Verse 1. "I saw the Lord standing
beside the altar, and He said, 'Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will
shake, and break them on the heads of them all! Then I will slay the rest of
them with the sword; they will not have a fugitive who will flee, or a refugee
who will escape.'"
Amos the prophet was no longer looking at a mere symbol of God's judgment,
like he did in Amos 8:1, when he was shown "a basket of summer fruit." The
Lord Himself was now revealed to him, standing at the false "altar" of Israel,
ready for judgment upon that land. What organization or nation are you a
part of? What do they believe? Where does the Lord stand in relation to your affiliation?
- Where does He stand in relation to YOU?
The glory of God was now revealed to Amos, and He is also seen in Isaiah 6:1 &
forward. There have been questions about the "altar" of this verse.
Which altar? Bethel? Dan? Jerusalem? Or where? But the reality
is - God views us as people, not merely as the occupants of a building or as the
adherents of some denomination. The people of Israel were to be judged
individually for
their sins, and none would escape. The "capitals" (chief places) of that
land would be struck, but so were all the people.
Verse 2. "Though they dig into
Sheol, from there will My hand take them; and though they ascend to heaven, from
there will I bring them down."
David in Psalms expressed similar thoughts to those in this verse, though in a
positive context: "If I ascend to heaven...
If I make my bed in Sheol (hell)...
If I take the wings of the dawn...
dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even
there Thy hand will lead me..." (Psalm 139:8-10). God was there for David,
as He is for all who trust in Him.
Here in Amos, similar imagery is expressed, but in relation to a different
kind of person - these were unbelievers. Though such people could dig
their way to the center of the earth... or "ascend to heaven..." He says "from
there I will bring them down." God will judge nations and individuals, and
there is no escape. Our only hope is the love of God as so eloquently expressed
to us in
Christ Jesus.
Verse 3. "Though they hide on the
summit of Carmel, I will search them out and take them from there; and though
they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea, from there I will
command the serpent and it will bite them."
God, through Amos the prophet, continues the imagery of verse 2. If you
were to climb the highest mountain in the world; though you somehow could hide
yourself on the bottom of the ocean; though you cloak yourself in religious
dogma; if you are highly educated or very rich, God sees who you really are, and
though you try to hide, He will reveal you.
God is in control of everything; and that not only applies to you personally,
but the circumstances around you as well. He knows about your attempts to seem
to be something you are not, and He isn't fooled. We are to "Walk in the
light as He is in the light" (1 John 1:9). No hidden agendas - God knows!
and all who attempt to hide will be revealed.
Verse 4. "And though they go into
captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword that it slay
them, and I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good."
God really does judge sin, now and forever. He has been dealing with
our sins all of our lives and there is no lasting rest for you until the issue of
your sin is resolved. God is a relentless pursuer and He will not stop.
If unbelievers are in "captivity;" if "enemies" have you, still He "will command
the sword (and) it (will)
slay." What can we do? Here is the answer:
"Thanks be to God" (Romans 6:17), who rescued us when we could not save
ourselves. "The wages of sin is (indeed)
death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The relentless
Judgment of God fell upon His Son, and we are set free - and in Him "you
were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ" (Romans 7:4). When
you and your sins are "dead" in Christ, you are set free from the Judgment of
God.
Verse 5. "The Lord God of hosts,
the One who touches the land so that it melts, and all those who dwell in it
mourn, and all of it rises up like the Nile and subsides like the Nile of
Egypt;"
This verse is similar to Amos 8:8, a verse that can be viewed as a reference
to earthquakes. We're located in California, a place noted for
frequent earthquakes. But the verse we're looking at right now touches the
force known as "volcanism." The earth is filled with incredibly hot,
molten rock. Why? - Because God made it so! And molten lava does
indeed "rise up like the Nile" River and then it "subsides"
(Amos 8:8).
Please note these verses carefully - the Lord has gigantic resources at His
disposal. Earthquakes are a tool He can use, and so are volcanic
eruptions. The reason there aren't more of such events in the world is
because of God's mercy. When you consider God's absolute, infinite
power, the only logical response to Him is to join His team, by having
faith in the Lord - NOW!
Lord, we confess our sins and
place our trust in You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Amos 9:6-10
Verse 6. "The One who builds His
upper chambers in the heavens, and has founded His vaulted dome over the earth,
He who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the
earth, the Lord is His name."
It's only in the past one hundred years or so that scientists have begun to
truly understand the atmosphere that surrounds our earth. Over much of this
planet, the temperature and density of the air is just right for human life.
At 30,000 feet, we wouldn't make it. And there are layers of protection
for us, such as the Van Allen Radiation Belt and the Ozone Layer, that give us
some safety from the harmful rays that come from Sol, the star that we call
the "sun."
The "vaulted dome" of this verse IS the atmosphere, carefully designed
to protect and give life to
you and me. He calls for "the waters of the sea" typically through
evaporation, a process in which water is taken up into the atmosphere and then
it is distributed around the earth through rain, snow and sleet. It is God
who is the Author of all that is. "The Lord is His name."
Verse 7. "'Are you not as the sons
of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?' Declares the Lord. 'Have I not
brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and
the Arameans from Kir?'"
God CREATED Israel. He took one man, Abraham, who, along with his wife,
Sarah,
was too old to have children, and made him "the father of a multitude of nations"
(Genesis 17:5). Out of him came his son, Isaac, who was to be the father
of Jacob, the man whose name was changed by an act of God (Genesis 32:28).
And it was God who
especially created the nation that was to be called by Jacob's new name: "Israel."
You could get the impression, as the nation Israel did, that they were special to God to
the point where they never would be destroyed. From that perspective, they
did not believe the words of the prophets like Amos. But God responds to
them, "You're just like the Ethiopians to Me," or the "Philistines" or
"Syrians," their enemies. Israel WOULD be destroyed because of
their sins; especially their lack of faith in the Lord.
Verse 8. "'Behold, the eyes of the
Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the
earth; nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob,' declares
the Lord."
God says through the prophet Amos, "Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on
the sinful kingdom." If you don't think God KNOWS about you and your
nation, about YOU personally, then read this verse again. God KNOWS - everything.
But TRUST in Him, for He is not only about judgment - "God is
(also) love" (1 John
4:8). His judgment gets our attention, but His love sets us free.
As a nation, the Israel of that time would NOT trust in Him. And so
the nation would be destroyed. Please note, though, that in the midst of
destruction, there is the mercy of God. We see it in this verse where it
says: "I
will not totally destroy" them, and it is seen in many other places
within
Scripture. He who said, "I will correct you in justice," also says, "I am
with you... to save you" (Jeremiah 30:11).
Verse 9. "For behold, I am
commanding, and I will shake the house of Israel among all nations as grain is
shaken in a sieve, but not a kernel will fall to the ground."
There are times in everyone's lives, when circumstances, situations and
people seem to go completely out of control. The political and religious
leaders of ancient Israel wanted to control - everything! Just like the
leaders and people of today! But be advised that our careful plans are
going to be "shaken." Note this: HE is in control and
He loves you.
Even though Israel would be "shaken" into "all nations"
- nevertheless, comparing
them to grain, "not a kernel," NOT A ONE would
fall to the ground. Many in "Israel" would be murdered by hostile enemies and the survivors were to
enter terrible lives of slavery. Yet their needs would be
met - "not a kernel would fall to the ground."
He fulfills His purposes and His promises, in their lives and in yours.
Verse 10. "All the sinners of My
people will die by the sword, those who say, 'The calamity will not overtake or
confront us.'"
As Jesus put it, centuries later, "He will thoroughly
clean His threshing floor, and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He
will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12). Many deny
reality, essentially saying "the calamity will not overtake or confront us,"
but it will, and only faith in the Lord, the love He gives us and our hope in
Him will sustain us in that day.
Here's a message to us all - Get right with the Lord!
Not in outward actions only, but in your spirit, your soul, your heart!
When God says, "My people," He's not only talking about Israel, He's addressing
us all! And He's telling you and me that "All the sinners" among His people "will
DIE." We must at last begin to LIVE through TRUSTING in the
Lord.
Father, down inside our very souls, we see our
need of You. Let us no longer trust merely in ourselves, but look to the
Lord and be saved. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Verse 11. "In that day I will
raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise
up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old;"
A "booth" was a temporary shelter, usually made of tree
branches. Such booths were utilized in the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus
23:40-43, Nehemiah 8:14-17). The people of Israel had homes and other
buildings made of stone, and their cities were protected by thick, high stone
walls. But God sees our efforts at self-protection as merely the building of a
"booth" made out of sticks.
Israel would be torn down, but God would "rebuild it as
in the days of old." The stony walls around your heart and mine will be
torn down, but God will "rebuild" us in wondrous ways we never thought about or
expected. The Israel today is not precisely the same as the Israel of old,
but He did "rebuild it," just as He said; and He will rebuild you and me.
Verse 12. "'That they may possess
the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name,' declares the
Lord who does this."
The Edomites were essentially "cousins" of Israel.
Esau and Jacob were both sons of Isaac, the son of Abraham. In the 13th
Century BC, Esau founded "Edom" (Genesis 25:30,36), and his brother, Jacob, is the
one whose name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28). The two nations had
many confrontations with one another and Edom was the only nation bordering
Israel that was never given a promise of mercy by God.
"Edom" was south and slightly east of Israel and was also
called "Seir." The red rock city of Petra was located in Edom. The
preceding verse (11) was a promise that Israel would eventually be restored and
this verse adds the promise that the area formerly called Edom is ultimately to be included
in that restoration. And God's promises do come to pass.
Verse 13. "Behold, days are
coming," declares the Lord, "when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the
treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine and
all the hills will be dissolved."
We all get older and there is a weakening that
accompanies that process, both physically and mentally. Our situations in
life may worsen, but nothing, however, can compare with the specter that faced
individuals within the nation Israel at the time of these verses. As a
people, their generation would be no more.
Families were to be torn apart, loved ones would be
killed before their eyes, and the freedom they thought they had was about to be
lost. But it wasn't the end for Israel, just as your situation, present or
future, is not the end for you. Just as the "ploughman"
in a field signifies
the harvest of the fruit planted in that field, our current troubles will
lead to God's glory and our good.
Verse 14. "Also I will restore the
captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live
in them; they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens
and eat their fruit."
"They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in
them..." A hundred years ago, when Biblical commentators wrote about these
verses, they used words like this: "The expression is here metaphorical, and does not
refer to any restoration of an earthly Canaan." Israel did not exist a
hundred years ago, but it does now. You can take an airplane to modern Tel
Aviv, get on a bus, ride for awhile and then walk around in the rebuilt Jerusalem. Those
in Israel today DO "make gardens and eat their
fruit."
Your broken dreams are like that. Our lives may be
destroyed, but we wait for a "city" which has real foundations, whose "builder
and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). We look to a very specific "heavenly country"
(Hebrews 11:16), not made by human hands. As to the lost and broken,
"God... has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:16). You don't see it
right now, but it EXISTS and is being prepared - for YOU!
Verse 15. "I will also plant them
on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I
have given them,' says the Lord your God."
I have wondered about my true home. Is it in the
State of Maine, where I was born? or in California, where I live? A part
of me regards Arizona as home because I lived there for many years. I
lived in Northern Japan for two years and it became something like home as well.
But none of those places are truly HOME to me, just as this earth is actually not home for
any of us.
God plants us deeply in Christ, and He is the Way to our true home.
You've never seen it, but when you give yourself to the Son of God, He begins to
draw You utterly to Himself, to the "land" given to
the people of God in Christ Jesus.
You will "not again be rooted out" for He will make it so. Apparent
possessions on earth may be lost, but what He gives will last - forever!
Father, thank You that Your intention is that we will
LIVE in Christ Jesus - forever! Forgive us for building "walls" around our
lives and resisting You. We place our trust in the Lord right now and
thank You for salvation in Christ Jesus. In His Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham,
Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
The First Church On The Net
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org "While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
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