Verse of the Day: V12 “Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.”
1. Repent (V1-3)
V1 “Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.”
The holy God through Prophet Amos time and again warned the people of Israel, especially, the wealthy leaders, to repent of their sins of drinking, and oppressing and crushing the poor and the needy, otherwise God’s severe judgment shall be upon them.
V2 “The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.”
2. Return (V4-11)
V6 “And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.”
God shall judge and punish the people of Israel with great famine, such that they had no food, and hence, their teeth were cleaned, as they ate nothing. However, the people still continued to sin, and God subsequently sent the mighty Babylonians to attack and overthrew all their cities, and killed many of them, and forced the rest of them as prisoners of war in the land of Babylon, because they refused to repent and return to Him.
V11 “I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.”
3. Ready (V12-13)
V12 “Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.”
Are you ready or prepared to meet God? Is God truly your God, Lord and Saviour? One day, we shall all meet the LORD, the God of hosts, and either He shall say to us, “Come to me, and enter into the pearly gates of heaven, as you have fully trusted me”, or “Depart from me, and be cast into the fiery pits of hell, as you have never fully trusted me”.
V13 “For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be prepared to meet You by fully trusting in You.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 09:54 am
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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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Verse of the Day: V19 “O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.”
1. Children (V1-4)
V3 “Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.”
God through Prophet Joel commanded the people of Israel to teach their children of the great judgment of God, as God sent the mighty locusts to destroy completely the land of Israel when they rebelled against Him. This lesson shall the children of Israel teach their children, and their children would in turn teach another generation. Indeed, this is how the legacy of the Word of God has been taught and preached even in this day and age.
V4 “That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.”
2. Crisis (V5-13)
V5 “Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.”
The crisis of the nation of Israel during the time of Prophet Joel was the sin of drunkenness. The people of Israel including the leaders and the priests had become drinkers of wine day and night, that they had neglected their work in the farms and fields, their families and children, and in particular, the joy of serving and worshipping the Lord.
V12 “The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.”
3. Cry (V14-20)
V14 “Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,”
Prophet Joel commanded the people of Israel to fast and cry to the Lord for His mercy and repent their sin of drunkenness as this was the only way for God to spare their land and their lives from complete destruction, and to restore the joy of the Lord in their lives.
V19 “O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to cry to You for mercy that I may have joy in You.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 04:02 pm
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Verse of the Day:V4 “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.”
1. Return (V1-3)
V1 “O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.”
The Lord through Prophet Hosea lovingly pleaded with His people, the people of Israel, to return to Him from their backsliding. The people of Israel were once a holy nation called of God to be the light in this dark and evil world. However, the people of Israel time and again sinned against God, and the loving God through Prophet Ezekiel pleaded to the people to return to Him.
V2 “Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take way all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.”
2. Recover (V4-7)
V4 “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.”
When the people of Israel returned to God and worshipped Him, the great God, the great Physician, shall heal them of their backsliding, and they shall recover from their spiritual sickness. Indeed, it was never God’s intention to inflict sicknesses and sufferings upon man. God’s ultimate desire was to love the people of Israel freely so that they shall be like the olive tree, spiritually strong and prosperous, and like the cedar trees in Lebanon, spiritually fragrance and sweet smelling in this dark and evil world.
V6 “His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.”
3. Repent (V8-9)
V8 “Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.”
A remnant of the people of Israel repented of their sins, and refused to have anything to do with idols, but to love and serve the one and only true God. As a result, they had the fruit of God, the fruit of loving others including their enemies freely, as they sought wisely and prudently to walk in the ways of the Lord who loved them freely.
V9 “Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to love others freely as You have loved me freely.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 09:35 am
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Verse of the Day: V4 “Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”
1. He Is Our Saviour (V1-4)
V1 “When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.”
The Almighty God exalted Ephraim when he trembled and feared God, and taught the people of Israel to trust and obey Him. However when Ephraim started to stray from God and worshipped Baal, the Devil, God struck him dead because he had offended Him. Indeed, let us fear God as He is the only God who can truly save our souls from the fiery pits of hell to the pearly portals of heaven, and there is no other Saviour beside Him.
V4 “Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”
2. He Is Our Help (V5-13)
V6 “According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.”
Even though time and again the people of Israel sinned against the Lord yet God not only helped them out of their troubles, but He blessed them abundantly. However, as soon as they were filled with abundance, they forgot the Lord, and returned to sin against Him, and subsequently they destroyed themselves as they failed to call upon the Lord for help.
V9 “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.”
3. He Is Our Redeemer (V14-16)
V14 “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.”
The Almighty God through Prophet Hosea warned the people of Israel that He would completely destroy them if they continued to sin and rebel against Him. However, if they would repent of their sins and rebellion, He would be their Redeemer. Indeed, when we believe in the true and living God, He shall be our Redeemer, and we shall not perish but have everlasting life with Him in heaven. However, when we reject God, He shall condemn us to the fiery pits of hell because of our sins and rebellion. The choice is yours!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You for being my Saviour, my Help and my Redeemer.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 01:19 am
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Verse of the Day: V6 “Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.”
1. Israel Failed To Wait Upon The Lord (V1-2)
V1 “Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.”
Both Ephraim (also known as Israel or Jacob) and Judah failed to wait continually upon the Lord to deliver them out of the attacks of Assyria, Egypt and all their enemies, but instead they compromised with them. Hence the Almighty God pronounced severe judgment and punishment upon them as their efforts of compromising with their enemies were like chasing after the east wind which would come to nothing and were all in vain.
V2 “The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.”
2. Israel Failed To Wait In The Womb (V3-6)
V3 “He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:”
Even when Israel was in the womb he was already fighting with his brother to be the first one out of their mother’s womb. Jacob was so competitive that he even fought with God thinking that he had the power to overcome God. In the end God injured and humbled him and made him realised that he could never win God but to wait continually upon Him.
V6 “Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.”
3. Israel Failed To Wait And Give Thanks (V7-14)
V13 “And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.”
Time and again the people of Israel failed to wait continually upon God’s leadership and direction and to give thanks to Him for all that He had done for them. When the Almighty God sent His prophet to deliver them out of their bondage under the mighty Egyptians, they were unthankful and ungrateful to Him, and instead rebelled against Him. Hence God severely judged and punished them for their ingratitude and rebellion against Him.
V14 “Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to wait continually upon You.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:12 pm
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