Introduction to Amos chapter 3

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/31/2015 10:43 PM

My Worship Time                                                             Focus:  Introduction to Amos Chapter 3

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Amos 3:1-15

            Message of the verses:  “1 Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt: 2  "You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." 3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? 4 Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something? 5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it? Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all? 6 If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it? 7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets. 8 A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?

   “9 Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the oppressions in her midst. 10 “But they do not know how to do what is right," declares the LORD, "these who hoard up violence and devastation in their citadels." 11 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "An enemy, even one surrounding the land, Will pull down your strength from you And your citadels will be looted." 12  Thus says the LORD, "Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away-With the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch! 13 “Hear and testify against the house of Jacob," Declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts. 14 “For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions, I will also punish the altars of Bethel; The horns of the altar will be cut off And they will fall to the ground. 15 “I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house; The houses of ivory will also perish And the great houses will come to an end," Declares the LORD.”

            In Dr. Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on the book of Amos he entitles the second chapter of his commentary which is commenting on the third chapter of Amos “Listen To What God Says” and it covers all fifteen verses from this third chapter of Amos.  As we read over these fifteen verses we can understand why he chose that title for this chapter in Amos for God has a lot to say in this third chapter of Amos.  In the first paragraph we see eight questions that God asks and then in the second paragraph there are only statements from the Lord to Israel.

            In 3:1; 4:1; and 5:1 we see the same thing “Hear this word” and with this statement we will see three messages, the first one is what we will be looking at from chapter three.  God is telling the people of Israel through Amos to listen up for they have not been listening to Him and now since Amos has their attentions he will give them these three messages from the Lord. 

            When God speaks to us it is a good thing, but with His speaking to us there is also a great responsibility.  The writer to the Hebrews writes “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb. 3:7-8).  Let us also look at Psalm 95:7-11 “7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness, 9 “When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work. 10 “For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. 11 “Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest.’”

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “The first message (Amos 3:1-15) was one of explanation, in which Amos clarified four divine calls and announced that Israel’s judgment was certain.  His second message (4:1-13) focused on accusation in which the prophet denounced Israel’s sins.  The final message (5:1-6:14) was a lamentation as the prophet felt the anguish of his nation’s certain doom.

            “In this first message, Amos explains the significance of four divine calls.”  We will look at the first divine call in our next SD on the book of Amos:  “God called Israel (Amos 3:1-2).”

8/31/2015 11:04 PM