Wednesday, June 20 2012
Amos 6
Verse of the Day: V1 “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!”
1. Mountain Of Samaria (V1-2)
V1 “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!”
God through Prophet Amos pronounced woe or trouble upon the people of Israel who chose to be at ease in Zion and trust in the mountain of Samaria than the true and living God. The people of Israel chose to trust in the mountain or city of Samaria, which was at that time the chief or leading city of the world, surpassing great cities like Calneh, Hamath and Gath. Samaria was indeed an excellent place of commerce and trade, music and the arts, and fun and pleasure. Hence, the people of Israel thought they could put all their trust in it, but little did they know that the Lord was about to judge and destroy it.
V2 “Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?”
2. Mountain of Sins (V3-6)
V3 “Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;”
God revealed the mountains of sins or the many sins of the people of Israel. They were indulging in excess of food and wine, and committing evil, violence and immorality.
V4 “That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;”
3. Mountain of Suffering (V7-14)
V7 “Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.”
God sent the mighty Babylonians, another chief and great nation of the world, to attack and defeat the mountain of Samaria, resulting in many deaths, and many taken as captives and prisoners of war. It was sad and tragic that the mountain of Samaria which was once the mountain the people of Israel trusted, became the mountain of sins and suffering. Indeed, let us trust in God and not the mountain of Samaria as only God alone is our trust.
V14 “But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to trust in You, and You alone.
