Redemption

Redemption

Book of Hosea Chapters 1-3


We need to have a clear understanding of the word "redemption".

Redemption is the buying back of something you once owned through the payment of a ransom!

Mat 20:28  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

The "redemption" the Scriptures are speaking of is not for objects but for each human.

In fact the "redemption" spoken of in the Scriptures is the price of blood that Christ Jesus paid for the Church.

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Tit 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

God would have never paid such a ransom if He had not had such a great love for humanity.

Many times God has taught us the important themes of the Scriptures through examples.

Old Testament prophets often lived their message as well as preached them.

In the Book of Hosea we see a man who God called to be a living example of the Lord's great love for all humans no matter how sinful we are.

The name Hosea actually means "salvation" or "a savior" much like the name Joshua and we know these names in the Greek would be translated "Jesus".

The entire Book of Hosea gives us a living picture of the great love our Savior has for us, if we just picture ourselves being the spiritual adulterers that we were before we asked the Lord Jesus to come into our hearts.

Rom 9:24  Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Rom 9:25  As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
Rom 9:26  And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

The period of the ministry of Hosea was for about 60 years some even say 80 years.

It is hard to imagine a man staying married to a harlot for this period of time but if we can relate this harlot to the Israel of that day, or even to the Church, or even to each and every individual, we can better understand the Book of Hosea.

If we just imagine the Lord married to the adulterous Israel, the subject of this great book of the Bible is not only clear but highly instructive.

We can even see the ties to the modern Church of today that has become lukewarm.

In the Book of Revelation Jesus had these words:

Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Without a doubt the Book of Hosea is much more about the "Grace" of God than any other subject!

So let's begin:

*****Hos 1:1  The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
Hos 1:2  The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

It should be obvious to us all that Hosea was called of God to be a prophet. After this call Hosea's life was under the control of God just the same as any other prophet of God.

We know that adultery is a sin condemned by God and there no exceptions at all, even to Hosea. So it seems strange that God would tell Hosea to marry a harlot and we should know that Hosea still had a choice, he could have said no.

Remember it was not Hosea who committed this sin, he just obeyed God and it would have been Hosea's sin to not obey God.

In fact Hosea did not spend much time searching for a wife, he did as the Lord had told Him to do.

No matter what we think, the safest place for any of us to be is still to be in the will of God!

This life would be painful for Hosea and it would cost him dearly, mentally and also in material things.

By the end of this lesson Hosea would have to redeem his adulterous wife.

Hos 3:1  Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
Hos 3:2  So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:
Hos 3:3  And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.

Hosea had informed his new wife that she would not be a harlot and remember this is the same command that God gave to the children of Israel and also the same command God gave to the Church.

God tells us all that we are to have no other gods before Him and this is what Hosea told his new wife, she was to have no other man before him. The same thing we men expect from all our wives.

Gomer gave Hosea 3 children.

God named all three children.

1) Jezreel a son: This name means "seed of God".

Jezreel was also the place where King Ahab of Israel, the Northern Tribes, had his palace.

God said:

Hos 1:5  And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

2) Loruhamah a daughter: This name means "uncompassionated"

God said:

Hos 1:6  And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

At this time this did not include Judah which also included Benjamin.

3) Loammi another son: This name means "not my people"

And God said:

Hos 1:9  Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

We should remember in the days of Hosea most all of Israel had turned away from the Lord.

If we look at our own world today we will see that most all the world has again turned away from the Lord.

And then God said these words:

*****Hos 1:10  Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

BUT, Even in the midst of God's anger God simply does not forget those that love Him!

It should be obvious that this promise was not made to any who lived in that day but was to be fulfilled in a future age!

The truth is there is nothing lost to those willing to lose for the Lord!

When we are willing to lose for the Lord, it is then the time when God will renew and confirm His covenant with us.

We should remember what God told Abraham.

Gen 22:15  And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
Gen 22:16  And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
Gen 22:17  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

It is true that God promised a day when Israel will be restored and we know that time as the Millennial Kingdom of the Lord and many multitudes will come to the Lord.

We know that this passage also refers to the Church Age when many souls will be saved.

God has promised that both groups would be called the "Children of the Living God"!

There will only be one ruler in these times:

*****Hos 1:11  Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

That one ruler is the promised Messiah.

Mic 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Jesus came the first time as a babe, with a manger for a throne!

When Jesus returns again to sit on His throne in Jerusalem, it will be after He has destroyed His enemies in the Valley of Jezreel! (Jezreel was the place of Ahab's palace) (The Valley of Jezreel is the palace of all who reject the Lord)

Rev 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

The truth is, that God's Kingdom is soon coming to this earth!

The Lord Jesus will return as King Of Kings and Lord of Lords and He will rule here on this earth from Jerusalem.

1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

At this time, just as Gomer was playing the harlot, Israel was playing the harlot.

*****Hos 2:5  For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
Hos 2:6  Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

The truth of those living in sin is that, they are too blind and too ignorant to see the dangers in the path they have chosen.

The truth of a worldly church is that, it will become shameless but will also be bold in contempt of those who cannot believe as they believe.

The sin of idolatry is that objects are loved and hearts are taken from the Living God!

When a wife commits adultery she is ignoring the responsibilities of her marriage and especially her children.

The same goes for any man.

The children should rebuke any such activity and not just stand still.

When the worship in any church is straying from the doctrine of Jesus Christ, then the faithful of the church should take a stand against such nonsense.

It is sin to fall away from the Lord but it is also great sin to not take a stand for the Lord!

Verse six means that Gomer would be denied access to the things she lusted after. This is enslavement.

This is the lesson that Israel would learn if they would not repent and of course we know that they did not repent.

So they had become enslaved to their sin!

And so they would be come enslaved to other people.

This is exactly what sin does, it makes us slaves to Satan, the Devil, and slaves to worldly governments!

Gomer was enslaved in her own sin and then became no more than a slave to her lovers.

In the end sin will only hide the way to freedom!

What we find is, that the things we worship other than the true God are never able to provide the things we need the most. What we need the most is the "Grace" and the "Mercy" of our God!

In the end then sin can only bring disappointment!

*****Hos 2:7  And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.

Gomer continued to chase after her lovers but she could never find the peace nor the satisfaction she was looking for.

The sin of Israel was the same. They would chase after their false gods but they could never catch them because they were only figments of their imagination. They did not actually exist!

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

Rom 1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

They would have been far better off to have returned to the Lord but that day is still in their future.

This is the sin of our world today and it cannot be denied from those who are willing to open blinded eyes.

How blind are those that reject the Lord?

*****Hos 2:8  For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

Spiritual blindness is devastating in the end!

Gomer had failed to realize that the good things that Hosea had given to her had actually come from the Lord.

Gomer had not just turned away from her husband but she had turned away from her God.

We as men are fools if we do not think that a good wife does not bring great gifts and great treasures into a marriage but Gomer had chosen to give her treasures and her gifts to others rather than her husband.

Israel had failed to realize that all good gifts come from God.

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

This is the way of sin and every sinner, they forget that there is a God and God has already said no one will be able to use this as an excuse on judgment day.

Most of our world do realize that there is a God, so only a few actually say "there is no God" and we even allow them to dictate their thoughts while Christians sit idle and allow these things to happen!

What most of our world says is "If there is a God, why would He allow such things to happen".

They don't hesitate to blame God for all the bad things but they refuse to accept that they may be the blame for God's actions.

The truth is that, when we expel God from the intellectual side of thinking, immorality will increase and the whole of our nature will decrease.

The world we live in refuses to admit that there is a "Supreme Being" and that we are all responsible to Him!

Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

If this is not a true statement then lets just throw it all away!

What people do not want to hear is that God will judge sin!

*****Hos 2:9  Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
Hos 2:10  And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.

Hos 2:13  And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

1) For Gomer she would be cast into the world naked and afraid with no one to provide for her.

For Israel they would lose God's care and His providing hand even the necessities of life.

2) For Gomer she would be publicly exposed and shamed in the eye of the public.

Eventually she would find that men would no longer find her desirable.

For Israel, they would also be exposed and shamed before the eyes of the world. Her lovers would be the other nations of the world but when the weakness of Israel was exposed even those nations would not have anything to do with them.

It is obvious that most of these things are still in effect today!

3) No one can escape the "Judgment of God". Not Gomer, not Israel, and not anyone!

All adulterous people will face the "Judgment" of God.

Gomer was the wife of a prophet of God but she would still be judged. Not even the family of Hosea could escape the "Judgment of God"

Israel was established as the people of God and they were certainly judged.

AND, there is no means available on this earth or anywhere else, that can deliver any of those from the hand of and God's Judgment!

Gomer strayed from her husband, dressed as a harlot, had immoral behavior, and committed adultery.

Israel had false worship, improper dress, immoral behavior, and turned away from the Living God.

Do we even need to look at the nation we live in today to see the similarities?

God warns us all: if we disobey the Word of God and commit illicit sexual acts, we will suffer at the hand of God.

The theme of Book of Hosea should not be missed and we certainly have no excuses, we have been warned and we are going through the disciplinary stages at this time and the next thing on God's calender is then God's "Judgment".

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

We know that Satan uses many things to entice us into sin but here we see that God will also use His great benefits to entice us back to Him.

*****Hos 2:14  Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

Even after all these things Hosea would speak softly to his wife, and allure her, trying to renew the romance they once had.

In the wilderness they could be one on one with no distractions. Hosea would assure his wife that they could still have a loving and a wonderful relationship.

Hosea put forth every effort to reconcile all these things with his wife!

God did the same thing to Israel!

God has done the same thing to every sinner by Jesus Christ!

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

How does God describe His reconciling with Israel?

*****Hos 2:15  And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
Hos 2:16  And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
Hos 2:17  For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

Just as Hosea offered Gomer a great hope of a renewed marriage, God promised a renewed relationship with Israel!

God promised a day in the future which we know will be the Second Coming of Christ.

God would restore their property. The marriage bond of the children of Israel would be completely restored.

When Israel had first entered into the promised land the Valley of Achor had been the "valley of trouble" but the "Valley of Achor would now become the "valley of hope".

No longer would Israel only think of God as "Master"(Baali) but would think of God as My Husband (Ishi).

The name Master (Baali) might remind them of those old false gods and that could never be a good thing.

God tells the Church to just say Abba Father or (Daddy) because to say God might cause some to remember their false gods.

Just as Hosea would do everything in his power to help Gomer forget her old lovers, God would do the same for Israel.

We can see that the intent of Hosea's call was to remind Israel of all these things and not only Israel but all who are here today.

Hosea even promised Gomer a new environment.

*****Hos 2:18  And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

Only in the early days of Adam has there been true peace on this earth. Sin and the murder of Abel brought an end to true peace on this earth.

It was also sin that caused the disruption of trust between the animal world and mankind.

Very few animals are what you call domesticated and most of them only provide food for mankind.

We will all, including the animals, be vegetarians again in the restored earth, during the Millennial Reign of Christ.

The prophesies of the restored earth are to numerous to list them all but here are a few.

Isa 11:6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Jer 23:6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jer 23:7  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
Jer 23:8  But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

Zec 14:7  But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
Zec 14:8  And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
Zec 14:9  And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Mic 4:3  And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Mic 4:4  But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

Psa 46:9  He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
Psa 46:10  Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psa 46:11  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

These things cannot happen until the Prince of Peace returns:

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Hosea told Gomer that divorce would be totally out of the picture!

God told Israel they would have their day of renewed marriage!

God tells the Church, I will never leave you nor forsake you!

Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Heb 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Psa 37:28  For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
Psa 37:29  The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

The marriage bond to our Lord cannot be broken!

*****Hos 2:19  And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
Hos 2:20  I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

God has promised His people a new marriage.

It was always God's intent for the marriage bond be unbroken!

In our world the marriage was to be to the end of one's life.

God has promised a marriage bond that can never be broken.

God's marriage bond, the Church to Christ, will never expire, not at death and not at this world's ending!

God has promised an eternal union with those that love Him!

What is the truth about the nation of Israel today?

*****Hos 3:4  For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
Hos 3:5  Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

Since the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD there has been no place for Israel to offer sacrifices.

Since the destruction caused by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, there has been no King of Israel in the line of King David and there have been no prince's to continue that line.

Israel was in exile with no place to worship, until May 14, 1948 when Israel was again established on only part of the land that God had given to them.

What we do know is that our King can never die, King Jesus is the rightful heir to the throne of King David!

We also know that there is no one who holds the position of High Priest of Israel since the time of the destruction of the Temple.

That position will also be filled by King Jesus who will be both King and High Priest not only of Israel but of this world.

These things are true now, even as we go through this lesson!

Our lesson today is about "redemption" and we can see that God's heart is a heart of redemption!

This could be said to be "the goodness" of the Lord"!

In other words we have not seen "the best" that the Lord has to offer yet, it is still in all our future.

It is the "goodness of the Lord" that should bring fear to every sinner who rejects the Lord!

Hosea redeemed his wife with 15 pieces of silver, and a homer and a half of barley.

This was a substantial amount of money even in that day, for an adulterous wife who could have been executed by the laws of Moses.

A new slave could be bought for 30 pieces of silver!

But we must remember God paid a much greater price for our redemption!

Joh 3:16  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.
Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Anyone that thinks Israel will never return to God, do not understand what God is saying. The same stumbling block for Israel is the same stumblingblock for the world.

1Pe 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
1Pe 2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Not everyone in Israel will be saved but the nation as a whole will be saved.

Rom 9:6  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Rom 9:7  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

When Hosea brought his wife back home we can be sure he gave her some strict rules.

Hosea had been obedient to the Lord but Gomer would have to prove she could be trusted.

This is why God tests our faith from time to time to see if we truly love him like we say we do.

God has shown His goodness to this world by His own Son.

Psa 31:19  Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
Psa 31:20  Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Psa 31:21  Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.
Psa 31:22  For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

God has already paid the ransom for our redemption, it's up to us as individuals to prove our own trustworthiness.

Psa 34:22  The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

Questions?

Let's Pray!

King Uzziah, Transgressed Against The Lord

Uzziah: Transgression Against The Lord

Book of 2 Chronicles 26


When the word "transgression" is used in the Old Testament, it most always speaks of treachery, revolt, and rebellion.

It is sin in any case, but when it is specifically against the Lord or the Word of God, "it is terrible sin".

God says that all evil men always seek transgression and open rebellion.

Pro 17:11  An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

In our lesson today we will see where another King of Judah who was helped in every way by the Lord allowed his own self-pride to come between himself and the Lord and it cost him dearly.

The name Uzziah is a form of the name Azariah and we see both names for this king used in the Word of God.

Uzziah was the son of King Amaziah who we studied about recently.

In his younger years Uzziah was guided by the Prophet Zechariah and under Zechariah's influence, Uzziah did what was right in the sight of God but never more than his own father Amaziah had done before him.

Uzziah prospered while he was seeking the Lord and in the end his prospering led to self-pride and we will see again that pride can change any man.

We will see that Uzziah even attempted to be King and High Priest but that position is reserved for Jesus Christ!

Heb 3:1  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Heb 5:4  And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
Heb 5:5  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.

Uzziah brought on his own downfall, just as Lucifer did!

Isa 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isa 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Isa 14:16  They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
Isa 14:17  That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

So let's see how Uzziah failed as a King of Judah.

*****2Ch 26:3  Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
2Ch 26:4  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.
2Ch 26:5  And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

After the assassination of his father Amaziah, Uzziah was immediately made King of Judah and he began by restoring the commerce of Judah.

It is possible the reason Uzziah had such a long reign was that while his father was in captivity in Samaria, he was made co-regent and ruled in his fathers place but he did reign for 52 years.

Uzziah also had a Jewish mother and in in his young years he was placed under the care of Zachariah and we can see that this is Zechariah the prophet because he had understanding in the visions of the Lord.

Uzziah was instructed in the Word of God.
Uzziah was taught the commandments of God.
Uzziah was taught the duties of King according to the Word of God.

The truth of Uzziah is that as long as he sought the will of the Lord, he was a successful King of Judah!

God made him to prosper.

Uzziah accomplished many necessary things for his nation but we see it was only by the "Grace" of God.

*****2Ch 26:6  And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
2Ch 26:7  And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.
2Ch 26:8  And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.

Uzziah immediately repaired the damage to Jerusalem brought on by the invasion of the army of the Northern Kingdom.

Uzziah not only restored the wall that was broken down but he installed towers on top of those walls.

Uzziah then brought the Philistines back under control.

Uzziah established fortresses throughout the land to hinder access by any invading army such as happened to his father Amaziah.

Uzziah brought all the borders of the Southern Kingdom under his direct control.

It seems that our own president does not think this is such a big deal but as national protection we need to control all our borders.

Open borders work only for honest people!

Uzziah was even able to control the Ammonites who then paid taxes to Uzziah for his protection.

We never hear of nations paying any tax for the protection that America offers to them. We only hear of America offering free protection and then paying those nations for being allowed to protect them.

Makes no sense at all!

These achievements made the name of Uzziah a king to be honored and feared throughout the known world of that day.

Even Egypt respected the strength of this king.

Uzziah built one the strongest and most well trained armies since the time of David and Solomon.

Uzziah also developed war machines and machines used in defense of his nation

Uzziah restored the Southern Kingdom to a prosperous place of commerce and restored the economy to the Southern Kingdom.

These are all things that a good leader can do who is following in the will of God!

It is obvious that when a good leader seeks the will of God and then follows up on that will, they can do great things for the people of any nation.

What is one of the most over looked Scriptures in the Bible that we read and then ignore?

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Add to that:

Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

When are doing things according to the will of God, He will then provide the things that we need to accomplish that will!

Psa 61:2  From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

BUT, we soon see what happens when we take the credit for ourselves and forget it was God that provided all these things.

In our world today "pride" is seen only as a positive thing and it is true that we need a healthy self-esteem and a positive image of ourselves to be successful in today's world.

If we stay focused on our weaknesses we will not accomplish very much and we tend to be this way as we get older.

We should take pride in the abilities God has given to each of us!

Pride becomes sin when we feel like we are better than others. When we use our abilities or our appearance to shame and humiliate others or to dominate or enslave others, it has become sin.

So let's see Uzziah's slide to sin.

*****2Ch 26:16  But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

Uzziah became so full of self-pride and self-exaltation, it brought his destruction!

When God has done great things in your life and then you take all the credit without giving God the glory you have committed a grievous sin that will bring the "judgment" of God!

Many national leaders are guilty of sexual immorality, or murder, or of oppressing their people, or of persecuting the people, and even the worship of idols but you will not find that Uzziah was guilty of any of these things.

The Scripture says it plainly, when God had made Uzziah a great king, his own heart was lifted up to his own destruction!

Uzziah then tried to make himself High Priest.

The truth of the Scriptures is that Uzziah knew this was a grievous sin because he had been trained in the Books of Moses which explained these things.

Num 18:1  And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Num 18:2  And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
Num 18:3  And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
Num 18:4  And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
Num 18:5  And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.
Num 18:6  And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 18:7  Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Uzziah exalted himself to be the God appointed priest and he entered into the Temple to burn incense to the Lord.

Azariah was High Priests at that time and he caught Uzziah as he entered into the Temple.

*****2Ch 26:17  And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
2Ch 26:18  And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.

Notice Azariah was not alone but there were 80 priests of the Lord with him.

Azariah was God's appointed intercessor and no one approached God in that day without going through God's intercessor, not even the King!

We also know that this position was eliminated on Mount Calvary by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mat 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

The part that an earthly priest played in the Old Testament was eliminated at the cross and we can now go directly into the throne room of God with our request.

It took a dying Savior to take away all things that block our access to the One True God, our Heavenly Father!

The truth even today is, that when we try to have our own way in this world, we are going against the Word of God.

Jesus Christ did not die on Mount Calvary just so we can have our own way!

God did not raise up King Uzziah to his position just so he could have his own way!

When the priest burned the incense, the priests were symbolizing the need for an intercessor to stand between the Lord and His people.

Today we have that Perfect Intercessor, our own Perfect Mediator.

Heb 8:3  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Heb 8:4  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
Heb 8:6  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Heb 8:7  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

It was very important before the time of Christ, that the Books of  Moses be followed to the letter in the acts of the priesthood.

It is just as important today that we allow the will of God to rule in our hearts!

Luk 11:2  And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

King Uzziah was confronted by the priesthood to stop him from committing this terrible act.

When they ask him to leave the Temple, Uzziah became very angry and broke out in a verbal rage against God's called men.

Up to this point in his life Uzziah had been successful in all that he had done.

The truth about prosperity is "that it is dangerous"!

Prosperity will seldom draw men to God, in fact is is just the opposite, as most will make themselves to be gods of their own realms.

Wealth can be a terrible affliction to the body and mind of any person!

Psa 119:67  Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

If Uzziah had left peaceably nothing else would have been done that day but he did not.

*****2Ch 26:19  Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar

There will never be a time when we can approach God other then in a reverent fashion!

We simply will never be able to make demands of God!

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

It does not matter how rich or how powerful you are in this world, to go against the Word of God can bring your death.

Had Uzziah completed what he set out to do, he would have certainly died but he was then punished with the living death, leprosy.

Sin in high places must be rebuked and treated harshly!

Had this High Priest yielded to this king, he would have certainly been punished.

To be honest this is where the Church is failing today.

The world is always ready to try to tell us how to worship!

One of our presidential candidates has even said all Christians need to lay aside the Word of God and listen to what the government is saying and as Christians we cannot allow this to happen!

We are always being told what doctrines can be preached, what the duties of the church are, and what sins are to be rebuked and the Church is folding under this pressure through fear.

The world simply cannot dictate how we are to worship our God and we cannot approach God without going through the Lord Jesus Christ and that is just the facts!

Anything less than this is being lukewarm toward God!

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

God has already said that a lukewarm church and a lukewarm Christians makes Him sick!

There is another thing that I will mention.

When we were in the Book of Amos we read of an earthquake.

Amo 1:1  The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

At the moment King Uzziah lifted that censer, God struck Uzziah with Leprosy and according to the history as written by Josephus, this is the exact time of that earthquake mentioned in the Book of Amos.

Amos was saying it was 2 years before Uzziah became a leper that he was called of God.

*****2Ch 26:20  And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.

SO, We see that sometimes God will bring "discipline" immediately for our sin!

There are many things that God just will not tolerate and this was one of those things.

Uzziah may have stood up the those priests but rage and threats do not work with God!

Uzziah had not transgressed against those priests, Uzziah had transgressed against the Word of God.

As those priests looked on, the leprosy first appeared on the forehead of the king.

Leprosy was a symbol of defilement and it did not matter if it costs the priests there job, they were required by the Word of God to remove this defilement from the Temple grounds.

Lev 22:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 22:2  Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.
Lev 22:3  Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.
Lev 22:4  What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
Lev 22:5  Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;
Lev 22:6  The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.

The truth is, King Uzziah could not retaliate against the priests because he knew this thing came from God.

AND, King Uzziah was forced to live in isolation the rest of his life.

Uzziah could no longer sit in public to judge his nation.
Uzziah could no longer worship in the Temple.
Uzziah had to put his son in charge of the government.
Uzziah could no longer live with his family.
Uzziah was an outcast not only from his own family but also the family of God!

*****2Ch 26:21  And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.

A "several house" is what would be called today a hospital or an infirmary and Uzziah was separated from all others even in this place.

In that day leprosy was incurable and for the most part it remains incurable even today.

One could say, why was God so harsh and unforgiving.

One: Uzziah was King of Judah.
Two: Uzziah defied the Word of God, he had swore to uphold.
Three: the position of King-Priest was reserved for the Lord.

Zec 6:12  And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
Zec 6:13  Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

There was only one other in the Scriptures that was mentioned and we must notice his qualifications.   

Heb 7:1  For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
Heb 7:2  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
**Heb 7:3  Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

This is a whole other lesson for some other time, but Melchisedec was a type of Christ, if not the person of Christ in the Old Testament.

*****2Ch 26:22  Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.
2Ch 26:23  So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

In the Book of Isaiah we can find no record of the acts of Uzziah.

It is believed that it was the prophets that recorded the acts of the Kings in the 2 Books of the Kings and it is believed that Isaiah was that prophet in his day.

It is believed it was the priests that recorded the Chronicles of the Kings in the 2 Books of Chronicles and we can see how accurate both books are and how close they are in comparison. It is believed that Ezra wrote the Books of Chronicles.

Our lesson is the fact that pride and exalting ourselves instead of giving God the glory, can bring our downfall.

When we exalt ourselves we are saying that we are better than all others and that makes them lesser humans in our own eyes.

Pride says "I am the best"! More worthy of attention, more worthy of recognition, more worthy of honor, than all others.

BUT, Our skills are the gift of God.
Our talents are the gift of God.
AND, There are those who have been given great beauty but it to came from God.

None of these things should we glory over but we should give God the glory.

In fact not one blessing from God should ever be used to degrade others!

God says those with the most talent, beauty, and skills may lack in the most important thing.

Pro 11:2  When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

And we know that wisdom comes only from the Lord.

It pays more to be wise than to be full of pride!

Pro 3:34  Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
Pro 3:35  The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

It is only those who are wise that will inherit the "Glory World"!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Restoration Of God

The Restoration God Brings

Book Of Amos Chapters 5-9


Most all people see the prophets of God as messengers of doom but that is simply not true. God is a loving God who sent His prophets to tell all people how wonderful life would be if they would only repent of their evil ways.

We must clearly understand that when we hear the Word of God, and the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ we have an opportunity to believe what God says.

It is at that time that we have a choice to believe or not to believe.

God will honor the choice we make and in most cases if we choose to reject Him, God will provide many opportunities to change our mind and repent.

In truth the prophets of God then and the true Pastors of today provide opportunities for us to choose the most precious of all life, an opportunity to be welcomed into the family of God.

*****Amo 5:1  Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
Amo 5:2  The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
Amo 5:3  For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.
Amo 5:4  For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
Amo 5:5  But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.

We can see that God actually begs us to listen to His words.

It is true that most sinners are secure in their lifestyle, I felt the same way for many years. Most sinners have no fear of the future until a tragedy strikes. Sin hides the future!

Most sinners live in the careless ease of their own success.

The proof of that goes all the way back to the days of Moses.

Mat 24:37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The truth is these things will not ever change and are the same even today.

You see unbelievers actually worship their own selves, they have become their own god.

Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

I am sure that we all know these things because God says "but such were some of you". I can still remember my own self and how foolish I was.

When God reveals the end to these things it's then time to think about just how secure we are in our life.

Gilgal had been the place where Israel had set up camp to take the promised land. They had celebrated their first passover in Canaan Land in Gilgal.

The Tabernacle was set up there until it was moved to Shiloh.

Gilgal was a place of celebration and a memorial until idolatry became the rule even in that place.

Hos 9:15  All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

Gilgal had once been the scene of new life and a place of blessing but there would be no need to return there now, because God would not respond.

Bethel was a place that Abraham had setup camp and the place of Jacob's ladder. In troubled times Israel had returned to Bethel to seek the counsel of God and He would answer.

But Bethel had also become the seat of worship of the "golden calf" and Hosea said it had become "the house of idols".

There would be no need to return to Bethel now to seek God, for God would not answer.

They had only one option and that was to repent and seek the Lord where they were now!

The truth is as we see what happened to Israel we get to see what will happen to all those that reject the Word of God.

We are expected to learn from these examples that God has given to us

Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

And we are expected to seek the Lord.

*****Amo 5:6  Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

God says it is a waste of our time to seek deliverance or any help from any sort of false worship.

We know that the promise land was the land given to the Jews.

The earth we live on is the land promised to all human beings so what does God say about Israel this day.

God said all false worship sites would be destroyed and those that worshipped in those places would be expelled from the land.

You see this our choice. God promised not to send a worldwide flood to destroy this earth again. So we can seek the Lord and live or God will break out like a fire and destroy those that reject Him.

The truth is that God did actually sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire, leaving only a remnant in which He will still one day fulfill His promises to them. Some say these were the ten tribes that some say are lost but there are no lost tribes of Israel.

The truth is no matter what you make your own personal god, it will never be able to save you from the True and Living God!

And then God describes some of the things they were doing wrong and we should pay closes attention.

*****Amo 5:7  Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

Wormwood is noted because of it's intense bitterness.

These people had turned justice into extreme bitterness!

Righteousness, simply put, is doing things that are right to people instead of wronging people.

These people had cast righteousness into the dirt!

This means those that were trying to do right and being honest in the society of that day actually received very little fairness, and seeking the truth was an extremely bitter experience for them.

Most all the judges were as unrighteous and as lawless as those in that lawless society.

As we can see this is exactly what we see in America today, in Europe today, and in most every other nation on this earth.

Those that do not see this, are those that are causing the problem and others are simply blind and live in their own little world.

The Lord says, it is these people who have forgotten who actually is the power in this world.

*****Amo 5:8  Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
Amo 5:9  That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

God says that it is He who is the Creator of all things!

It is almost everyday that astronomers tell us they see another new star, which is really not true, it is only true that technology has allowed them to see things that they did not see before, but indeed the magnificence of the night time skies is truly a wondrous sight.

Isa 40:12  Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Those who disregard the truth of creation according to the Book of Genesis are only fools!

When we look up into the night time skies we can see the same sights that Adam saw when he looked up at night and Adam knew his Creator personally as we should also.

It is this same God of all power who can also hear the whimpers of a small child when they have been abused and all the prayers of all His saints.

Amos said it is our Creator that you are to seek because it is our Creator who is the true "Judge" of His people and of this earth.

It is only the Almighty God who can turn the shadow of death to a beautiful morning and another day.

It is only the Lord who can strengthen the weak to overcome those who are stronger.

And there is no fortress strong enough to withstand the power of God!

The world will find this out one day soon!

*****Amo 5:10  They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
Amo 5:11  Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

What is the truth of sin?

Sin hates justice and sin hates the truth.

We know it was at the city gates at that time where the city government leaders would sit in judgment of the people.

This would be the same place in most cases where God's prophets would give their message.

God had already informed that prophet why that message had to be delivered and what kind of people they would be dealing with.

No doubt Amos had stood many times addressing these hypocrites to no avail.

The truth is, no good man will fear justice!

It was these leaders that hated the message delivered by God prophets, just as they do today.

They absolutely cannot stand to hear the truth!

The reason our judges will not judge according to the truth is, because it goes against their own sin. They hate you even more when you point that out to them!

Pro 9:8  Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

Justice will rob sin of the respect sin is craving to have.

Look at America today.

The gays are forcing recognition.

The LBGT are forcing recognition.

The Pro-Abortionist are forcing recognition.

Marijuana smokers are demanding recognition.

Drug makers are demanding recognition.

Our leaders throw justice out the door to accommodate all these things.

The innocent are rebuked while the guilty are exalted and set free.

God has quit sending His prophets and now just sends His warning of future punishment.

Raising taxes is the only answer to solve all problems but only on a certain group of people.

In this day of Amos, the taxes would be paid on the harvest and when a poor man would be taking some home to feed his family, he would be stopped again to pay taxes on what he had on him that day, or they would take it away from him for some pretended debt he owed the government.

They would take the extra money and build things that would never be occupied.

In the day of Amos God sent the enemies of Israel to solve these problems.

We are blind if we cannot see these same things going on today and people think God has a different answer or they think God will simply allow these things to keep going on.

*****Amo 8:4  Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,
Amo 8:5  Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Amo 8:6  That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?
Amo 8:7  The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.

In chapter 7 Amos was told by a false prophet that he should return to Judah with his Words of God before someone took his life.

This is what we face today as Christians everywhere.

The truth is when you are called on to go forth with a specific message from God, He will not allow harm to come to you until He is ready to take you home and then you just move on into Heaven your work complete.

In verse 2 God said to Amos, tell Israel this is my final warning.

So we will pick with this thought in mind.

We all know that this summer has been so hot that when we work out side for any time at all that when we do come into the house we are very thirsty and drink our water like it is our last chance to get it, we might say greedily.

Well this is the exact way that the rich and the leaders of government were devouring the poor in Israel, including the king.

BUT, even during this time Israel kept up a mere observance of religion.

SO, One of the sins that brought this judgment on Israel was social injustice.

We do not think on this as we do on many other sins but this is also the truth of the Scriptures.

These things happen because of "Greed and Dishonesty".

The truth is these are the exact same things we see in our politicians today here in America and we are fools to believe that God will keep allowing these things to go on!

They had made floor mats of the weak and less fortunate by making promises that they never intended to keep.

They have made excessive demands on those that did work hard and prospered.

They robbed the rich using the excuse the poor needed it but the poor never received but just enough to keep them at bay.

God will not continue to allow these things to happen.

Verse 5 says they were guilty of superficial worship.

Same thing is happening in America today.

God will not continue to allow this to go on!

The people honored the Sabbath and the some religious holidays and national celebrations but only because it was demanded by the government.

The freedoms of the citizens had been eroded.

God will not continue to allow this to happen!

The Word of God had become a thorn in the flesh of the government, the merchants and the business leaders just as it has in America.

In the eyes of the Lord any false worship is desecrating His Holy Name.

God will not allow these things to continue to happen.

The merchants did everything they could possibly do to increase their profits.

Exactly what is happening in America today!

God is not blind to all these things!

They even made slaves to those who could not pay their debts. It was greed that drove all business.

Even today the poor are required to sell themselves or their vote, or their souls in order to just survive in America, the world's once greatest nation.

The truth is God hates any form of slavery!

God will not continue to allow these things to happen!

And those same evil merchants even sold inferior products at an extravagant price.

How many of us have bought something we thought was a good price but when we got home we found that it was made in China or some other place and it soon became useless or just a bad product.

All these things just show the greed and dishonesty of a nation that was once God's people.

Are we any different now here in the USA.

The Lord said in verse 7 "that He would never forget these things that were done to His people.

Why should we think the Lord is any different today to not see all these things?

We sometimes wonder what is happening to our world that is blamed on Global Warming along with many other things.

Maybe it's just God sending His final warning!

*****Amo 8:8  Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.
Amo 8:9  And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:

The truth is we can read what happened to the Israel of these Northern Tribes but we may actually be witnessing these things today.

God can make this earth tremble any time He so chooses:

Psa 104:32  He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

We know that the heavens are full of the glory of the Lord.

Psa 97:5  The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
Psa 97:6  The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

Most everyday we may acknowledge things like temperature or rain or wind but most of the time the heavens rarely engage our thoughts because the rise and fall of the Sun and the Moon are so common that they cease to amaze us or even impress us!

Sometimes an eclipse of the Sun, or a comet, or the Sun spots, or even a Meteorite may be just to show us who is in charge of all these things.

But an eclipse should also remind us the effect of sin upon the soul as a dark object shuts out the light of God.

We know that the Sun does not quit shining and the Moon has passed between us and the Sun.

Sin is the same. We know that the Sun of God does never quit shining but we have allowed sin to pass between us and the Son.

What do we know for sure?

A day of judgment is is guaranteed by the sworn oath of God on a world that is exactly like our world is today.

That day will be catastrophic with earthquakes and the earth will actually tremble, and heave and shake like we have never seen.

There will be a major eclipse not like the ones that are seen in just a few places but one like the day of the cross when it was impossible for such and event and it will be seen world-wide.

And not only that but there will unprecedented distress, grief and mourning.

*****Amo 8:10  And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

The day of judgment, The Day of the Lord, will be a day of of absolute despair for all those that remain on this earth.

Remember the Church will have already been in Heaven at least 7 years when this Day of the Lord occurs.

But this is exactly why we can see the beginning of these things now and we should make others aware of it because this is what Amos was doing!

There will be no one to warn the world that day because the Church will be in Heaven!

*****Amo 8:11  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:
Amo 8:12  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.

All those who have waited till the last minute thinking they would still get another opportunity.
All those who are Atheist will find out that they were wrong all their days.
All those that had rejected Holy Ghost conviction.
All those that had rejected the Word of God outright.
All those that thought that being good was enough.
All those that thought being baptized was enough
And most sad all those that have played Church and thought Church membership was enough.
All of these and even others will search throughout the world for someone who knows the Lord in a personal way to help them find the way to Heaven and that person cannot and will not be found.

The Lord will not answer their prayers and there will be no Saints to pray for them.

The Holy Spirit will not be available to them.

There will be no Angels left to battle the evil nor stop the many accidents that happen.

People will beg God to forgive them but He will not hear them!

Psa 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Job 27:8  For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
Job 27:9  Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

Isa 1:15  And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

And this awesome display of God's power and judgment will continue.

*****Amo 8:13  In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.
Amo 8:14  They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

The truth is, that every person worships something. It is either God or some false god. Truly there are no Atheist who in fact worship themselves.

All those that have failed to worship the Lord will fail. This world will tell you that there are many ways to Heaven but that is simply not true!

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

It's time this world woke up to this truth and part of our job in these remaining days is to try to get this message to as many people who will listen. They must realize salvation is a choice for each individual.

Those that do not believe these words of Amos also do not believe the words of Jesus!

Mat 24:29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Those that reject these things need to read the entire Book of Revelation without spiritualizing any of the words!

There will be no one who escapes the "judgment of God"!

We can be sure of a final judgment and we can be sure of the promise of a glorious Kingdom.

And it is only then that the Lord will rule upon this earth for 1000 years and restore things similar to what they were in the days of Adam.

Let Amos describe these things for us.

*****Amo 9:11  In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
Amo 9:12  That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

Verses 1-10 describe the destruction of all sinners upon this earth. Sinners being all those that have rejected the truth of the Scriptures and the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 11 begins with the restoration of Israel and the fulfillment of prophecy.

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

The Tabernacle of David was located in Jerusalem and placed by King David when the Ark was recovered and restored to the people of Israel.

King David was absolute ruler of all of Israel and greatly loved by all the people for a time.

Amos speaks of a day when the government of David, the throne of David will be reestablished also in Israel also in Jerusalem.

Israel will be reunited, there will be no Northern Tribes and no Southern Tribes and there are no lost tribes of Israel.

We know that the Tabernacle of David had fallen, breeches were made in it and it was in ruins.

We know the Jesus Christ will establish His universal government in Israel for 1000 years.

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

A remnant of Israel will be there and the entire Church will be there.

Any people that remain on this entire earth will look to Israel and Jerusalem as the center of government.

It is in that day that God will restore this earth to what it was in the day of Adam before sin entered into this world.

*****Amo 9:13  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
Look how God describes these things.

Crops and fruit will grow so fast that those that reap the harvest will be over taken by the plowman and those that plant the seed for the next harvest.

Those that plant the vineyard will be over taken by those who press out the juice from the harvest.

The prophet Joel explains the melting hills.

Joe 3:18  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

Remember God had said the Promised Land would be a land flowing with milk and honey.

The economy of the Lord will be strong.

Prosperity will be to all people everywhere!

And all the exiled remnant of Israel will return to their homeland.

*****Amo 9:14  And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
Amo 9:15  And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

It is hard to imagine a world with a lasting peace and a guaranteed security but that is the promise of the Lord for 1000 years and it only gets better after this.

Every human being at that time will experience the "peace" of God!

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

It is the truth in all these things that is the reason God has left us on this earth to share this
Good News" with anyone that crosses our path.

God has told it to Israel:

Act 10:36  The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

God has told it to the world:

Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

God has had only one message:

Psa 34:14  Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psa 34:15  The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

The message of Amos to the Israelites was that God's promises are sure.

It was Israel that were to be the disciples of God but they had failed so God established the Church.

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Israel is still the spiritual exile of the Lord even to this day even since they have been restored to the promised land and the blindness of Israel has not yet been removed.

2Co 3:13  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

It is at the 1000 year reign of Christ when this will take place though it will begin during the Tribulation Period.

Rom 11:15  For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

All these things are still our future but also in the future of Israel.

But we are fools if we cannot see the beginning of these things now and the next thing on God's agenda is the "Rapture" of the Church which will put all these other things in motion!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Judgment Of God

The Judgment Of God

Book of Amos Chapters 1-4


Amos was a fiery preacher and God's prophet, but most all the things we know about Amos we find in the book that bears his name.

Amos is not mentioned in any other book of the Bible.

Amos was a native of Tekoa a place about 6 mile from Bethlehem in the Southern Kingdom but God sent him to the Northern Kingdom to do His work.

Amos may not have been just a poor shepherd because according to the Hebrew word used for shepherd, Amos could have been a breeder of sheep.

It is possible that Amos raised large herds of sheep.

And also possible that Amos managed a large grove of Sycamore trees.

BUT, Amos described himself simply as a simple farmer called of God.

Amo 7:14  Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
Amo 7:15  And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

Amos was a true prophet of God and he had the courage of a prophet called of God and remember the words of a prophet of God had to always be true.

Num 12:6  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

The only prophet that was different as far as we know was Moses who had a special task.

Num 12:7  My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
Num 12:8  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

In time there became what we would call prophetic order of men called of God probably begun at the time of  Samuel.

Amos said he had never belonged to such an order.

The 16 prophets in which we have books, were called of God, commissioned, and entrusted with the messages of God to His people.

They were not only prophets but also historians, and preachers of patriotism and had morals that were based on the Word of God.

It was also their intention to influence the politics of the government to follow the Word of God!

Amos' most important job was to reveal God's will to all mankind.

Most every prophet also foretold of the coming of Jesus Christ.

Amos' main target was the Northern Tribes of Israel and Amos preached the coming judgment of God!

We must remember all the books of the prophets were written as much for us as they were for the people of that day.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: "and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come".

And these things were written to teach how to live godly lives.

Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

The Book of Amos was written to call Israel to repentance and obedience to the Word of God to avoid the judgment of God.

We can also learn this valuable lesson.

So let's begin:

*****Amo 1:1  The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
Amo 1:2  And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

To understand better the time of Amos we need to take the time to read in the Book of Kings from the time of Uzziah of the Southern Kingdom and Jeroboam II of the Northern Kingdom.

To relate the message of Amos to our life today, we need to remember those times when we have been told, "this is your last chance".

In most cases it meant one last chance to change our behavior or else?

The "else" that Amos was referring to was the "judgment" of God!

Amos made it very plain, these were not his words but that this message was from God Himself as it was from all God's prophets!

There are so many today that preach the God of Love and this is certainly true.

There are many today that preach a prosperity gospel and it is true that God will provide our needs but He did not promise to make us all rich.

There are very few that preach the "Judgment" of God and if these other things are true then we must accept that we can make God angry and God will one day reach a point where He will simply say "I've had enough".

There are those that preach that Amos only pronounced "judgment" on the Northern Tribes but they simply did not read the book.

Before God allowed Amos to preach "judgment" on Israel, the Northern Tribes, God mentions the nations that surrounded Israel in that day but also today.

Amos preached the judgment on Damascus, which is Syria, a cruel people.
Amos preached the judgment of Gaza, the Philistines in that day the so called Palestinians of today a callous people.
Amos preach the judgment Tyre, Phoenicia in that day but does not exist as a state today. They were a disloyal people.
Amos preached the judgment of Edom. Edom does not exist today as a state but they were an unmerciful people.
Amos preached the judgment of Ammon, now Jordan, they were a covetous people.
Amos preached the judgment of Moab, they were a vengeful people.
And before Amos preached the judgment of Israel, he preached against Judah, modern day Israel, a disobedient, and unfaithful people.
And finally Amos preached the judgment of Israel, a hypocritical people.

You see like a Lion the Lord will roar from Zion!

The message of Amos was judgment on all the people of this world that do these things!

*****Amo 2:6  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;
Amo 2:7  That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:
Amo 2:8  And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

We should also be clear that God's judgment will be on His own people first.

God's people will be the first to given an account for their own works after salvation.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

God will judge the Church first then the rest of the world.

God has said that there was to be a treaty of brotherhood among all human beings, and we can see how we have all failed.

We are to love one another no matter our race, our color, or our nationality after all we all come from the Living God!

The people of Judah and Israel were not accustomed to such preaching especially by such a man as Amos who was not connected to the line of Aaron or Moses or any of the priesthood.

Israel lived understanding that they were the chosen of God and above God's judgment which is not true.

There is no one above the "judgment of God!

The truth of God is that He is Love.

1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

God will continue to bless all people while He patiently waits on them to repent and turn from their wicked ways, right up until the time that He decides it is time for judgment.

Right up until the time when He says, "this is your last chance"!

What had Israel done? They had denied the power of God and turned to idol worship.

They had denied the salvation of the God who had set them free from the bondage of Egypt and claimed that power actually came from a false god.

They had rejected all the prophets of God. (It is during this time of Amos that we also find Jonah and Hosea)

They had rejected those who had pronounced their claim to be Nazarites who also witnessed for the Lord.

They had actually persecuted all those that remained true to God!

They had actually tried to force God's people to to violate their commitments they made to the Lord.

All these things sound so familiar to what is going on in our world today even in America.

The terrorists and the governments doing the same thing, trying to rid the world of God's people.

While pretending to be God's people they had become deceitful.

They were hypocrites!

They drank the wine of the condemned in the house of their god!

And what was the best example in the history of this people?

*****Amo 2:9  Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
Amo 2:10  Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
Amo 2:11  And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.

Amos had preached that the sins of terrorism and barbarism were truly great and would be judged.

Amos had preached that civilizations that made slaves of the poor and abused the needy would be judged even more harsh.

Israel had great victories but those victories had come by the hand of God.

It was God that had destroyed the Amorites.

These were a people full of passion and pride and all sorts of immorality. So much was the destruction of this people that they are no longer remembered except on some ancient Egyptian monuments.

This thing had followed the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt and their 40 years in the wilderness.

In fact they had spent 40 years in the wilderness because they had a deadly fear of these same Amorites.

It had been by God's mercy that Israel had been blessed.

But, It was God who had called the prophets who spoke only the words of God.

And, It was God who had called for the Nazarites who showed the way of God through the way they lived.

When we deny the power of God we will spend our days in wasted lives.

It is God who destroys our enemies.

It is God who provides a plan of salvation.

No matter what we think we have gotten for ourselves, it was God that provided it.

When we deny God's power we are wasting our time praying because the object of prayer is seek the God of all power!

This world we live in better wake up because to persecute God's messengers brings the downfall to every nation.

To persecute God's people will bring the wrath of God!   

We live in a world that simply refuses to hear about their sin, so they truly do not want to be around a righteous person.

A righteous person is only those that follow the teachings of the Word of God!

Persecuting the people of God was accepted by society in the day of Amos and we can see that persecuting God's people is accepted by society in the world today and yes even in America!

God only has one choice and this world is making it for Him!

God will judge each nation and then the world!

None of these will escape the wrath of God!

God says no one is swift enough nor strong enough to escape (vs14)

God says no nation has enough military power to defend against His judgment (vs15)

God says there is simply no one that can stand up to Him in this world (vs16)

The absolute worst sinner in this world is not the mass murderer or the ones who are the most evil.

The worst sinners in this world are the hypocrites who profess to believe upon the Lord but are deceiving those who truly believe.

Those that profess they know the Lord on a personal level and then live their own life by their own rules are hypocrites.

Israel had become a nation of hypocrites!

Tit 1:15  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

We are warned specifically about these things:

1Jn 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1Jn 2:6  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Chapter 3 is more about how to avoid the "Judgment" of God. God had chosen the nation of Israel to bring His message to the world and they had rejected this purpose and rejected His privileges and therefore they would see His "Judgment".

We must remember that the Living God has offered every human being the opportunity to walk and talk with Him and most of the world still rejects His offer. Therefore most of this world will see the soon coming "Judgment" of God.

As we continue we will see that God's "Judgment" will fall on an unrepentant people who have been given many opportunities to do so.

Selfishness, stubbornness, and hypocritical worship will bring the "Judgment" of God on every people!

The answer to all these things is repentance.

Chapter 4 is about repentance.

This is not the repentance of Judas who was very sorry for what he had done but his heart was still unchanged.

True repentance is a change of mind, a change of our purpose in this life, a complete change of direction of where we were headed.

This is the only repentance that will bring forgiveness of sins!

It takes a true realization of our sin.
It takes a true realization of God's mercy.
It takes a true hatred for any and all sin.
It takes a true walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The truth is stubbornness will result in the "Judgment" of God.

In the past God has used famine as a means of discipline and I am sure He may still use this and other things today.

The truth is discipline means that "Judgment" has not yet come.

God will make use of famine.

Amo 4:6  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.

The truth is, we live in cursed world and many evils may come upon us which we may be innocent in relation to them, but God's discipline is for the sin we know we have.

When we know what God expects and He gives a complete list, so we are without excuse, then to do those things is just being stubborn and in open rebellion to the Word of God.

If there is a famine then we should ask ourselves what are we doing wrong and repent.

We should consider that even if God did not cause a situation, He did allow it for some reason and God judges sin, but rewards good works even though good works cannot get you into a personal relationship with God.

We should also consider that God has a reason for everything He does and "Love" and "Concern" are His two greatest reasons.

Afflictions are designed to humble us to the point of asking why and then we can look in the mirror of our lives to get the answer.

God will do the same thing to a government that He will do to a person and God sometimes uses human wickedness and we can see this in America today. We should see this as discipline to give us time to repent before "Judgment" come, for it will certainly come without repentance!

Cleanness of teeth means that Israel had a lack of food in all their cities.
They had a cupboard or a pantry that just did not have enough food in it to sustain good health.

But they refused to repent!

So God added drought.

*****Amo 4:7  And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

Sometimes when we will get so relaxed in our lifestyle that God will do things to make us uncomfortable.
In America we have when many other nations to do have.

Notice here that God had sent the drought early enough that if Israel would repent then the crops could have been saved but they refused to repent and their hunger increased, their lack of food increased.

We can see that God even showed favor to one city more than another to show His power over nature. Some suffered for thirst while some had plenty. Some gardens suffered while other gardens produced plenty.

This was done to show them the error of their ways but they would still not repent but we can be sure they blamed God for their misery.

When we are foolish enough to blame God for our misery but still to foolish to repent this in itself should show us how foolish we truly are.

If it is truly an act of God then God teaches us how to avoid such things so these things are really an act of sin and sin is to be blamed!

Sin is anything that goes against the Word of God!

*****Amo 4:8  So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

Many would leave their homes to find a place where things were better but so many would do this that that new home would soon be the same and they would be lacking again.

If they had stayed at home and changed their ways then things would have been much better but they refused to repent.

The truth is God has much more patience than most people have stubbornness but even the patience of God has it's limits.

The more stubborn people are, the more discipline is required.

*****Amo 4:9  I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

Blasting is what we would call "blight".

Blight effects plants sometimes causing the whole plant to whither and sometimes only the leaves, or the blossoms, or the fruit will shrivel up as if they were scorched.

In America we sometimes call boils or eruptions in the skin as blight.

Blight has the meaning of to prevent or to frustrate growth and or fertility.

This was God's intent!

Mildew can be said to be paleness of the skin in people who are afraid but in most cases it refers to the corrosion of plants or stains on objects caused by moisture.

The Palmer-worm is thought to be a type of locust that devours plants and are a nuisance to humans.

What this verse is saying is that God brought economic devastation to these people in ways that that they knew came from Him but they still would not repent.

We wonder sometimes why our economy just does not seem to get better, well instead kicking God out of every door and laughing at the Word of God, maybe we just need to repent and change our evil ways.

If we would return to the Lord, things could be so much better but we simply allow a very small portion of our population, who so engrossed in sin and in power to control, to dictate the sin in our nation. Until we take a stand on the Word of God, things simply will not get any better no matter who sits in the White House.

SO, When we refuse to repent it then hits closer to home.

*****Amo 4:10  I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

There are always those that have no fear of drought.

There are always those that have no fear of doing without food.

There is no one that does not have a fear of disease and plagues.

And, Not everyone can protect themselves from the murderers and the terrorist.

And no one likes to live in a place where it just stinks all the time.

The Lord sent sickness and disease to all of Israel.

The Lord sent military defeat and many of those young sons were killed in lost causes by governments that rejected the Lord.

Rejecting the Lord is harmful to all people in all cultures and all societies.

Life without God is a life of misery!

Misery is the force of human depravity!

But Israel still would not repent.

*****Amo 4:11  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.

There is no one with any sense that does not realize the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah and God destroyed these places with fire and brimstone.

In all of Israel, there were catastrophes to cities and to homes where some only escaped with the clothes on their backs.

It's amazing how stubborn these people were but yet we can see these same things happening today and yet those causing much of the problems we face, deny the wrath of God and say we have only a God of love.

God certainly has more love than He has wrath but one moment of the wrath of God is still the most destructive thing that can be witnessed on this earth.

When we have a tendency to disregard what God has done in the past saying He will not do those things again, then we are fools!

All these things are only examples what our God is capable of to those that reject Him!

When discipline just will not work then God only has one alternative.

The truth is that people only go to Hell because they have chosen too!

Therefore these are the reasons for God's "judgment"!

*****Amo 4:12  Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

There is one truth that holds to every human being that has ever lived on this earth, "judgment is certain"!

The "judgment" of God is inescapable.

Luk 13:3  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

When we reject the truth of God then along with the other things we may think we can do, we certainly had better be prepared to meet the One and the Only Living God!

Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

These words are just as true as all the Word of God.

This is the same God of creation who is denied by most of the world.

This is the same God that has revealed Himself to Israel and then to all the world but is denied by most.

This the omnipotent God of all power who it was that has established all the laws of nature and who controls all the things of the day and of the night, here and throughout all that we can see.

This the same omnipresent God who dwells wherever He chooses and we simply cannot go anywhere where He is not present.

This is the Lord God of all the Angels and rules over all life in Heaven and on Earth.

We must not be fooled by this world, "judgment" is guaranteed!

Judgment is inescapable!

The only hope for all people is repentance and then forgiveness!

The sad part is that many will never come to the Lord and repent and the Book of Revelation was written for this purpose and in the end God simply says these words.

Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

God will come as a thief in the night and while the world is still going about it's routine of evil, this world will get to see the God that they have rejected and it will not be a pleasant day.

When the Lord comes it will be done very quickly!

Rev 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Who in their right mind wants to see the God of Wrath! I know I do not.

Questions?

Let's Pray!