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!
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!
