February 07, 2012
Amos saw a vision of locusts and another vision of fire. What he saw would completely destroy Israel. He begged God not to go through with His plans—and God changed His mind. Then God showed him the vision of a plumb line. The LORD stood by a straight wall with a plumb line in His hand. The LORD said, "See, I will put a plumb line among my people... to show how crooked they are. I will not look the other way any longer." I won't destroy everyone like you saw in the first two visions, but I will hold the people accountable for their individual actions. Amos 7:8 - "I will not look the other way any longer."
The people of Israel didn't want to hear this message. They didn't want to hear "truth." Amos was from Judah. The people said—go back to your own people and prophecy there. Leave us alone. It was God who sent Amos to warn Israel. Amos was "just a" shepherd. He had no aspirations to be a prophet. He was just following God's directions. But the people didn't want to hear it.
Whether you want to "hear" it or not, the truth is the TRUTH. It can either set you free, or you can refuse the message and remain in bondage. Refusal to listen doesn't change it. The truth is still the truth.
Amos sees another vision, the vision of ripe fruit. God said, "An end has come for my people... I will not overlook their sins anymore." Listen! Listen to me! You who walk over helpless people, you who go through the motions on Sunday but can't wait to get back to "the business at hand" of over charging people, giving them less, using dishonest scales to cheat people, raising prices, willing to do anything to increase your own wealth. I (God) say, "I will never forget everything that these people did... so they will fall and never get up again." (Amos 8:7 and Amos 8:14)
Between Amos 8:7 (I will never forget) and Amos 8:14 (they will fall) there are seventeen "will" statements. The I "wills" of God. Written in stone and the same as past tense. "I will never forget... so they will fall" with seventeen other "wills" between. God goes on in Amos 9 to say "not one person will get away; no one will escape." There is no escape. There is no place to hide.
"If they dig down as deep as the place of the dead,
I will pull them up from there.
If they climb up into heaven,
I will bring them down from there.
If they hide at the top of Mount Carmel,
I will find them and take them away.
If they try to hide from me at the bottom of the sea,
I will command a snake to bite them.
If they are captured and taken away by their enemies,
I will command the sword to kill them.
I will keep watch over them,
but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good."
Wow! Strong words. No place to run to. No place to hide. What a contrast between those verses and Romans 8:38–39 - "Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD." No fear! Total peace! Nothing, outside of ourselves, can ever separate us from God's love. Nothing has that power, except ourselves.
We have eternal security in Christ. He will never leave us or forsake us. Unfortunately, "we" sometimes leave and forsake Him. The people of Israel left God. They chose to follow their own selfish ways instead of choosing to follow God's ways. After repeated attempts to get them to return to Him, He finally says, "I will not look the other way any longer." There is nowhere you can go to hide from me. "Not one person will get away; no one will escape... I will keep watch over them, but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good." They have thought, "nothing bad will happen to us." (Amos 9:10) But it is the LORD who is in control. He tears down those who refuse Him; and He builds up his people.
Addendum: 9/24/15 ~ "I will keep watch over them, but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good." Oh, what sobering words that ought to bring all of us to our knees. May I live my life in such a way that my heavenly Father will NEVER speak those words about me.
Next Entry: Obadiah 1
Amos saw a vision of locusts and another vision of fire. What he saw would completely destroy Israel. He begged God not to go through with His plans—and God changed His mind. Then God showed him the vision of a plumb line. The LORD stood by a straight wall with a plumb line in His hand. The LORD said, "See, I will put a plumb line among my people... to show how crooked they are. I will not look the other way any longer." I won't destroy everyone like you saw in the first two visions, but I will hold the people accountable for their individual actions. Amos 7:8 - "I will not look the other way any longer."
The people of Israel didn't want to hear this message. They didn't want to hear "truth." Amos was from Judah. The people said—go back to your own people and prophecy there. Leave us alone. It was God who sent Amos to warn Israel. Amos was "just a" shepherd. He had no aspirations to be a prophet. He was just following God's directions. But the people didn't want to hear it.
Whether you want to "hear" it or not, the truth is the TRUTH. It can either set you free, or you can refuse the message and remain in bondage. Refusal to listen doesn't change it. The truth is still the truth.
Amos sees another vision, the vision of ripe fruit. God said, "An end has come for my people... I will not overlook their sins anymore." Listen! Listen to me! You who walk over helpless people, you who go through the motions on Sunday but can't wait to get back to "the business at hand" of over charging people, giving them less, using dishonest scales to cheat people, raising prices, willing to do anything to increase your own wealth. I (God) say, "I will never forget everything that these people did... so they will fall and never get up again." (Amos 8:7 and Amos 8:14)
Between Amos 8:7 (I will never forget) and Amos 8:14 (they will fall) there are seventeen "will" statements. The I "wills" of God. Written in stone and the same as past tense. "I will never forget... so they will fall" with seventeen other "wills" between. God goes on in Amos 9 to say "not one person will get away; no one will escape." There is no escape. There is no place to hide.
"If they dig down as deep as the place of the dead,
I will pull them up from there.
If they climb up into heaven,
I will bring them down from there.
If they hide at the top of Mount Carmel,
I will find them and take them away.
If they try to hide from me at the bottom of the sea,
I will command a snake to bite them.
If they are captured and taken away by their enemies,
I will command the sword to kill them.
I will keep watch over them,
but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good."
Wow! Strong words. No place to run to. No place to hide. What a contrast between those verses and Romans 8:38–39 - "Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD." No fear! Total peace! Nothing, outside of ourselves, can ever separate us from God's love. Nothing has that power, except ourselves.
We have eternal security in Christ. He will never leave us or forsake us. Unfortunately, "we" sometimes leave and forsake Him. The people of Israel left God. They chose to follow their own selfish ways instead of choosing to follow God's ways. After repeated attempts to get them to return to Him, He finally says, "I will not look the other way any longer." There is nowhere you can go to hide from me. "Not one person will get away; no one will escape... I will keep watch over them, but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good." They have thought, "nothing bad will happen to us." (Amos 9:10) But it is the LORD who is in control. He tears down those who refuse Him; and He builds up his people.
"I will plant my people on their land, and they will not be pulled out again from the land which I have given them," says the LORD your God. Amos 9:15The LORD is His name.
Addendum: 9/24/15 ~ "I will keep watch over them, but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good." Oh, what sobering words that ought to bring all of us to our knees. May I live my life in such a way that my heavenly Father will NEVER speak those words about me.
Next Entry: Obadiah 1
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