On Friday, October 2, 2015, Yujin wrote,
Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. For thus Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” (Amos 7:10-11).
Amaziah, a religious man himself, reported Amos' prophecy as a political conspiracy rather than an oracle of judgment from God. Instead of urging King Jeroboam to repent in response to Amos' prophecy, he suggested getting rid of the prophet, whose words stirred unrest among the people.
Amaziah lacked discernment. He could not differentiate between the human and the divine. Amos' message was indeed designed to stir unrest among the people, but this was because the people had become apathetic to the worship and commands of God. It was by God's commission that Amos, simply "a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs," was sent to pronounce judgment on the people and leaders of Israel.
Friends, I wonder if, today, we too lack discernment, even spiritual discernment. We read from Paul:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).
If our struggle is not against flesh and blood, then why do we complain, argue and fight as if it is. Paul says that the true battleground is spiritual and not earthly, against "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms". Did not Jesus teach his disciples not to be worried about the basic necessities of this life but instead to seek first God's kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33)? He reiterated this by telling his disciples that life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions (Luke 12:15). Again, Paul commanded believers to be heavenly-minded because that was their final destination and heritage, not earthly things, which were bound to pass away:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life,appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4).
Amaziah only saw things with an earthly perspective. He was short-sighted and undiscerning. We must not be this way. Let us have an eternal, Christ-centered perspective. Let us not allow ourselves to be dragged down by temporal concerns, whether it be human conflicts, financial shortfalls, or anything else that pertains to this world. Let us not be "conformed to this world". Let us instead by "transformed by renewing of our minds". Let us find out what pleases the Lord. Let us discern what His will is, and with a clear head, determine to live that out in keeping with the measure of grace and faith that God gives to us.
On Thursday, October 2, 2014 (Last Updated on 10/1/2015), Yujin wrote,
Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria,
The distinguished men of the foremost of nations,
To whom the house of Israel comes... (Amos 6:1).Who drink wine from sacrificial bowls
While they anoint themselves with the finest of oils,
Yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph (Amos 6:6).
Amos' prophecy is focused on the northern kingdom of Israel, but there is a sin that encompassed the southern kingdom of Judah as well ("Zion"). It is the sin of complacency and apathy. Webster's Dictionary defines complacency as self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. Apathy is defined as a lack of feeling or emotion, a lack of interest or concern.
In Amos 6:1 Zion's leaders are described as being "at ease" and Israel's leaders as feeling "secure". This is complacency. In Amos 6:6 they are accused of failing to grieve "over the ruin of Joseph". This is apathy. They should have been grieving over the sins of the nation. They shoud have been calling the people to repentance and faith. Instead, they were living in ease and self-indulgence.
Friends, having read through the Bible many times, I am realizing that there was never really any extended time, where the people of God could be at ease or self-indulgent. There was never a time when God's people did not need to "watch and pray so that they might not fall into temptation." Wisdom in the lives of God's people was like a smattering of small white dots on a sea of black folly.
It is no different today. It is not the time to be at ease, to be apathetic about the spiritual degradation of our country. The Church must not be complacent, quietly tolerant, of sinful lifestyles and the misinterpretations of God's Word. There needs to be a soulful mourning over sin and a diligent studying of the Scriptures.
We are too comfortable with the artificial props that we put up in our lives that distract us from the central issues of righteousness and truth. Therefore, let us reverse our inclination to conform to the priorities of our culture. Let us pursue the priorities of the Spirit as it is given to us in the Word of God. In doing this, we will demonstrate the goodness, the beauty and perfection of God's will:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2).
On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 (Last Updated on 9/17/2022), Yujin wrote,
Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria...
Those who recline on beds of ivory
And sprawl on their couches...
Yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph (Amos 6:1,4,6).
Zion may refer to God's holy city of Jerusalem (cf. 2 Samuel 5:7), a representation of the whole people of Israel, showing the connectedness of the Northern and Southern kingdoms with respect to God's covenant with His people. The reference to Samaria, which was the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, narrows the focus to just this group, since they were the first to violate God's covenant. Finally, the reference to Joseph, whose sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, clearly dominated and led the Northern Kingdom, may attest to the spiritual and moral unraveling of the leading tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The reference to Joseph may also be an allusion to Joseph's unjust suffering at the hands of his brothers. This same kind of injustice was at the heart of God's indictment of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
The point of the passage seems to be that the people were acting nonchalant about the coming judgment. They were enjoying their lives as if everything was okay. But God declared that He would come to judge them severely, so that their attitude would change completely, and that they would even fear to mention the Name of the LORD, lest His judgment reach their surviving remnant as well (cf. Amos 6:7-11).
Friends, we are New Testament believers and find our hope in heaven; howevever, I feel that we too have become complacent in the charge God has given to us while we live on this earth. We have become too comfortable in our nice houses and cars. Recreation, entertainment and gadgets consume our "disposable" time, while secular work consumes the rest. We have forgotten the injunction by Jesus, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). While we may not be steeped in injustice, we may still be guilty of neglecting the good that we should be doing.
Peter wrote,
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming... Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:11,17-18).
Peter wrote of God's final judgment by fire. In light of this, he reminded believers to pursue holiness and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Friends, let us not neglect this calling on every believer. Even if we are not sure what our specific calling may be, let us trust and obey what we do know from His Word. For, as Amos also wrote, there would come a day when God would send a famine "for hearing the words of the LORD." He wrote,
People will stagger from sea to sea
And from the north even to the east;
They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord,
But they will not find it (Amos 8:12).
While we have God's precious Word, let us read, meditate, study, and abide in His Word of truth, so that we might grow in the grace and knowledge of the Son of God and understand how to live the holy and godly life that He commands us to live in this world. And let us live it day by day, year after year, until He comes.
On Tuesday, October 2, 2012 (Last Updated on 9/23/2022), Yujin wrote,
Not one will get away,none will escape. Though they dig down to the depths below, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens above, from there I will bring them down. Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good (Amos 9:1-4).
How awful is this! To have the LORD as your adversary. Where could you go? Where could you flee? How could you hide from Him who sees darkness as light, the invisible as visible, and even things yet to happen? Every such attempt would be utterly futile. The only sensible course would be to fully confess and to humbly beg for mercy, even though this is no guarantee of relief. Indeed, isn't this what God seeks from all people everywhere: to admit utter depravity, to acknowledge God's absolute justice and power, and to trust completely in the possibility of God's favor.
If there's anything in this last statement that I might modify, it's perhaps the last part, namely, "the possibility of God's favor." While God is free to save and not to save, and chooses whom He will, and while we cannot see into the mind of God as to those He has chosen from the foundation of the world, we can be assured of this much. God is true to His Word, and so as He has promised, those that believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose again will be saved. This is no mere possibility. It is a certainty based on the faithfulness of God.
If this is your testimony, then, rather than dreading the omniscience and omnipresence of God, you ought to rejoice in it. For God will not be keeping His eye on you for harm but for good. You will declare with the Psalmist,
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you (Psalm 139:7-12).
You will find comfort in the realization of God's all-knowing, all-seeing, ever-present, and all-powerful providence watching over you. Even to Israel, God gives this hope, that after their punishment in exile, God would once again turn to them for their good:
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
But as Christians we have an even better hope because Jesus already paid the price for our sins. It is not through punishment that we will know grace, for Christ died for us while we were still sinners:
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8).
And this hope that we have is not insured by any measure of faith or good works that we do but simply by God's choice and promise, namely that the work God began by Himself in us He will also by Himself complete in us:
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
Thus, Paul utters this benediction over the believers in Thessalonica:
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
Therefore, let us rejoice, dear friends, for God is for us and not against us because we are heirs of His promises in Jesus Christ.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:31-34).
Paul strings together a series of rhetorical questions. If God is for us, who can be against us? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? Who then is the one who condemns? In every case the clearly understood answer is, "NO ONE!" No one can be against us. No one can bring any charge against those whom God has chosen. No one can condemn. And so Paul concludes his argument with this triumphant declaration:
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39).
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
On Sunday, October 2, 2011, Yujin wrote,
Friends, a recent movie was out that depicted what the world would be like without the Word of God. The movie was called the "Book of Eli," and starred Denzel Washington. It presented a world devoid of any absolute morality or truth where authority and power went to the strong. There was chaos and uncertainty. And the powerful were trying to get a hold of what they deemed the most valuable prize, namely, the last copy of the Bible. I wonder if the writers of the movie had this Scripture from Amos in mind.
``Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, ``When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. ``People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it. (Amos 8:11, 12 NASB)Friends, what is the most valuable thing that God has given us in this world. Is it not the Word of God? By it we know God beyond simply that great Power in the sky. By it we know the way of salvation, so that we might live with Him forever in heaven. By it we have everything we need to know how to live a life that pleases God. We are given commands, testimonies, poetry, prophecy, and stories to guide us. By it we know what is right and wrong, what is important and what is not, where we come from, what our natures are, and where we are going. By it we have faith (Romans 10:17).
Therefore, where should our daily and life concentration be? Isn't it in first knowing God's Word, and then worshipping the God we learn about there, and doing so in the way that He has prescribed? And as we learn what God desires in us, should we not pursue this and encourage others to do the same?
Mark my words, in every generation there have been worshippers, even worshippers of God. These worshippers were likely much more fervent and devoted than you or I. But the great indictment of most of them is that they did according to "what was right in their own eyes." This was the situation of the world's people prior to God bringing the flood that destroyed all but one family. This was the situation of Sodom and Gomorrah before God destroyed them by fire. This was the situation in the time of the Judges when Israel was at it's lowest point spiritually. And this will also be the case in the end times when God brings final judgment on the inhabitants of the earth.
Therefore, it is not of first importance how zealous you are in your faith, but rather whether what you are zealous for is pleasing to God. This is why Paul was so distressed in his heart about the Jews. They were very zealous for God, but it was not in the way that God prescribed. Their zeal was based on what they felt was right in their own eyes and hearts, and not on what God had said. So he writes in Romans,
Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:1-3 NASB)Friends, my fear is that we are living in a generation that has less and less concern for God's Word. We would rather have our ears tickled with some interesting tale, an amazing story, a feel-good charge that promotes positive thinking, titillating music, or anything that quickly stimulates and draws our attention. Yet this is the very kind of generation that Paul describes as the wayward generation:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3, 4 NASB)And Amos describes a time when the Word of God will be taken away, so that even if people want to hear it they would not be able. Therefore, let us seek God while He maybe found. Let us meditate on this greatest of treasures that God has given to us before He takes it away for good. Let us acknowledge to God as Peter did to Jesus, that these words of God in the Bible are "the words of life."