Haggai Review

 We learn from Haggai that God always sends His spokesperson to proclaim His word.  Sometimes, people may not be ready to hear it, but God will still send people to proclaim it.  Also, we see that God expects His people to put His work first.  We cannot be successful in our Christian life if we use all that God blesses us with for our own purposes while ignoring the work of God.  We also see that when people listen to God, especially the leaders of the country, that they will begin to do what He asks them to do. God sent Haggai to the king to tell Him to remember the covenant that God made with the people of Israel, and we must always remember the covenant that we make with God when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  God also told Zerubbabel that if he remained faithful to God that He would shake, or destroy, his enemies.  If we remain faithful to God today, He will shake, or destroy, all our enemies when His judgment comes.  God also declared that the new temple would be superior to the old one, and this was a reference to the coming of Christ.  God did not need a building, no matter how glorious it might be, but He needed a relationship with His people where His will comes first, and He still does.  Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, so we should always build things in our lives that glorify God.  Then, God called on Zerubbabel to note the day that the people began to rebuild the temple, and we as followers of Christ should note the day that we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Everything we do after that should be done for God's glory.  Next, we will look at Philippians. 

Haggai 2:18

 Haggai 2:18 aays, Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, consider it.   God called on them to make note of the day that they started to rebuild the temple in obedience to Him.  It was their obedience that was really important.  As Christians, we should make note of the day that we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.   Verse nineteen asks, Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.  God asked if the seed were yet in the barn, and answered that they were, then said that nothing had yet brought forth fruit.  There was not an immediate evidence that anything had changed by looking at the world around them, but they had God's promise that things were going to change.  Even if we do not see worldly evidence of God's promises to us as followers of Christ, we must still put our faith in Him.  Verse twenty states, And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,  God once more spoke to Haggai.  Today, even in America, if someone says that God spoke to them, they are often ridiculed or looked at as being a little crazy, but God still speaks to His people today.  Haggai listened when God spoke, and so must we.  Verse twenty-one adds, Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;  Haggai was once again told to speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah.  Matthew Henry points out that Zerubbabel was concerned with more than just the crops, but was also concerned about the overall safety of Judah from being defeated by her neighbors.  God is aware of all the concerns of His people, and if they are faithful to Him, He will provide them with everlasting blessings and safety.  Verse twenty-two continues, And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.  God promised Zerubbabel that He would defeat all of the enemies of Judah, as long as they remained faithful to God.  As followers of Christ, we have God's promise that He has already defeated all our enemies, even death, and all we have to do is remain faithful to Him in order to enjoy His spiritual blessings that He sends each day.  Verse twenty-three concludes, In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.  God said that He would make it clear that He had chosen Zerubbabel to lead the people of Judah.   Matthew Henry said that this also referred to Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah.  The temple that Zerubbabel might build would be temporary, but the temple that Christ built would be everlasting.  Our bodies as Christians are called the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it is on this foundation of faith in Jesus Christ that we must build the good things of God.  

Haggai 2:9

Haggai 2:9 says, The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.  The former temple may have been filled with silver and gold, but this temple would be filled with the presence of the Messiah.  As Christians, no  matter how humble our house of worship may be, it will be greater than the most glorious building, because it is filled with the presence of God.  Of course, our bodies are referred to as the temple of God, so wherever we are should be God's house.   Verse ten states, In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Two months later,  God's word came to Haggai again.  We need to be ready to hear from God at any time.  Verse eleven adds, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,  God told Haggai to consult the priests.  Haggai was a prophet  but he wasn't called to replace the priests.  We all have our individual calling today, and we are not called to do the work that someone else has been called to do.  Verse eleven continues, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.  The question to the priests concerned Holy things touching ordinary things and whether they would still be holy if they did.  The priests answered no.  We cannot allow the holy things of God to be corrupted by the things of this world if the are to remain holy, or set apart for God, including ourself.  Verse thirteen continues, Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.  By God's direction, Haggai then asked the priests if someone who had been made unclean by touching a dead body if the things of God would be made unclean by their touch, and they said that they would be unclean. We as followers of Christ should be dead to sins, and if we touch it again we make ourselves unclean to God.  We must always attempt to avoid touching or doing the things that would make us spiritually unclean.  Verse fourteen declares, Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.  Haggai said that God had pronounced all the people of Israel as unclean, and until we come to God through faith in Jesus Christ, we will be also.  Verse fifteen adds, And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:  Haggai told them to consider their ways.  Though they were called God's people, he asked them to consider if they were living by His law.  Verse sixteen continues, Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.   When they were living under God's leadership they had been blessed, but when they had turned away from Him, they found themselves lacking in what they had before.  If we allow sin into our life, we will be spiritually lacking.  Verse seventeen concludes, I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.  God said that even when He destroyed their crops that they would not turn to Him.  Empty religion or worship will never bring us a blessing from God.  It will only bring us His punishment.   

Haggai 2:1

Haggai 2:1 says, In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,  Once more, we are given the specific day that the word of the LORD came to Haggai.  God's word was never just a general idea that came to His prophets and spokesmen, but was always a specific message that came at a particular time.  God does not lead us to share a vague message with the world today, but leads us to share the specific message of salvation through Christ alone.  Veree two adds, Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,  God told Haggai that he was to speak to the governor, the high priest, and the remnant of the people.  This would have been everyone from those of highest authority to those who were the least of His people.  God's message of salvation always applies equally to each individual, no matter their status in the world, and we as His followers are to present the gospel to every person equally.  Verse three continues, Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?  God told Haggai to ask the people of Israel how many had seen His house in its glory, and if what it looked like today was not contemptible.  We as followers of Christ today are the temple of God, and we might ask ourselves if we saw Christianity in its glory and if it has become contemptible today.  Verse four declares,  Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:  God then called on the governor, the high priest,and all the people to be strong in their faith in Him.  If we are to successfully spread the gospel today and advance God's kingdom, we must be strong in faith.  Verse five adds, According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.  God called on them to remember the covenant that He made with them when He brought them out of Egypt.  As Christians, we need to remember the covenant that God made with us when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse six declares,  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;  God told them that He was soon going to shake all of creation.  This was a reference to the coming of Christ and what happened at His death.  Verse seven adds, And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.  God said that all nations would be shaken and that He would fill His house with glory.  Verse eight states, The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.  God said that all the riches of the world belonged to Him.  We as followers of Christ need to acknowledge that everything we have belongs to God.  Verse nine continues, The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.  Jesus said that He was the temple of God, and He is far greater than the first temple.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, He is much greater than any and made temple, and as God told the people then, He should bring us peace in our life today.  

Haggai 1:12

 Haggai 1:12 says, Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.  Unlike many times when God sent His prophet to the people of Israel, this time the high priest, Zerubbabel believed Haggai and with the remnant of the people obeyed God.  God will always make His will known to those who are His people, both individually and collectively, and He will always call on those who are His people to put the things of God first.  We cannot be effective Christians if we only do what God calls us to do after we have done everything that we want to do.  Verse thirteen declares, Then spake Haggai the LORD’s messenger in the LORD’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.  When the people of Israel listened to Haggai and did what God asked of them, then God  promised them that He would be with them.  When we do what God asks of us, which means first that we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then He will always be with us.  Nothing can ever separate us from God as followers of Christ, except our own disobedience.  Then, even though we are still His child, we will be ineffective as witnesses for Him.  Verse fourteen adds, And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,  We are told that God stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the high priest and the spirit of all the remnant of Israel, and they did the work on the house of the LORD.  It is one thing to be stirred up by the spirit of the LORD, but if we are simply stirred up and do not do what God calls us to do, then it is of little use.  When God stirs us up spiritually, we need to do what He has stirred us up to do, and that will always be to do the things that are for His kingdom and not for material reasons or success.   Verse fifteen concludes, In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.  We are given the time frame for when this happened.  They did not delay in obeying God, and we should never delay in obeying Him today.  We must do what God calls us to do when He calls us to do it.

Haggai 1:1

Haggai 1:1 says, In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Haggai identifies himself as a prophet.  Matthew Henry says the Jews while captive in Babylon had complained that the was no prophet, but now that they had returned, Haggai said that he was one.  He went to the leaders of Israel, both the governor of Judah and the chief priest.  Even if people feel that they are without anyone to proclaim God's word today, He will always have people who are doing so.  Verse two adds, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.  The people of Judah had returned to their land, but they were in no hurry to rebuild the temple, God's house, saying the time was not right.  Too many times today,  Christians fail to do what they believe God wants them to do because they feel that the timing is not right.  Verse three states, Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,  The proof that Haggai was a prophet came by the fact that God's word came to Him.  If we are followers of Christ today, we need to make sure that what we proclaim to be God's word truly comes from Him.  Verse four asks, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?  God asked the people of Judah a question, and that was if they thought it was right for them to live in nice houses while God's house was still in ruins.  God may ask us today if we  think it is okay to use so much of what He has blessed us with as followers of Christ on the things of the world and so little on advancing His kingdom.  Verse five declares, Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.  God through Haggai called on them to consider their ways.  We may not have a prophet today, though we do have preachers, and more importantly we have the Holy Spirit, Who I believe will continually ask us to consider our ways.  We cannot allow the things of the world to become more important than the things of God if we are to be effective in our relationship to God.  Verse six adds, Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.  God said that all their hard work was not resulting in much reward.  They still found themselves in need.  If we begin to put all our efforts into gaining  riches in this world, even if we are successful, as Christians we will always be in need spiritually.  Verse seven continues, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.  God again called on the people of Judah to consider their ways, and I believe that we as Christians should always consider our ways.  We should make sure that whatever we are doing is being done to bring honor to God.  Verse eight says, Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.  God told them to go and gather what was needed and build His house.   He did not just miraculously place what was needed in their hands, but required them to choose to go and do what needed to be done in order to rebuild His house.  Verse nine declares, Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.  God told them that the reason that their work seemed to come to so little was because they were putting all there work into personal success while ignoring the work of God.  We must never allow all our efforts to be invested in the things of this world while ignoring the things of God.  Verse ten adds, Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. Verse eleven continues, And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.  God said because of their failure to rebuild His house that He was withholding the dew that was needed for their crops.  God really didn't need a house, but the people needed it to show that the things of God came first with them.  God doesn't need anything from us today except our obedience in putting Him first if we are followers of Christ. 

Review of Zephaniah

We will do a quick review of Zephaniah.  First,  as with all prophets, it was made clear that this was God's word that was being proclaimed.  As Christians today, it is our responsibility to proclaim the gospel, God's plan for redemption, and to call people to faith in Jesus Christ and to obedience to God's word.  We also see that if a person or a nation who profess to be God's people turn away from Him that they will face His judgment instead of receiving His blessings.  God had richly blessed the people of Jerusalem and Judah, but because He had blessed them so much, they decided that they did not need Him and started worshipping false gods.  We cannot begin to believe as an individual or as a nation that God is going to bless us no matter what and start believing that we can follow other gods, whatever they may be.  We then see God's warning to the neighbors of Jerusalem and Judah who were intent on destroying her.  God may allow the enemies of His people to be victorious over them for a while, but His judgment has already been pronounced on them, because they refuse to accept Him as the only true God.  Finally, we see God's promise to the remnant of Israel, those who remained faithful to Him or returned to faithfulness in Him.  No matter how bad things got in the world, these were the people who continued to live by faith in God.  As Christians today we are a part of that remnant.  We are all a pert of God's everlasting kingdom.  The people of God in the Old Testament and the people of God In the New Testament times and since are all part of the same family, and we are all to live in accordance with His will.  Next, we will look at Haggai.

Zephaniah 3:14

Zephaniah 3:14 says, Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.  God called on the people of Isreal to rejoice.  This was a call to those who truly trusted in God.  We, as followers of Christ should daily rejoice in the Lord with all our heart.  Verse fifteen adds, The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.  God told the people of Israel why they should rejoice.  He had taken away His judgment against them, and He was their King living in the midst of them.  This is what happened when Jesus Christ came and died for our sins, and the Holy Spirit came to dwell in every believer.  We will no longer see evil one day when God establishes His everlasting kingdom.  Still, it is not a free pass on sin, but total forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Verse sixteen states, In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. God said that those who put their faith in Him would no longer need to live in fear of anything that might happen to them in this world.  This is still true for Christians today.  Verse seventeen adds, The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.  God said once again that He would be in the midst of those who were truly His people, and that He would rejoice over them.  He would save them and they would rejoice in His love.  We today as followers of Christ are saved by God and should rest in His love as well.  Verse eighteen declares, I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.  God said that He would gather those who were sorrowful and reproached by the world because of their faith in Him.  They were saddened by the lack of true worship and were scattered, but God would gather them again.  We should be saddened today by the lack of the worship of God in the world, but if we are His followers, even if the world reproaches us, He will gather us to Himself one day.  Verse nineteen adds, Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.  God said that when He gathered His people together that He would get them fame and praise and that those who had reproved them would be put to shame.  One day, every person who ever lived or ever will live will acknowledge God and those who are His, not to glorify them, but to glorify Him.  Verse twenty concludes, At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.  God promised to restore His people, those who put their faith in Him.  This is the promise to Christians today.  No matter what happens in this world, we have an everlasting victory through our faith in Jesus Christ. 

Zephaniah 3:8

Zephaniah 3:8 says, Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.  God told the people of Jerusalem to wait on Him, even in the midst of all the sin and idolatry.  God was still at work.  He was not going to just destroy everything without a way to salvation.  Matthew Henry says that since the law had failed that God would implement the plan that He knew from the time of creation would be necessary, and that was salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  Just as the people then had to wait in faith for the coming of Jesus Christ, we who are His followers today have to wait in faith for His return.  No matter how bad things may get in the world, we are to wait patiently on God.  Verse nine adds, For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.  God said that when He sent His Son for the salvation of the world that all who believed in Him would speak the pure language of God so that they might call on Him.  Matthew Henry says that those who are followers of Christ refine their language not by witty phrases but by having the substance of the wise in what they say.  We will not reach the lost of the world today with cute sayings, but can only reach them with the truth of the gospel.  Verse ten states, From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.  God said that those who had rejected Him, which would be everyone at one time, would return to Him in supplication and would be restored to Him.  The only way to come to God is in humble supplication to Jesus Christ.  It doesn't matter where we are physically in the world today, because God stands ready to receive anyone anywhere they may be.  Then,when we accept God's salvation, we should bring Him pure offerings.  Verse eleven adds, In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain. God said that the people who truly put their faith in Him would not be ashamed of it.  God also said that He would remove from their midst those who were filled with self-pride instead of being humbled before Him.  There is no room for self- righteousness in Christians.  We must humbly come to God by faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse twelve declares, I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.  God didn't say that He was going to leave rich and powerful people in their midst, but an afflicted and poor people.  Those who were left of the people of God would no longer be a powerful nation, but the remnant would be afflicted and poor.  God does not call us to material riches, but to a faithful relationship with Him.  Verse thirteen adds, The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. God said the remnant of Israel would no longer do sinful things or speak deceitful things, but instead they would eat and sleep secure in their faith in Him.  This applies to everyone who ever has or ever will come to God by faith. 

Zephaniah 3:1

 Zephaniah 3:1 says, Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!  God pronounced woe on Jerusalem, which instead of being truly the city of God had become spiritually filthy and polluted.  If we are to truly be a Christian nation, then we cannot allow ourselves to become spiritually filthy and polluted, and if we do, then we should expect God to pronounce His woe on us.  Jerusalem was supposed to be guided by God's law, but the people there had turned away from it.  Verse two declares, She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.  God gave a very bad assessment of the people of Jerusalem.   They did not obey His voice, would not receive correction and did not trust in the LORD.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we must also make Him Lord of our life, which means we must  obey His voice, which comes from the Holy Spirit indwelling us, receive His correction and put our trust in Him.  I believe that when we fully put our trust in God that we will never live in fear and doubt.  Verse three adds, Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow. God said that those in power in Jerusalem were like roaring lions and wolves.  They were ready to destroy anyone who did not give them what they wanted or who just had something that they desired.  These princes, or rulers, used their power for the destruction of the people instead of for their edification.  God calls on us as followers of Christ to present His word to the people of the world to edify them, and never to us our status as His people to attempt to destroy others.  Verse four continues, Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.  God had nothing good to say about the prophets and priests of Jerusalem.  The prophets only prophesied about what would make them look good to the people and not the hard truths of God.  Likewise, the priests had polluted God's sanctuary by bringing in the worship of idols and claiming that this was okay with God.  We today need preachers and teachers who proclaim the truth of God's word, no matter how hard it may be to hear.  Verse five states, The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.  God said that He was in their midst, which was what made them a special nation.  God was to be their God and they were to be His people, and God had never left or failed them.  It was the sins of the people that separated them from God.  As Christians, we should never allow the things of this world to come between God and us.  He is not some far away God, but He is in our midst, so much so that the Holy Spirit dwells within us.  Verse six adds, I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.  God said that they had the example of what He had done to the wicked nations around them.  He had cut them off and made them desolate.  Whatever success the people of Jerusalem had was due to God giving them victory over their enemies, but this did not mean that they could ignore His leadership and still be victorious.   We are victorious over sin because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and if we begin to stray away from His leadership, we will allow sin to have power over us once more.  Verse seven concludes, I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.  God said that He thought for sure that those who were called His people would receive His instruction, but instead they rose up early and corrupted all that they did.  If we turn away from God's guidance, everything we do will tend to become corrupted. 

Zephaniah 2:8

 Zephaniah 2:8 says, I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.  God now spoke about Moab and Ammon and how the people there had reproached the people of Isreal.  They basically mocked the people of Israel for their worship of God out of pride in their strength.  People who do not believe in God today often reproach, or ridicule, those who do.  God knows when this happens, and one day those who do this will be held accountable.  Verse nine declares, Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.  God said that Moab would be as Sodom and Ammon as Gomorrah, which meant that they were to be utterly destroyed.  This was not to be done by fire from heaven though, but by the remnant of the people of Israel.  God does not always accomplish His purpose in the same way, but when it comes to defeating sin and sinful people He will always be successful.  The ultimate defeat was obtained by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Verse ten adds, This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.  The underlying reason for God's condemnation of the people of Moab and Ammon was their self pride.  They felt that they were greater than Israel and that their gods were greater than the God of Israel.  Self pride often keeps people from surrendering their life to Christ and they often put down those who do accept Him.  Verse eleven continues, The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.  Zephaniah said God would be terrible to those who refused to believe in Him and who ridiculed those who did.  All the false gods would be destroyed, and when God comes in judgment one day, this will be true for all time.  Verse twelve states, Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.  God said that the people of Ethiopia would be destroyed by the sword.  God does not just judge some people who defy Him, but He condemns all who do.  Verse thirteen adds, And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.  God also said that He was going to destroy Assyria and Nineveh.  The people of Nineveh may have been spared in Jonah's day, but evidently they had once more turned away from God.  Just because a nation has been following God at one time does not mean that they always will. Verse fourteen continues, And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.  God said that Nineveh would become the home of wild birds.  Verse fifteen concludes, This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand. God said that the people of Nineveh had been filled with self-pride, but that they would become a source of derision to all who passed by after their destruction.  People today who are filled with self-pride and refuse to acknowledge God will one day meet the same fate.

Zephaniah 2:1

 Zephaniah 2:1 says, Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;  God begins by calling on the people of Israel to repent and return to Him. It was not God's desire to punish the people of Israel then, nor is it His desire to punish people today.  We, as followers of Christ, like the people of Israel then, should never be in the position where God has to call on us to gather ourselves together in our relationship to Him, but if He does, it will not be because He desires to punish us.  God always calls people to repentance and restoration with Him.  God's punishment only comes if people refuse His grace and mercy.  Verse two adds, Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’s anger come upon you. The people of Israel, God's chosen people, were called on to return to Him before He sent His punishment on them.  They were a nation not desired now, because they had strayed away from God.  We today in America call ourselves a Christian nation, but like Israel then, we need to return to God, otherwise we like them may face God's judgment.  We cannot just claim to be a Christian nation to secure God's protection, but we must truly follow God's laws and spread His word in order to be so.  We cannot just keep the laws of God that suit us and ignore the rest.  Verse three concludes, Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.  The people of Israel were called on to seek righteousness and meekness.  God does not expect His people to be arrogant in their relationship to other people, but He does expect them to be righteous because of their relationship to Him.  This is not self-righteousness, but righteousness because of obedience to God.  Verse four states, For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.  God then speaks of the destruction of those who were enemies of Israel, beginning with the Philistines, first with those along the coast Matthew Henry says.  The enemies of the people of Israel were enemies of God as well, and even though they were powerful, God was going to defeat them.  Verse five adds, Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.  As just stated, God's warning was to the Philistines along the coast.  It was a clear warning, that God was against them and He would destroy them.  It may seem that as followers of Christ the whole world is against us and being victorious, but God is still in charge, and as long as we live by faith in Him, He will one day destroy all our enemies.  Verse six continues, And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.  God said that the coast would once again be the dwelling place for shepherds.  These would be the people of Israel who were faithful to God.  Verse seven concludes, And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.  This states very clearly that God was going to restore this area to the remnant of Israel, those who had remained faithful to Him.  God has prepared a place for His people, and if we as Christians remain true to Him, then no matter what happens in the world today, He will bring us safely to that promised heavenly home.  Those who are the enemies of God and His people will be destroyed. 

Zephaniah 1:10

 Zephaniah 1:10 says, And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.  God said that the sound of defeat would be heard from gate to gate in Jerusalem when He sent His judgment.  The sound of the coming army would be heard in the hills and all around.  There is no safe place to escape the judgment of God when it comes.  Verse eleven adds, Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.  Even the closest inhabitants of the part of the city that was supposed to be the safest would be howling in distress and defeat.  Verse rwelve states, And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.  God said that He would search out the city and find those who said basically that He could or would not do anything, either good or bad.  They were saying in effect that God was not in charge or that He did not exist.  There are many people today who claim the same thing, but just like the people of Israel and Jerusalem, one day they will find out how wrong they are.  Verse thirteen declares, Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.  God said that all of their work was to be of no use to them.  The people of Judah and Jerusalem would not live in the houses that they built nor drink the wine from the vineyards that they planted.  We may gain enormous wealth in life today, but even if we just work to meet our everyday needs, if we do not accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord it will be useless when we face God in judgment.  Verse fourteen adds, The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.  The people were warned that God's judgment was near and that the mighty men would cry bitterly.  People may think that they are mighty in the world today, but when they face God's judgment without a relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, they will be crying bitterly.  Verse fifteen continues, That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,  Just as God said that the day of judgment on the people then would be a day of desolation and darkness, so wil God's final judgment be for the lost people of the world.  Verse sixteen says, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.  God said that the trumpets would sound the alarm, but it would already be to late.  When God's judgment comes, whether it be by death or the return of Christ, it will be too late to sound the alarm.  Verse seventeen declares, And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.  God said that the people of Judah and Jerusalem would be like blind men and their blood would be poured out, because they had sinned against Him.  God cannot simply ignore sin, but He does make salvation possible for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Those who refuse to are spiritually blind and will suffer the punishment of God one day.  Verse eighteen adds, Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.  God said that none of the riches of this world could save them, and neither can they today. 

Zephaniah 1:1

Zephaniah 1:1 says, The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.  Matthew Henry says that Zephaniah was the last prophet before the captivity of the people of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, and Jeremiah was the first prophet during their captivity.   Zephaniah said that the word of the LORD came to him in the days of Joash, king of Judah.  What Zephaniah was going to tell them was God's word, and what we as followers of Christ today must share with the world is God's word.  Verse two states, I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.  Zephaniah said that God had said that He was going to destroy everything in the  land of Judah.  This was not to be just an arbitrary act on the part of God, but was due to the sins of the people of Judah.  Verse three adds, I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.  God said this was to be a complete destruction of the land, of the people, the animals, the fish and the fowl of the air.  This is a figurative statement of complete destruction.  Since the people of Judah had perverted the use of the animals that God had provided for them, He was going to take them away.  If we begin to misuse the things that God blesses us with, we should not be surprised if He takes them away.  Verse four declares, I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;  God said that He was going to cut off all the worship of Baal and other false gods, and the priests who proclaimed their word.  One day, God is likewise going to cut off all the false gods of today and the people who follow them.  Verse five adds, And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;  God said He would also cut off those who worshipped the heavens claiming to worship God.  There is no room for the worship of any of God's creation as well as any man made idol in our relationship with God.  Verse six declares, And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired for him.  Zephaniah was specific in who God said was going to be destroyed and why.  The had turned their back on God and no longer sought Him.  These were God's chosen people, but they had rejected Him.  The only way to salvation is through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and yet too many people have turned their back on Him and refuse to seek His will in their life.  Verse seven adds, Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.  God called on the people of Judah to be prepared, because He was coming in judgment.  Those who had offered up false sacrifices would themselves become a sacrifice to God.  If we worship false gods, then when God's judgment comes,we will be given up to everlasting punishment, or sacrificed by God to the penalty for our sins.  Verse eight adds, And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.  God said those in power would be punished for their sins.  These were the people who were supposed to be leading Judah and Jerusalem to God, but instead they were leading them away from Him.  Verse nine concludes, In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.  God said that no one who had turned away from Him would escape His coming punishment.  Matthew Henry says that leap upon the threshold likely meant entering a neighbors home to steal from them.  It doesn't matter if we are rich or poor, if we are guilty of sin in our life, God will punish it.  Our only hope is to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, since He has already paid the penalty for our sins.

Amos Review

 We will review what we learned from Amos.  First, we see that God calls ordinary people to proclaim or preach His word.  Amos was not a priest or an educated man, nor was he the son of one.  He was a herdsman.  We should look more at whether God called someone to preach today than we do at their education or family history.  Of course, if we are a Christian, then we are also called to share the gospel with others.  Next, we see that God uses ordinary things to reveal His word and accomplish His purpose.  God does not need a great army to defeat His enemies, but can do it with something as lowly as a grasshopper.  We also learned that we should be interceding with God on behalf of the lost.  Ultimately, it is their choice whether or not to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, but we need to be praying that they will do so before it is too late.  We then see that God punishes those who stand against Him and His people.  I believe that God will one day punish all those who refuse to accept His salvation plan, and that He will especially punish those who harm His prophets, or I believe we could say preachers today.  Yet, we also see that God will punish those who profess to be His people, but who instead worship idols, or the things of this world.   Simply claiming to be a part of God's family and not giving up the worship of the things of this world is not enough.  We must truly put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord in order to be saved, and then we must put God's will first in all that we do.  Finally, we learned that God will preserve or protect those who are truly His.  God said that He would protect the remnant of the people of Israel who were still true to Him and return them to the land that He had given them.  God will always protect those who are really His, and one day He will bring us home to Heaven, our everlasting home.  Next, we are going to look at the book of Zephaniah. 

Amos 9:9

 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 told Amos that He was going to sift Isreal like corn.  The purpose of sifting is to separate the good grain from the bad, and God said that none of the good would fall upon the earth.  The people of Israel were going to be shaken, but those who were faithful to God would still be protected by God.  Even if we as followers of Christ today are shaken by the things going on around us, God will always keep us from falling as long as we remain faithful to Him.  Verse ten adds, All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.  God said that the sinners of His people, those who were His in name only, would die by the sword. These were the people of Israel who thought that nothing bad could happen in the because they felt that simply by being born into the nation of Israel meant that God would always have to protect them, even if they were allowing themselves to worship other gods.  We cannot expect God to protect us from the evil in the world today if we only accept Him as our protector and do not acknowledge Him as the only God that there is.  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:  God said that there was coming a day when He would restore the tabernacle of David, close the breaches, and raise it up from the ruins.  This was not just a physical restoration that God was speaking of, but was the promise of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.  God does not call us to a physical relationship with promises of great wealth, but to a spiritual relationship with a cross to take up daily.  Verse twelve adds, 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.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, God's kingdom was and is going to expand not just in Israel, but to the uttermost parts of the world.  If America, or Israel, or any nation is special to God today, it is not because the people of that nation are more deserving of God's blessings, but it is because the people are obedient to God through their relationship with Jesus Christ.  Because of that relationship, God will use them to reach out to all lost people everywhere.  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.  God said that the people of Israel, who had remained true to Him, would be blessed with an abundance that would never run out.  We as followers of Christ are blessed by an abundance of God's grace that will never run out.  This does not mean a material abundance, but a spiritual one.  I believe that we should never attempt to make Christianity about material wealth or blessings.   Anything that we gain in this world will one day be done away with, except for our relationship to Jesus Christ and the things that we do to advance His kingdom and to glorify our heavenly Father.  Verse fourteen adds, 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 said that His restored kingdom would be well populated.  Though most people may never accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, many people will, and they will be the ones populating God's kingdom, which is a heavenly kingdom.  Verse fifteen concludes, 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.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we will be planted forever in God's kingdom.  Nothing can pull us out of that kingdom, because we are secured by the power of God. 

Amos 9:1

 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.  Amos said he saw the Lord, or God, standing on the altar.  We should not be surprised to find God at the altar, but we should also hope that we find Him there because we are meeting Him in sincere worship.  Matthew Henry said this was to show the people that His controversy with them was their idolatry.  God told Amos to smite the lintel so that it would cut the people who came in to the altar on the head, and then God was going to destroy the place and all that went in and out.  Verse two adds, Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:  God told Amos that there was no place between hell and heaven that they could escape.  In hell, we cannot escape God, nor can we escape His judgment by attempting to get to heaven by our own power.  Verse three continues, 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:  God also told Amos that there was no place on earth, from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the sea where they could escape His punishment.  There is still no place to escape God's judgment today except by faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  We may call ourselves God's people, but if we do not have that personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then there will be no place to hide from God when His judgment comes.  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.  God said that even if the people of Israel were captured by the enemy that they would still face His judgment.  They might have thought that God would rescue them from captivity, but He said that He would still send His judgment on them.  The people of Israel were to be punished for their idolatry, and so will everyone who puts their faith in idols today, even if they proclaim to be Christians.  Verse five adds, 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 told Amos to let the people know that it was God Who was behind their punishment.  As followers of Christ, we may suffer at the hands of the world today, but we should never be in a position where God has to send His punishment on us.  If we allow the things of this world to come between God and us, then we should not expect Him to protect us from the world.  Verse six declares,  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.  God left no doubt about Who He is.  He is the Creator of it all.  If we begin to place too much importance on the things of this world, then we need to remember Whom they belong to.  It is all God's and always will be.  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?  God asked if the people of Israel thought they were more valuable to God than people of other nations simply because of where they were born.  We may sometimes act as though we as Christians are better than other people and feel that because we profess to be God's people that this makes God love us more and have to protect us, but we are all just sinners saved by grace.  We are not followers of Christ because we are special, but we are special because we are followers of Christ.  Verse eight declares, 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 said that His eye was on them and He saw that they were a sinful kingdom.  He then said that He was going to destroy them, except for that remnant that was still faithful to Him.  God will always distinguish between those who are truly His by faith and those who are His by word alone.  If we are truly followers of Christ, then no matter what happens in this world, we are safe in the arms of God. 

Amos 8:9

 Amos 8:9 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 the people of Isreal might look out and think that they had plenty of daylight left to do what they wanted to do, but that He would cause the sun to go down in the middle of the day and darkness to come over the earth.  I believe that God was saying that He was in charge of when judgment was coming on them, and they only had the time He gave them to repent and return to Him.  We today may feel that we have plenty of time left to make things right with God, but time may run out for us any second.   Verse ten adds, 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.  God said when He sent His judgment on them, that all their feasts would become times of mourning and their songs would become songs of lamentation.  He also said that they would go through the acts of repentance, but it would be too late.  God said that their mourning would be like that of the death of an only son.  When God's judgment comes, no matter how much people may mourn, if they have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, it will be too late.  Verse eleven declares, 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:  God said that He was going to send a famine on the land, not of food and water, but a famine for hearing the word of God.  Matthew Henry says this means that there was coming a time when there would be few true prophets proclaiming God's word.  I don't believe that this means that God was deliberately withholding His word, but that there would be very few who were willing to proclaim His word.  We need preachers today who proclaim the truth of God's word, but more and more people are living in spiritual starvation.  They do not hunger and thirst after God's word.  Verse twelve adds, 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.  God said in that day that people would run everywhere seeking His word, but they would not find it.  I believe that this means that they would be looking for God's word everywhere but in a personal relationship with Him.  We may search everywhere in the world for an understanding of God's word, but until we come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ, we will not find it.  Verse thirteen states, In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.  God said that when His judgment came upon them that the young people, those who should be the strongest, would faint from thirst.  I believe this means that they would faint not from physical thirst, but from the spiritual thirst that God had just spoken of.  No matter how strong we may be physically, if we are not hungering and thirsting after God's word, we will faint spiritually, and our spiritual relationship to God is all that really matters.  Verse fourteen adds, 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.  God said that those who swore by, or put their faith in, false gods would fall and never rise again.  If a person puts their faith in anything but God, allowing it to be their god instead of faith in Jesus Christ as their God, when God's judgment comes, they will fall into the punishment of sin, never to rise again out of it.  This is true not only for those when judgment comes, but also for anyone who dies between now and the day of God's coming judgment.  If we reject Jesus Christ in this life, then He will reject us when God's final judgment comes. 

Amos 8:1

Amos 8:1 says, Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit.  God showed Amos another vision, this time a basket of summer fruit.   None of the things that God showed Amos were anything out of the ordinary, but God used them to reveal His message.   We may not need to look for extraordinary things today to find God's truth, but instead may simply need to look for His truth in the ordinary things of life as we live under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse two adds, 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. Amos said God asked him what he saw, and he said a basket of summer fruit.  Amos did not see anything special about the basket of summer fruit, and Matthew Henry says we may not always immediately understand a vision that God may give to us.  The basket of summer fruit only gained significance when God revealed its meaning to Amos.   It signified that the time for the judgment of Israel was at hand.  We are told of many signs that will occur before the return of Christ, but we must interpret them with God's guidance to really understand how relevant they are to the second coming.  Verse three continues, 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.  God told Amos that instead of being a place of safety that the temple would be a place of howling, and it would be full of dead bodies.  The people of Israel had perverted the temple of God, and the idols that they had filled it with could not protect them from the judgment of God and the death that was coming.  Church buildings, especially if they are filled with man made idols, cannot protect us from spiritual death, but only a real relationship with Jesus Christ can.  Verse four declares, Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,  Once more, God called on those who mistreated the poor and needy to listen to Him.  God always has a concern for the poor and needy, and we need to ask what He thinks of our treatment of them today.  Verse five adds, 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?  God said that the only concern of the people of Israel was making more money, even by dishonest means.  They did not see holy days as a time to rest and worship, but only as a time that they were impatient to have pass so they could get back to making money.  We need to ask how we view the sabbath, ot in our case the Lord’s day today.   Are our thoughts on God and worshipping Him, or are we still filled with thoughts and concerns about what we are going to do tomorrow?  Verse six continues, That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?  God said that their thoughts were always centered on how to get the most of the things of this world at the expense of the poor and needy.  I believe that God expects us to have compassion on the poor and needy of the world today, and also to be honest in our dealings with everyone.  Gaining more material wealth should not be our primary focus in life, but obedience to God should be.  Verse seven states, The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.  God swore by the excellency of Jacob, or by Jacob's relationship with Him, that He would not forget any of their deceitful works.  Unless we accept salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God will hold us accountable for our sins when Jesus Christ returns in judgment.  All the false worship in the world will not save us,but we will be judged by that relationship alone.  Verse eight asks, 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 asked if the land of Israel would not tremble at this coming judgment.  God said that those who were called His people but who had turned away from Him would be cast out or the promised land.  Simply calling ourselves followers of Christ without a personal relationship with Him will cause us to be cast out of the promised land of Heaven when God's judgment comes.

Amos 7:10

 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 shown nothing but good will toward the people of Israel, making Intercession to God for them when he revealed His plan to bring destruction on them.  Instead of being grateful, Amaziah the priest of Bethel went to the king accusing Amos of conspiring against the king.  Matthew Henry said this was because Amos prophesied without license from Amaziah and also prophesied against him.  Some so called religious leaders today become very upset if someone speaks out against what they are preaching and teaching because it is not consistent with what God's word teaches.   Verse eleven adds, For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.  Amaziah said that Amos was prophesying that Jeroboam would be killed by the sword and Israel would be taken away captive.  He did not say that Amos said that this was because of their sins and that they needed to repent and return to God to possibly avoid this.  Some people will always be more concerned about their position in the world than they are about their relationship to God.  Verse twelve declares, 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 tried to send Amos away to the land of Judah to prophesy.  He had been unsuccessful in getting the king to take action against Amos, so he tried his own method to get rid of him, by telling him that he was in the wrong place to prophesy.  We as Christians must go where God sends us and proclaim the word that He gives us, whether people want to listen to us or not.  Verse thirteen adds, 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 to no longer prophesy in Bethel, because it was the king’s chapel and court.  He was wrong though, because it was God's chapel and court, even if it had been corrupted by the religious leaders.  We should never begin to believe that the things of God belong to us to do with as we please.  Verse fourteen declares, 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 answered Amaziah by saving that he had not been a prophet nor a prophet’s son.  We are not born into a calling from God, but we are called from wherever we are and from whatever we are doing.  Verse fifteen adds, And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.  Amos said that as he was following the flock that God took him and told him to go and prophesy.  When we go to proclaim God's word today, it must be because the Holy Spirit has taken us and sent us.  We can never just go under our own power or by our own calling.  Verse sixteen proclaims, 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 called on Amaziah to hear the word of God that He had for Amaziah because he had told Amos not to prophesy in Israel.  Verse seventeen adds, 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.  God said that Amaziah's family was going to be destroyed and that Amaziah would die in  polluted land,because they would not listen to God.  No matter who may oppose us today when we proclaim the gospel and teach God's law, we can never change our message. 

Amos 7:1

 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 said that God showed him in a vision what was going to happen to the latter growth.  God was going to send grasshoppers to destroy it.  God doesn't need an army to accomplish His purpose, but often uses the simple things of nature to do so.  Verse two adds, 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 said that after he saw the results of the grasshoppers destroying the crops, he asked God how Jacob would arise, or get up again, because he was small.  Matthew Henry says Jacob referred to the people of Israel who still believed in God, and Amos was making intercession to God for them. We are not wrong to intercede with God when we see Christians suffering today.  Verse three declares, The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.  Matthew Henry says this does not mean that God changed His mind but that He chose to change His method out of mercy instead of wrath.  We can either face God out of His mercy through putting our faith in Jesus Christ, or we can face His wrath if we don't.  Verse four states, 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 said God next showed him that He was going to destroy the people of Israel by fire.  God has already shown us the fate of those who refuse His gift of salvation, and that is everlasting punishment separated from Him.  Verse five adds, Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.  Amos once again interceded for the people out of concern for their survival.  We need to have that same concern for people today and intercede for them in prayer that they might accept the salvation that God provides.  Verse six declares, The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.  God once again granted Amos' request.  We will never get God to excuse or overlook sin, but our prayers may delay His judgment long enough for people to repent and come to Him.  Verse seven says, Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.  God then showed Amos a vision of Himself standing on a wall with a plumbline.  This was not a vision of destruction, but was still one of holding the people of Israel to a standard.  Though we will not be destroyed if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are still held to a standard, and that is obedience to God's word and direction in our lives.  Verse eight adds, 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 what he saw, and Amos replied a plumb line.  We may only see something as an ordinary thing if we do not look to God for His revelation of what it means when He is showing us a vision of what He wants us to do.  God told Amos that He was now going to hold people to His standard.  Verse nine concludes, 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.  God said that those who were not found to be straight and true by the plumbline, which was faith in and obedience to Him, would be destroyed.  Today, Jesus is our plumbline.  It is only through obedience to God through faith in Jesus Christ that we can be made straight with God.

Amos 6;8

 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.  God swore by Himself, because there was and is no greater One to swear by.  God is the ultimate authority, and if He commits Himself to something by His word, there is no power that can overrule Him.  God said that He hated the houses of the people of Judah and Israel because they were built on false gods.  Verse nine adds, And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.  God said that those who escaped the sword would still die by famine or some other means.  People today may escape one tragedy, but they will not escape death, and if they have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, then they will face everlasting separation from God.  Verse ten continues, 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.   Matthew Henry says that the fact that an uncle was burying someone meant that there were no closer kin to do so and that the younger people were dead, since the uncle would be an older man.  We are told that those who were left, what few they were, would not be allowed to even speak the name of God.  I believe that this may have been because they still were not calling out to Him in repentance and faith, but were calling out to Him thinking He would have to save them no matter what since they were His people in name.  God does not have to save anyone no matter whether they profess to have put their faith in Jesus Christ or not.  Someone may call themself a Christian, but unless his or her relationship with Jesus Christ is real, they will find that God is not obligated to save them because of an empty claim to be His.  Verse eleven states, For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.  Amos said that God had pronounced His judgment on them and that it would be carried out.  God has pronounced His judgment on those who will not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and one day it will be carried out.  Of this we can be certain.  Verse twelve asks, 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:  God asked what it would accomplish to attempt to grow things on rocks.  Matthew Henry says this refers to the people of Judah and Israel refusing to allow God to turn their hearts into fallow ground.   Verse thirteen adds, Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?  God sends His warning to those who believe that they have been successful by their own strength and not by His power and blessings.  Some people today say that they really don't need God because they are being successful by their own abilities, but one day they will find out how wrong they are.   Verse fourteen declares, 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.  God said He was raising up an nation to defeat the people of Israel.  Once they stopped being obedient to their part of the covenant relationship with God, they sacrificed His protection and earned His punishment instead.  We cannot expect God's protection in the world today, even if we have become His through accepting Jesus Christ, if we are then not obedient to His leadership.  Again, we will not lose our salvation if we have it, but we can certainly lose all the peace and joy that our salvation should bring.  We cannot expect God to just bless us or matter what. 

Amos 6:1

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!  God pronounced His woe on those who trusted in the mountains of Samaria to keep them safe.  This was a physical barrier between them and other nations.  Because of this, they were at ease in Zion, but they were not following God and His word.  We may be at ease in the world today because of material blessings, but if we are not following God and His word, then He will pronounce His woe to us.  Verse two adds, 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?  God called on the people of Judah and Israel to look around at these nations that had once been stronger than them and were now defeated and in ruins.  God asked if Israel were greater physically than these nations were and the answer was no.  Israel was never a powerful nation because of her military might, but were so because of the blessings of God, and the same is true of Christians today.  Verse three states, Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;  God said that they thought that they could put aside the day of evil, or judgment.  God's judgment will be a day of evil for those who are not saved, and though people may not want to believe it, that day will come.  For many people, it will come today, since we cannot change our relationship to God once we die.  Verse four adds, 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;  God said that they were living the life of ease and luxury and felt that this was their right and that it would always continue.  We should never put our faith in the things of this world, nor feel that if we are materially blessed that it is our right as Christians.   Verse five continues, That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;  God said that the people were making music that they claimed was to worship Him as David did.  Yet, this was done simply to satisfy their carnal lusts Matthew Henry says.  We need to make sure that what we do in the name of worshipping God is not done simply to satisfy our carnal lusts.  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.  God said that they drank wine by the bowl full and anointed themselves with experience ointments, and yet were not concerned with those around them who were in need.  We should never feel that God has blessed us simply for our own benefit, but must use all that He blesses us with under His guidance.   I don't believe this will ever lead to self indulgence.  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.  God said the people who had felt safe and rich would be the first to go into captivity.  Our material status in the world will never exempt us from God's judgment.   

Amos 5:14

 Amos 5:14 says, 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.  To seek good and other evil calls for making a decision, and after we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we must do as the people of Israel were called on to do, and that is to seek good.  Once we accept Him, the Holy Spirit will always lead us to do good.  Verse fifteen adds, 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.  Amos told the people of Israel that God called on them to hate evil and love good and if they did, God would be gracious to the remnant of Israel.  If we want God to be gracious to us today, we need to hate evil and love good.  We, like they, are also called on to establish honest judgment in all our interactions with others.  Verse sixteen states, Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.  God said because of the sins of the people of Israel that they were about to face His judgment.  If we do not accept God's gracious gift of salvation, then one day we will face His judgment.  Verse seventeen adds, And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.  God said their wailing would be everywhere because God was going to pass through in judgment of them.  Verse eighteen says, Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.  The people of Israel thought that when the day of God's judgment came that He would restore them, but God said this was not the case.  Like the people of Israel, many people today think that as long as they call themselves God's people that He has to bless them in all that they do, and yet they still worship the things of the world ahead of Him.  Verse nineteen states, As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.  God said that they might escape one dangerous situation, but they were not safe as long as they continued to sin against God.  Verse twenty asks, Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?  When God came in judgment, He asked if the people thought it would be a time of light, then answered by saying that it would be a time of very great darkness.  Anytime we are out of God's will, we will be wandering around in a great spiritual darkness.  Verse twenty-one declares, I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.  God said He hated what the people of Israel were calling worship, and we need to insure today that our worship is not something God hates.  We must make sure that it glorifies God.  Verse twenty-two continues, 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.  God will never accept our offerings if they are given for the wrong reason or with the wrong attitude.  Verse twenty-three declares, Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.  God said that they should not even play music to Him, because He wouldn't hear it.  We need to make sure the music we use to worship God is acceptable to Him.  Verse twenty-four adds, But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.  Like God called on the people of Israel to let judgment and righteousness to flow freely, so does He call on us to do today.   Verse twenty-five asks, Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?  God asked if the people of Israel offered Him sacrifices in the wilderness.  The answer for the most part was no.  God wanted their obedience to Him and not just empty sacrifices that they were offering.  If we are not following God's teachings, then whatever we do in the name of worshipping Him will never be acceptable.   Verse twenty-six adds, But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.  God said instead of worshipping Him that they had allowed idols to become the focus of their worship.  Verse twenty-seven concludes, Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.  God said He would cause them to go into captivity, and if we do not accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our life, one day God will cause us to go away into everlasting captivity in hell.

Amos 5:1

 Amos 5:1 says, Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.  God through Amos called on the people of Israel to hear the word that He had against them.   I believe that God will always let us know when we are doing something that He does not approve of if we are followers of Christ.  Verse two adds, The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.  Israel, when the people were obedient to God, was like a virgin bride to Him, but now because of sin they had fallen away and could not get back up by their own power.  When we come to God through faith in Jesus Christ, we are washed clean, but if we allow sin back into our lives, we cannot restore ourselves to Him by our own abilities.   We will not lose our salvation, but we will certainly lose our effectiveness as witnesses for Christ and the joy of our salvation.  Verse three states, 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.  God said that the number of people in Israel was going to be greatly reduced7.  Only ten percent were to remain.  This is why God said that His word here would be a lamentation.  It is truly sad that those who claim to accept God often only accept Him by word and not real faith.  Verse four declares, For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:  God told the people of Israel, His chosen people, to seek Him and they would live.  God today calls on all people to seek Him if they would live spiritually.  Verse five adds, 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.  God warned them not to go to the places that were associated with worshipping Him because they had been corrupted and would be destroyed.  Verse five declares, 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.  Instead of going to a place, God called on the people of Israel to seek Him.  When we sincerely seek God, He will be found.  Verse seven adds, Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,  God called the people of Israel out for their hypocrisy.  They had turned His truth into something unrighteous by misusing it.  We need to make sure that as Christians we do not misuse God's word for our own benefit.  Verse eight continues, 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:  God called on them to seek the only true God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.  God is the only God.  Veree nine says, That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.  The people of Israel had begun to worship idols in the house of God, and they had lost His protection and instead faced His judgment.  We must never allow the things of this world to corrupt our worship of God.  If we do, we like the people of Israel were warned will lose His protection.  Verse ten states, They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.  God said that the people of Israel, His chosen people, hated to hear the truth of His word.  People of the world today are often so set against God that they cannot bear to hear His word, but we need to insure that we as Christians are not that way.  Verse eleven adds, 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 warned them that the riches that they had gotten by oppressing and mistreating the poor would not last.  If we attempt to use our relationship with God for our own gain with no concern for others, what we gain by doing so will never last.  Verse twelve declares, 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.  God said that the sins of the people of Israel were manifold, or numerous.  They mistreated the just and the poor.  Verse thirteen adds, Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.  Matthew Henry says that even though the prophets can never keep silent  that it was prudent for other believers to keep silent.  Though I don't believe that we should ever be silent in proclaiming the gospel as we are led to do so by the Holy Spirit, there may be issues in the world that it does us no good to continue to speak out against.  It is only the things of God that we are to never be silent about.

Amos 4:1

 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.  God called those who oppressed the poor people of Isreal kine, or cattle.  He said that they went out of their way to oppress the poor.  They crushed the poor with unreasonable demands.  God always holds those who oppress the poor accountable.  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 warned those who were mistreating the poor people so badly that their day of judgment was coming.  We cannot oppress the poor today and expect God not to notice and hold us accountable one day.  Verse three adds, 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 said that the oppressors would look for a way to escape but that there would be none.  Verse four states, Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:  The people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to idols instead of God, and He called on them to increase their sacrifices if they thought it would bring them relief.  Whatever we put before our relationship with God, no matter how much we may increase our devotion to or worship of it, will never bring us relief from the judgment of God.  Verse five adds, 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.  The people were going through the motions of worshipping God, but they had no real relationship with Him.  Empty worship, no matter how often we practice it, will never make us right with God, but in fact will only lead us farther from Him.  Verse six 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.  God said that He had left them without enough bread to eat in order to get them to return to Him, but they had not.  Being in need does not mean that a person is in a right relationship with God.  Sometimes God may leave a person in need, especially those who call themselves His people who are not truly following Him, in order to get to get them to return to Him.  Verse seven adds, 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 said that He had withheld the rain so their crops failed.  God was sending them warnings and they were ignoring Him and looking to false gods for hope.  God sends everyone enough warning to know that they need to come to Him for salvation and everlasting security, but the majority of people look for it everywhere but through God's salvation plan.   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 said that the people from two or three cities were gathering together in one city hoping to find relief but that there was none to be found.  When we cut ourselves off from God, there will never be an lasting peace and satisfaction, no matter how many other people we join together with.  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.  God said that He had caused their crops to be destroyed, and they still did not return to Him.  Verse ten adds, 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 nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.  God said that He had even allowed the young men of Israel to be defeated and die in war, but the people still would not return to Him.  Many people today are just as obstinate in their refusal to come to God.   Verse eleven declares, 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.  God said He had sent destruction on them as He had on Sodom and Gomorrah, yet they still refused to return to Him.  God also said that those that He had rescued would not return to Him.  God has rescued every person from the horror of hell, and all they have to do is put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord to claim this salvation, but many still look everywhere but to God for salvation.   Verse twelve adds, Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.  God again gives the people of Israel a warning about what He was about to do to them.  No one will ever be able to claim that God did not give them a warning about what is going to happen if they refuse His gift of salvation.   Verse thirteen continues, 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.  God said that He was the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and that He was the only One Who could bring them redemption.  If we do not look to God for salvation today we will never find it.  God provided the only way to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and He calls everyone to this free gift of salvation, but too many refuse His gift and continue to look elsewhere for redemption and peace.