Amos 3:1 says, Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, Next God pronounces the judgment of Israel. These were the rest of God's chosen people. Verse two adds, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. God said that since He knew them alone in a covenant relationship that He would punish them for their iniquities, or sins. Though our salvation is secure through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are not free to sin without being held accountable. Verse three asks, Can two walk together, except they be agreed? God asked the people of Israel if two people could walk together, I believe peaceable without arguing or fighting, if they did not agree with one another. Verse four asks, Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? God asked if a lion would roar with no prey. God had sent His warnings to the people of Isreal because like the roaring lion they had become a prey to Him because of their rebellion against Him. Verse five asks, Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? God said by this question that it was the sins of the people of Israel that had become a snare to them and that they had been caught in the snare. There are many snares of sin 8n the world today, and as followers of Christ we need to make sure that we don't fall into them. Verse six asks, Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? God asked if the trumpet would sound without the people being afraid, and yet He had sounded the trumpet through the words of the prophets and the people of Israel were not afraid. If God sends us a warning today that we have allowed sin back into our lives, as Christians, then we should be afraid. Verse seven declares, Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The people of Israel may have felt that God would do nothing to judge or punish them, but the prophets that He sent knew the truth. People of the world today, those who are not followers of Christ may believe that God will never judge and punish them for their disobedience, but we as followers of Christ must tell them the truth of the gospel. Verse eight asks, The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy? If a person hears a lion roar near them, will they not be afraid? Likewise, when God speaks His judgment against people they should be even more afraid. There are many things in life that may bring fear into our lives, but none should be as great as the fear of facing God in judgment without forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. Verse nine declares, Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. God said let the Philistines and the Egyptians know that He was going to punish Israel for her sins. It was not these nations that Israel needed to fear, but it was God's judgment, and we today do not need to fear other nations but need to fear the judgment of God. Verse ten adds, For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their places. God called on these other nations to observe why He was going to punish Israel. The people of Israel had lost the ability to know what was right and were storing up violence in her cities. Verse eleven declares, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. God said that Israel was to be defeated, and if we who profess to be Christians do not listen to and obey God's word, then we should not be surprised if He allows us to be defeated in this world. Verse twelve adds, Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. God said that a few might escape the initial slaughter, but even if they did there would be no safe place to hide. Apart from God, there is no place of safety today. Verse thirteen states, Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, God called on the people of Israel to hear His warning, just as He calls on the lost and those who have back slidden today to hear His warning. Verse fourteen continues, That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. God said that when He sent His judgment that the places of worship in Isreal would be destroyed, since the people had perverted them anyway. We must be careful that we never pervert houses of worship today. Verse fifteen concludes, And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD. God said that all the great houses of the people of Israel were to be destroyed as well. If we build up great wealth today as Christians, but do so outside the will of God, then we need to be ready for its destruction, if not in this lifetime, then in the everlasting life to come. We cannot allow anything to come between God and us.
No comments:
Post a Comment