SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/28/2015
10:33 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-3 Judgment on Israel
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Amos 2:9-16
Message of the
verses: “9 "Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, Though
his height was like the height of cedars And he was strong as the oaks; I even
destroyed his fruit above and his root below. 10 “It was I who brought you up
from the land of Egypt, And I led you in the wilderness forty years That you
might take possession of the land of the Amorite. 11 “Then I raised up some of
your sons to be prophets And some of your young men to be Nazirites. Is this
not so, O sons of Israel?" declares the LORD. 12 “But you made the
Nazirites drink wine, And you commanded the prophets saying, ’You shall not
prophesy!’ 13 “Behold, I am weighted down beneath you As a wagon is weighted
down when filled with sheaves. 14 “Flight will perish from the swift, And the
stalwart will not strengthen his power, Nor the mighty man save his life. 15 “He
who grasps the bow will not stand his ground, The swift of foot will not
escape, Nor will he who rides the horse save his life. 16 “Even the bravest
among the warriors will flee naked in that day," declares the LORD.”
In verses nine through sixteen Amos goes back to tell
Israel of their glorious past and we will look at this past as Amos speaks of
it. In verse nine Amos speaks of how the
Lord had destroyed the Amorites even though they were very large people and
then in verse ten he reminds Israel of how the Lord brought them all out of
Egypt and cared for them while they were in the wilderness. Remember that they were in the wilderness for
forty years because of their sin of unbelief.
Next we see how the Lord destroyed the nations that were in the Promised
Land beginning with the city of Jericho where the spies learned from Rahab the
harlot that the nations in the Promised Land were frightened of the children of
Israel because of what the Lord had done to the Egyptians. Next Amos speaks of giving both Nazirites and
also prophets to the people, but the people spoiled the Nazirites by giving
them wine, something they were not suppose to drink while they were involved in
the Nazirite vows. Next he tells them that they would not listen to the
prophets that the Lord had given to them as they told the prophets not to
speak.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “Amos closed his message with the
announcement of their terrible future
(Amos 2:13-16). Israel would be crushed
by their own sins just as a loaded cart crushes whatever it rolls over. Judgment is coming and nobody will be able to
escape. The swift won’t be able to run
away; the strong won’t be able to defend themselves; the armed will be as if
unarmed; and even the horsemen will be unable to flee. The bravest soldiers will run away while
shedding their equipment and clothing so they can run faster. Yes, Assyria would invade Israel (720 BC) and
the nation would be no more.”
Dr. Wiersbe then tells his readers that next Amos will
examine four calls as he looks into the hearts of the Jewish people to expose
those four calls, but then he says that we will look at it in the next chapter
of both Amos and also Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary.
He then writes “But before we examine those four calls,
we need to pause and ask ourselves whether we truly fear God and seek to obey
His will. Just because we enjoy a measure
of peace and prosperity, it doesn’t mean God is pleased with us. For that matter, the goodness of God ought to
lead us to repentance, as if did the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:17; Rom 2:4).
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands
of the living God’ (Heb. 10:30-31 NKJV).
“However,
we can still claim the promises of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and 1 John 1:9 and
experience the forgiveness of the Lord.”
8/28/2015 10:55 PM
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