1/13/2020 - Wednesday Bible Study
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5 And the Lord God of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, And all that dwell therein shall mourn: And it shall rise up wholly like a flood; And shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt. 6 It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, And hath founded his troop in the earth; He that calleth for the waters of the sea, And poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name.
What do you think of when you hear the word power? If you are focused on recent events then you might think of power as the authority or the ability to control law by legislators & politicians. There has been much talk in terms of the executive branch of our federal government & the transfer of power from one party to another.
For some power might bring to mind a reference to the electricity which supplies the current to illuminate your home or allow your appliances to function. For others power may cause you to be reminded of strength that is possessed by the military or even law enforcement. However all of those things last but a short season. Like most things they do not have eternal significance.
In verses 5 & 6 we see what real power looks like. The words given to us are used to illustrate the abilities of God. Look at the images we are given. The earth melts at His touch, it shall rise like a flood, He causes the water to pour out on the earth. It is a bit reminiscent of the Great Flood which was used to judge the sinfulness of mankind. When you think of power, God’s ability to create & to judge should come to mind.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
That without excuse is there to make clear that there will be no one who will have a valid argument claiming their ignorance of God’s presence. The people of Israel are being judged and they cannot say that they did not know they were outside of the Will of God. He had sent messengers meaning prophets to share the truth and point out the shortcomings and the need for repentance. Yet all of these efforts were ignored and sinfulness became more & more the norm for Israel. It sounds like a very familiar story when you look at the state of our world as we meet this evening.
The explanation of God’s ability by using phrases such as the earth melting and flood is in essence saying that God has done this once and He can do it again. God does not tolerate unrighteousness.
7 Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? And the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? 8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; Saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord. 9 For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, Like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. 10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, Which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.
It is interesting that God is likening Israel to these other nations like Caphtor & Kir. God’s Word is highlighting the fact that Israel is not unique in the fact that it is was moved to their homeland. Israel is now faced with the reality that they have wrecked the favor which they had despite being chosen by God. However, for the Gentile this is a ray of hope. Now, there is a level playing field for favor with God. Gentiles who follow Jesus are now included among God’s people.
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
It has been revealed to us in Verse 7 of Amos Chapter 9 that God intervened and impacted other nations as well. Perhaps there are other nations that have exodus stories like Israel from Egypt. In fact if you are a Follower of Jesus Christ you have your own Exodus story. Because when you surrendered your life to Jesus He made you free from the bondage of sin.
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Are you one of those peculiar people belonging to Christ, a special person who has been called by God & who has surrendered your life to Him?
11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, And close up the breaches thereof; And I will raise up his ruins, And I will build it as in the days of old: 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, Which are called by my name, Saith the Lord that doeth this.
The day mentioned here is that day of judgement. When people think of judgment they think of destruction & ruination. But that is just one aspect of what Divine judgement is. The beauty of judgement lies beyond the destruction. The restoration. God promises that He will return things to the condition that they use to be.
CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 9
Edom is representative of the Gentiles that hated and persecuted Israel. The point is that some day all nations, however hostile they have been, will submit either willingly or unwillingly. Paul likewise declared that some day every knee will bow to Jesus (Php 2:10).
The heathen which are called by His name, those who are Following Jesus, is a promise which has come to pass and is continuously being fulfilled now. How? Gentiles all over the world follow & worship Israel’s God & Messiah. If you are a Follower of Jesus Christ & are not Jewish, you are a part of that promise from God.
13 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; And the mountains shall drop sweet wine, And all the hills shall melt. 14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, And they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; And they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; They shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15 And I will plant them upon their land, And they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, Saith the Lord thy God.
Just as God promised the famine and near annihilation of Israel, He promises restoration that includes abundant crops & large population. A promise of a blessed creation where the land is continually fertile and the growing season is continuous. As soon as the harvest is complete, the land can be plowed to plant again.
11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, And ye take from him burdens of wheat: Ye have built houses of hewn stone, But ye shall not dwell in them; Ye have planted pleasant vineyards, But ye shall not drink wine of them.
In Verse 14 we see that restoration includes the 180 degree turnaround of the curses about the house & vineyards.
Conclusion:
What is it that we can take from this Book of Amos? One key element of this book is the idea of falling away. You see, individuals within the Children of Israel had made the decision to to outright disobey God. Unfortunately, some died in that state with no hope of eternal peace or rest. That still happens to this very day.
If you are someone who has allowed something to hinder your relationship with God, if you are someone who is backslidden, if you are someone who has focused on the world more than Jesus - restoration is possible with God.
Brothers & Sisters in Christ if you see someone who is falling, God has called you to aide a fellow Brother or Sister in Christ.
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
At the conclusion of the Civil War Abraham Lincoln was asked how he would deal with southerners that had rebelled against the nation. President Lincoln replied, “I will treat them as if they had never been away”. Approximately 10,000 southerners left the United States after their defeat in the war. They were not interested in any treatment from the President or the nation. God does not hold sins against us which has been placed under the blood of Christ. Restoration is possible for anyone that puts their faith & reliance on Jesus.
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Am 9:13). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.