Verse of the Day: V3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
1. God’s Word (V1-2)
V1 “Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,”
Prophet Amos told the people of Israel to hear God’s Word as he pleaded with them to repent of their sins and return to the Lord who had chosen them to be His people, His children, and the family of God. The Lord had miraculously and graciously brought them out of the land of Egypt, where they were treated cruelly as slaves, into the Promised Land, where they experienced God’s abundant blessings. However, instead of being thankful and grateful to God, and obeying His commandments, they sinned against Him.
V2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
2. God’s Warning (V3-8)
V3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
Prophet Amos warned the people of Israel that unless they agreed to walk with God, and obeyed His Word, they shall be severely judged and punished for their rebellion and disobedience. Like the majestic lion, the majestic Lord shall roar and warn His people, the people of Israel, to fear Him, repent of their sins and wickedness, and return to Him.
V8 “The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?”
3. God’s Wrath (V9-15)
V14 “That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Beth-el: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.”
God’s wrath was upon the people of Israel because they refused to take heed of God’s Word and warning. They continued to build altars and worshipped false idols, instead of worshipping the true and living God. Hence, God judged and punished them by sending the Babylonians to attack and completely destroy all their altars and idols, their ivory and beautiful houses, some built for winter, and some built for summer, and killed many of the people, and brought the rest of them as prisoners of war to the land of Babylon.
V15 “And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to walk close to You and obey Your Word.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 09:15 am
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Verse of the Day: V16 “And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.”
1. The Lime (V1-3)
V1 “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:”
The holy God shall punish the people of Moab for their great evil as they not only killed the king of Edom but burnt his bones to lime. How evil can man become!
2. The Lies (V4-8)
V4 “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:”
Sadly, Prophet Amos also proclaimed God’s punishment on the people of Judah and Israel, the people of God. Indeed, God’s punishment of His people was much greater than the punishment of the other nations because God’s people had been taught God’s commandments. Instead of obeying God’s commandments, they despised and broke the commandments, and continued in their lies, and refused to help the poor and the needy.
V6 “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;”
3. The LORD (V9-16)
V12 “But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.”
In spite of their lies and rebellion, the Lord reminded the people of Judah and Israel of His great deliverance of them out of the land of Egypt into the land of the Amorite. However, instead of being grateful to the Lord, they continued in their lies and rebellion, and even forced the Nazarites to break their vows by drinking wine, and commanded the prophets not to prophesy God’s Word. Sadly, they knew God, but they refused to accept God as the Lord of their lives. Hence, the Lord severely judged and punished the people of Judah and Israel by sending their enemies to attack and destroy them completely.
V16 “And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, You are my God, my Lord and my Saviour.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 03:32 pm
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Verse of the Day: V3 “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I
will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with
threshing instruments of iron:”
1. Cruelty (V1-5)
V3 “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I
will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with
threshing instruments of iron:”
The holy God shall punish the people of Damascus for their cruelty as they used their
threshing instruments to beat and whip the people of Gilead.
2. Slavery (V6-8)
V6 “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will
not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole
captivity, to deliver them up to Edom:”
God shall punish the people of Gaza for forcing the people of Israel to be their slaves, and
subsequently to be traded and sold to Edom.
3. Dishonesty (V9-10)
V9 “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I
will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole
captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant:”
God shall punish the people of Tyrus for their dishonesty with the people of Israel.
4. Revenge (V11-12)
V11 “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will
not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the
sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his
wrath for ever.”
God shall punish the people of Edom for their revenge upon the people of Israel.
5. Wickedness (V13-15)
V13 “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and
for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up
the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:”
God shall punish the people of Ammon for ripping open the pregnant women of Gilead.
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be godly and holy to escape Your punishment.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 08:43 am
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Verse of the Day:V16 “The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”
1. The Horror (V1-8)
V3 “And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.”
It was a horror to know that the people of Israel would trade their son for a prostitute and their daughter for wine to fulfil the lust of their flesh. They had become so evil and lustful that the Almighty God had to judge them for their sins and wickedness, and allowed their children to be sold to the Sabeans, who lived far away from the land of Israel.
V8 “And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it.”
2. The Harvest (V9-15)
V13 “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.”
At the Day of Judgment or when the harvest is ripe, the Almighty God shall judge the multitudes, all the people on the face of this earth, whether they have make the ultimate decision to repent their sins and wickedness, and turn to the true and living God, or they have decided to continue in their great wickedness and stubbornly rebel against the Lord.
V14 “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”
3. The Hope (V16-21)
V16 “The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”
At the Day of judgment, unless the Lord is our hope and strength, we shall be condemned into the fiery pits of hell, because of our sins and wickedness. Indeed only those who hope in God and His strength shall dwell and reign together with Him in heaven forever.
V17 “So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that You are my hope and strength in the Day of Judgment.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 02:43 pm
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Verse of the Day: V13 “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
1. Rend (V1-20)
V12 “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:”
The Almighty God through Prophet Joel warned the people of Israel to turn to God with their hearts and with fasting, weeping and mourning otherwise He shall punish them for their sins and wickedness. The people of Israel had seemingly worshipped the Lord and even rend their garments in repentance yet their hearts were still evil and wicked and they did not truly repent of their sins and turn to God. However, God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness as He waited for the people to rend their hearts.
V13 “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”
2. Rejoice (V21-24)
V21 “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.”
God promised the people that if they would rend their hearts, fear not, be glad and rejoice in Him, He shall do great things for them, and gave them rain all year round. Indeed, when we rend our hearts, God’s blessings of rain shall always be upon us and our land.
V23 “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.”
3. Restore (V25-32)
V25 “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.”
The Lord shall restore the people of Israel the great blessings of His providence when they rend their hearts, rejoice in Him and call upon Him. Indeed, God never forsake His people when we call upon Him and rend our hearts and rejoice in Him always.
V32 “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to rend my heart and turn to You in joy.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 02:40 pm
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