Thursday, June 28 2012
Amos 7
Verse of the Day: V15 “And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.”
1. The Punishment (V1-6)
V1 “Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.”
The Almighty God through Amos warned the people of Israel to repent of their sins otherwise He would send the grasshoppers to eat their harvest and fire to burn their land.
V4 “Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.”
2. The Plumbline (V7-9)
V8 “And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:”
The Lord told Amos that He had set a plumbline to measure the uprightness of the people of Israel, just like the plumbline is to measure whether the wall is exactly upright. God’s verdict from the plumbline was that the people of Israel were found guilty of their sins.
V9 “And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
3. The Prophesy (V10-17)
V10 “Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.”
Amaziah, the Priest, had lied and wrongly accused Amos of conspiring against King Jeroboam. At the same time the people of Israel were also wearied and tired of Amos’ prophesy of God’s Word telling them to repent of their sins. Amaziah ordered Amos to leave Israel and to stop prophesying God’s Word. However Amos refused and told Amaziah that he was faithfully following God just like he was faithfully following the flock until God called him to prophesy His Word. Eventually the Almighty God fulfilled His Word when He sent the mighty Babylonians to attack and destroy the people of Israel.
V15 “And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to faithfully follow You as You are my LORD.
