SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/17/2015
10:43 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Disgrace and Defeat
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Amos 6:14
Message of the
verse: “14 “For behold, I am going
to raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel," declares the LORD
God of hosts, "And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath To
the brook of the Arabah.’”
Dr. Wiersbe begins this section with these words of
wisdom: “If a nation rehearses the
victories of the past and gives the glory to God, that’s one thing, but if they
claim the victory for themselves, they are asking only for future defeat. Humble dependence on God is the only
guarantee of His help and blessing.” I
continue to be amazed at the similarities that I see in the downfall of the
nation of Israel and what is going on in our country at this time in history.
Why was it that God called the Assyrians to come and
defeat the children of Israel in the Northern Kingdom at this time in their history? It was not done because of any so called
accidents or incidents of international politics that is for sure. God was doing this in order to chasten His
people because of their sinfulness.
Amos mentions Hamath and it is in the north of Israel,
and then he mentions the river or brook Arabah which is in the south of Israel. Amos is saying that the Assyrians would bring
devastation to the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel. When Amos penned his letter the people of
Israel may have thought that this was not going to happen because Assyria was
not a strong country, but if God said this through Amos it would surely happen
and it surely did happen.
When Paul was giving his address to those who were in
Athens it had some remarkable things in it and one of the things he said is
found in Acts 17:26 which says “and He made from one man every nation of
mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed
times and the boundaries of their habitation.”
I have to say that when I first read through that chapter of Acts I
surely did not realize how many times that the Lord has no shown me how much is
really in that sermon that Paul gave at that time as I have had many references
to this sermon in the things that I have been studying lately.
Dr. Wiersbe concludes “The Prophet Amos has finished
preaching his three messages to the proud and complacent kingdom of
Israel. He has looked within their
hearts and exposed the corruption there.
Now the Lord will give His servant six visions—five visions of judgment and
one of the glorious kingdom that will be established after the Day of the
Lord. With the record of these visions,
Amos will close his book.”
I look forward to my continued study of the book of Amos.
10/17/2015 11:00 AM
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