Thursday, July 05 2012
Amos 8
Verse of the Day: V11 “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:”
1. The Fruit (V1-10)
V2 “And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.”
God pronounced judgment on the people of Israel because of their sins and rebellion. God showed to Amos a basket of summer fruit to illustrate to him that like the basket of summer fruit which were the remaining fruits of the harvest, the people of Israel would also be spending their remaining days before the Lord send their enemies to destroy them.
V3 “And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.”
2. The Famine (V11-13)
V11 “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:”
God told Amos that He would send a famine of the hearing of His words, in other words, He no longer send His prophets to plead with the people to repent of their sins. It was a severe punishment when God withdrew His prophets and words from the land of Israel.
V12 “And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.”
3. The Fall (V14)
V14 “They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beer-sheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.”
Finally God completely destroyed the people of Israel. Instead of repenting their sins and calling upon the true God, they called their self made gods to help them. Indeed, let us desire and pant after God and His Word, the Bible, just like the deer pants after the water brooks, as only God and His Word can fulfil the deepest desire and need of our souls.
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
Psalms 42:1.
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to desire You and Your precious Word.
