deny God may be prosperous in this world, but will one day, when Christ returns, will be utterly defeated.  Verse twenty states, And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south. The captivity of the children of Israel will come to an end.  Even if Israel was not immediately returned to a position as a world power, through Christ they were returned to a position of being the spiritual power of the world, if they accepted Him as Savior and Lord.  We are a part of that spiritual kingdom if we likewise accept Christ as our Savoir and Lord.  Vesre twenty says, And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.  I believe that this is a reference to those who preach the gospel of Christ.  Christ is the only Savior, but those who follow Him proclaim salvation to the world.

Obadiah 1:8 says, Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?  This is a reference to those who were the leaders of the nation.  I believe that we can say that when we look to leaders who do not look to God for guidance, then we place ourselves in danger of God's judgment on us as a nation.  Verse nine states,  And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.  Everyone in the nation was to be subject to God's judgment, for the least to the mightiest.  We might think this unfair, but we can be certain that if there were those who believed in God that they are still alive with Him today.  We might wonder why God doesn't take a more direct action against those governments today who abuse His people, but we know that when the time is right that judgment will come.  Verse ten says, For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.  Now the people of Edom were told why God was going to punish them.  They had become violent against their brother Jacob, or God's people.  God warned them because of their actions that they would be cut off forever.  Anytime someone refuses to acknowledge God and mistreats His people, that person is in danger of being cut off from God forever.  Verse eleven states, In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.  This verse basically states that when the nation of Israel was under attack that the people of Edom allied themselves with the enemy.  I believe there is a warning here about standing with those who stand against God.  Edom was not to be just arbitrarily destroyed, but they were to be destroyed for their sins against God and His people.  As followers of Christ, we cannot afford to ally ourselves too closely with those who stand against God.  Verse twelve declares, But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.  This is quite an indictment against Edom.  They were told that they should have stood with their brothers, the people of God, in the battle with the world.  We too must stand with God's people in the battle against evil in the world today.  We can never rejoice in the destruction of any of God's people without being held accountable.  Verse thirteen states, Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;  The people of Edom were told they should not have taken advantage of God's people when they were in trouble.  People today need to heed that same warning.  God may allow Christians to be under the rule of evil regimes, but He will never let those who take advantage of them when they are down go unpunished forever.  Verse fourteen says, Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.  The Edomites, the descendants of Esau, not only took advantage of God's people, they captured and turned in those who attempted to escape.  Instead of siding with their kindred, they fought against them.  All followers of Christ today are our kindred, and we must never stand against them, and we must really never take actions that will cause them to be harmed.  Verse fifteen declares, For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.  This was a warning that the people of Edom would suffer the same defeat as the heathen.  They, like Esau, had sold their birthright.  God's judgment is certain for those who rebel against Him.

Obadiah 1:1 says, The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.  We are first told that this is a vision that Obadiah had.  It was a vision concerning Edom, which is the Hebrew word for red according to Matthew Henry.  Since I do not know Hebrew, I rely on others for this meaning.  The Edomites were descendants of Esau, who was noted for his red hair and may have been called Edomites because of this.  Esau was also remembered for selling his birthright, and evidently his descendants at this time had sold their relationship to God.  Obadiah said that they had heard a rumor from God that an ambassador from the heathen would rise up against Edom.  Verse two states, Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.  Obadiah was basically saying that God had removed His protection from them because of their sin against Him.  God had made the people of Edom small in the eyes of the heathen.  We must never forget that our strength comes from God and our relationship with Him.  Verse three says, The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?  The people of Edom had become full of self pride, feeling that they were too powerful to be destroyed.  We today, who call ourselves a Christian nation, must beware of being full of self pride.  We are not indestructible by our own power, but are only indestructible by our faith in Christ.  Verse four says, Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.  The people of Edom evidently felt that they were so strong that no one could bring them down, not even God.  They exalted themselves instead of exalting God.  If we begin to exalt our power and wealth as a nation instead of exalting God, then we are in danger of having God show us how small we really are.  Verse five states, If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?  I believe that God was saying that Edom would not be as fortunate.  When God came to them in judgment, there would be nothing left.  When God judges things obtained through sinful actions, nothing will be left of the things gained by sin.  Verse six says, How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!  Nothing could nor can be hidden from God.  Those things that we may think that we have gained by sinful means and hidden away are not hidden from God.  Verse seven declares, All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.  The people of Edom were warned that they could not trust their political allies.  We know today that alliances are always changing and that we cannot always put our faith in them.  When we begin to look anywhere other than to God for our security in life we are setting ourselves up for failure.

Hebrews Review Concluded

Then in Hebrews we learn that if we are truly saved by faith that we will never be lost again.  We are reborn by faith in Christ.  I believe that just as we are physically born once, we are spiritually reborn once.  Once we are reborn into the kingdom of God we are secured by the Holy Spirit.  We then have a responsibility to seek God's will in all that we do, but if we fail, we are not then unborn.  We are still God's children, and as the book of Hebrews tells us, when we stray away from God's will, He will chastise us.  Some may need more chastisement than others, but I believe that as followers of Christ, and therefore children of the heavenly Father, we all at some time or the other need chastisement from God.  We are also told that the great men of the Old Testament were great because of their faith and not because of their own innate goodness.  They had faith in God and the coming Messiah.  They were never saved by works or living up to the law, but by faith alone.  Also, we are warned to beware of strange doctrines.   This means we must know what God's word really teaches.  Being somewhat familiar is not enough.  Then, we are instructed to go into the world with God's message.  We are saved to serve and not to just sit back idly until Christ returns.  There is a lost world in need of salvation that we are commissioned to reach with the gospel.  Next, we are also instructed to listen to religious leaders, those put in place over us by God.  We know that God calls some to be preachers and teachers, and they are called for the benefit of all  Christians. Finally, we are instructed to live our lives in praise to God.  I know that I do not do this often enough.  We serve a loving God Who has redeemed us from the penalty of sin if we accept that redemption.  We should daily give Him praise.  Next, we will look at the shortest book of the Bible, Obadiah.

Hebrews Review Continued

The next thing that we learn from the book of Hebrews is that in Christ we have a greater high priest than we did under the old sacrificial system under the law of God.  The high priests, before Christ came as our eternal High Priest, were limited in what they could do.  They could only offer limited atonement for the sins of the people through the sacrifice of animals.  They really did not have unlimited access to God.  The old sacrificial system was like the law given to Moses.  They were signs of obedience to God, but neither could bring salvation because of the sins of the people.  Christ was and is the only acceptable sacrifice for sins, and as such, He becomes our heavenly High Priest.  We not only do not need to go to God through anyone else, but I would say that we cannot go to God through anyone else.  We may have people praying for us, which is good, but ultimately, we must go to God through a personal relationship with Christ.  I stated that Christ is our eternal High Priest, because He was always the only way to salvation.  The plan of salvation was completed even before the giving of the law.  Salvation through Christ was never an alternate plan.  It is the plan that was put in place from the beginning.  Since God gave people free will, He always knew their potential to fail to follow Him.  Yet, God loved us enough to create us with a free will.  God wants us to serve Him, not because we have no choice in the matter, but because we do.  This is why in the book of Hebrews it is called so great a salvation.  The only way for salvation to have any meaning is if every person has a choice about accepting it through faith.  If some people are predestined to salvation and others predestined to everlasting punishment, then Christ's death would have been unnecessary.

Hebrews Review

Review

I will attempt to summarize some of the things that we have learned from the book of Hebrews.  First, we know that there was a time when God spoke in many different ways to His people, but He finally spoke through the life of Christ, Who fulfilled all the law of God.  We will never have another thing said by God about how we may be restored to Him.  Christ is the final word of salvation.  This does not mean that God will not still speak to us, but He will no longer speak about another way to salvation.  Next, we are called on to be honest in our relationship to God.  It is not enough to just say the words, but we must honestly accept the truth of what God teaches us.  Going through the motions is not enough.  If we accept the truth of God as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who provides a way for salvation for all who accept Christ as Savior and Lord, then we need to take our relationship to Him seriously.  We are also told of Christ's superiority to the angels.  Angels do not have the power to deliver us from death.  Christ alone was given this power, and this power was given to Him as a seed of Abraham.  Christ did not deliver us by His position as God, but He delivered us by His position as a man.  Christ's power on earth came from being obedient to the will of His heavenly Father.  That is the same place that our power comes from today.  We may sometimes wish that God would send an angel to help us in a particular situation, and it is possible that He may and we never know it, but He sent Someone greater than an angel.  God our Father, if we are followers of Christ, sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us.  As Christians, we are never without the power of God in our lives unless we choose to be.