AMOS Take-Aways
Joel's Amos Chapter 2 on YouTube is so worth listening to. Amos gets to the heart of the issue: "poetically, personally, and powerfully" says Joel. Joel sets the stage beautifully to hear God's voice. "Amos brings in the covenant relationship---Amos 2:4---into the equation. The relationship between God and the nations was in the 3rd person. There was a separation of intimacy. But, in Chapter 2, it shifts from 3rd person to 1st person language." ... "Prosperity led the Israelites to privilege and this lulled them into a false sense of security,..they thought that because of their prosperity and blessing as a nation that this automatically equalled God's blessing...there is this thing called common grace...be careful to not assume common grace equals God's blessing...Israel experienced prosperity in spite of their sin...and they viewed God as a buffet...the Gospel is all or nothing." Joel Muddamalle There is a Beautiful God stirring in Joel. When he teaches, it touches something very deep in me. He brings God to me and I cannot thank you enough! Here are my humble take-aways from reading the heart wrenching story of Amos:
COVENANT RELATIONSHIP
The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?” Amos 3:8
Days are coming.
The plowmen will overtake the reaper.
It's the day we all live for---the coming of the LORD for His people.
"Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,
and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria." Amos 6:1
The themes mesh---Isaiah wrestling not to follow King Uzziah.
Amos wrestling with the feel of security.
Peace and personal comfort. It's usually what most people in those days and these days go after. Amos 7:7 - God showed me this vision: My Master was standing beside a wall. In his hand he held a plumb line. God has dropped a plumbline to expose their wickedness. A standard. After reading this word of God, after worship of this true God, if the people remain unchanged and undisturbed, they are following a plan that is self-serving and not God-glorifying. Amos 2:6. The nations were not recognizing their self-protection and self-enhancement. Amos 8:4-5. You take much and you give little...
Damascus: treating people as things for your own advantage - Amos 1:3
Gaza: valuing financial gain over well-being of humans---selling slaves - Amos 1:6
Tyre: breaking your word with Israel and serving your own interests - Amos 1:9
Edom: chasing down your own relatives in a rage against those who hurt you deeply - Amos 1:11
Ammon: justifying hurting people to extend your border, your own personal gain - Amos 1:13
Moab: desecrating the king of Edom assuming vengeance is my right - Amos 2:1
Judah: rejecting the instruction of the Lord as the standard for all relating - Amos 2:4
Israel: living a self-serving life of using people for their own desires, not glorifying God - Amos 2:11
They all worshipped God but they all were unchanged in the ways they related to their world. God have mercy on all of us, then and now.
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