Amos 3

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God had a special relationship with Israel. He called them “the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt.” No other people group had this covenantal connection with the Almighty. What would this fatherly care mean for them in the days of Amos? “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

The Lord's indictment and His sanctions against them did not happen by chance. His fatherly love for His people led Him to take necessary steps, lest they wander away from Him forever. This should not have been a surprise to them. God had already revealed through decades of prophets what He would do if they continued in rebellion.

As the time for the fall of Samaria drew near, Jehovah called upon foreign lands like Ashdod and Egypt to observe the shame of His chosen flock. “They do not know how to do right.” Particularly the rich and powerful among them were inclined toward “violence and robbery.” Because they would not listen to their divine King, God promised to bring “an adversary” into their territory. In just a few years, the Assyrians would “bring down” their “defenses.”

Would this foreign aggression be a small inconvenience? No, the citizens of Samaria would lose almost everything. A suffering family might be able to save “the corner of a couch and part of a bed,” but their lives in the Promised Land would be over for many years. Most Israelites would never return. Even those who had multiple houses and great estates would not be able to defend themselves.

This corrective action of the Lord would have a very central religious component. “I will punish the altars of Bethel” that had been built so many years before in violation of Jehovah's commandments. God would display before the world that He was perfectly serious when He had told Israel, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)

The people of God in every era must not think of sin too lightly. Transgression brought much trouble upon the Jews of old. In the fullness of time, the Author of Life displayed the penalty that our evil ways necessitated. The perfect Son of God had to die on the cross for us. Only Jesus could save us from our sin. Through His blood He not only wins for us the legal status of righteous sons and daughters, He also sanctifies our deepest trials and secures for us a life of eternal glory.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father, because You have a special plan for Your children, You chastise us for our sins. Nonetheless, You still call us Your family. We thank You for Your discipline. Preserve our lives for Your service, first here, and then above with those who have already gone to be with Your Son. Surely You have reason to correct us, and we should listen carefully to You. Even if only a small remnant survives, not one of Your elect shall be lost. All of our pomp and wealth will perish, but Your people shall live forever.

Amos 2

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God spoke to the nation of Moab as well as to His covenant children in both Judah and in Israel through the revelation given to the prophet in Amos 2. Beginning with idolatrous people group to the east, what objection did the Almighty have concerning the Moabites? Authorities in Moab “burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom.” The Edomite rulers were not particularly righteous. They were engaged in buying Israelite slaves and were charged by the Lord with great guilt. In Amos 1:12, we read about what the Lord would rightly do to Edom in His own holy vengeance: “I will send a fire upon” the strong cities of the Edomites. This was the prerogative of the great I-AM, not the right of any man,

Why would God make a point about the way one heathen dictator abused another? The Author of life insisted that His followers recognize what they already knew, that human beings were created by Him and were different from His other creatures. The Lord gave men and women innate dignity that was not to be ignored, even in the treatment of the bodies of enemies at their death. To burn the remains of a person out of disrespect was to act as if they were above them as their ultimate Judge.

Moving beyond the nations that surrounded the Promised Land, what then was the Lord's indictment regarding the best of His own flock, the tribe of Judah? They had the Word of God in a way that Moab and Edom did not, but this made them even more guilty, for they did not obey God's special revelation to them. They followed the lies of their fathers and went “astray” in ungodly paths. How would God discipline them? “I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.”

Moving on from Judah, Amos spoke God's message to the northern tribes of Israel for the remainder of his book of prophecy. They also deserved the Lord's correction, for they “trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth.” Even Israel behaved as if men and women were objects for their own use. They combined the religion of their God with their immoral practices. Though they claimed to have God's special affection, they turned against the oracles of the One who had brought them out of slavery. Instead of being merciful to the weak, “they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.” The Lord had sent them ambassadors of His Word, the prophets, and living displays of His holiness, the Nazirites, but they had mistreated even these special servants of their God.

Would they escape the Lord's discipline because they were His chosen ones? No, the Lord loves His elect too much to flatter them in their dangerous wandering. God knows about the sin of the world. He also knows well that the church cannot stand before Him without an atoning Substitute to turn away His wrath. But now a new way of life has appeared for us, “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ.” (Romans 3:22) Our Redeemer is our only hope.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord God, there is a hatred of man against man that goes beyond the customary depravity of the sons of Adam. How long will You allow a nation to stand when it is so wickedly vicious, abusing the living and desecrating the remains of the dead? Surely Your people should be far from such a habit of evil. Yet we have so often ignored Your Word, and have become imitators of the world. Our lies have led us astray into sinful patterns of life. Will we sell the righteous for silver, engage in gross immorality, and participate in idolatrous worship? You have done so much for us, delivering us out of the slavery of sin, and allowing us to taste of the good things of the age to come. Will we return to the old way of bondage again? May it never be so! We should not presume to fight against You, for we will surely lose that battle. Have mercy on us, O God, and call us back home again.

Amos 1

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In the days of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam II of Israel, God called Amos, a shepherd from a small village near Bethlehem of Judah, to speak His Word to the nations surrounding Israel. “The Lord roars from Zion.” Yahweh asserted His authority to judge those who had been cruel to His people.

The Syrians had treated the Lord's beloved children like a field that they were free to break up in order to plant whatever they wanted. “They have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.” The Lord would use the Assyrians from the east to bring great trouble upon Damascus and the other Syrian cities that had exalted themselves over that part of Israel to the east of the Jordan River. The Syrians would be taken into exile.

The Philistines living in Gaza would also face the wrath of the Almighty. They had carried off people from Israel to sell them to the Edomites. The merchants of Tyre had also been engaged in this immoral commerce in violation of the “covenant of brotherhood” that had once existed between Tyre and Israel. The people of Edom were also guilty in this matter. As descendants of Esau, they did not have a brotherly regard for the heritage of Esau's brother Jacob. Now some of the cities of Edom would be destroyed by foreign powers.

The Ammonites had also shown little regard for the human worth of the Lord's family. Like other ancient powers who wanted their victory over an enemy to be complete, “they have ripped open pregnant women,” killing both mother and child. Their aim was that “they might enlarge their border,” but they too would be taken off into exile.

The entrance of sin into the world recorded in Genesis 3 has brought depravity not only to individuals, but also to nations. A naive view of the reasonableness of all the people groups of the world will only lead to danger and disappointment. Despite all of the trials that the elect face in this world of trouble, the Lord's love for His children is real. Those who persecute Israel and the church will find God to be a very dangerous adversary. One day, the Lion of the tribe of Judah will return. He will establish a kingdom beyond evil nations and individual sinners. Even now, Jesus is the Lord of international relations. We must not be deceived by utopian plans of statesmen that are built on false ideas of the goodness of men and nations. Only our King can accomplish His perfect eternal purposes.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord of Hosts, in the midst of this world of trial and woe, You roar through Your prophets. You had a word for the nations of old like Syria and the Philistines. You hated their oppression and anger. Men have always looked for opportunities to have some selfish benefit at the cost of the weak. Ancient peoples like the Edomites and the Ammonites have been soundly condemned for their brutality and greed. Will we be imitators of them, rather than followers of Your Son? Rescue us from base impulses that would harm us and others, for we are Your people. We have been set apart from the world for a better purpose than the abuse of the helpless.

Joel 3

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The conclusion of Joel 2 left the reader in the New Testament era. Joel 3:1 picks up from that point and continues all the way to the end of the age. “In those days … I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.” This name, “Jehoshaphat,” means “Yahweh has judged.” The Lord declares, “I will enter into judgment.”

Throughout Joel 3 foreign powers like Tyre and Edom are used to indicate the wicked who will be condemned, and Zion and Jerusalem signify God's kingdom people who receive His salvation. The “surrounding nations” are held accountable for their malice against “Judah,” but the Lord's “Jerusalem” shall finally “be holy.”

We know from Joel 2:32 (as quoted in Acts 2 and Romans 10) that people everywhere are being called to the historic Christian affirmation that “Jesus is Lord.” There can be no safe “refuge” for the “multitudes” that will stand before the Almighty except in the redemption accomplished by the Messiah.

The New Testament explanations of Old Testament images and ancient covenant promises shed a bright light upon passages that were once very difficult to understand. While an eternity of blessing is sure to come for the church, others without Jesus will instead be a “desolate wilderness.” When we read that “a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord,” we are reminded of what Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4:14, “The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Consider also of the words of John 7:37-39 that our Savior spoke to a larger crowd at a festival in Jerusalem: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' ” A river of life will flow not from the building that once stood on Mount Zion, but from Spirit-filled people.

“Multitudes” who have called upon the Name of the Lord have now received the gift of God's presence in their lives. Many others would prefer to be devoted to the powers of this passing present age (Revelation 17:15), but great numbers of people chosen by God would rather have Him than any other honor that the world can provide.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Glorious God, a great age is coming. When Your Son returns to judge, He will surely save us from this evil day. You will bring judgment upon men, will purify Your church, and reveal all of the children of God. We wait for You, O Lord. We turn to You now, trusting You for each moment and believing Your promises regarding eternity. You are the Lord, our God. You shall make Your new Jerusalem perfectly holy. We will eat and drink with perfect peace and joy. Even now You are with Your people, and You will dwell with us forever.

Joel 2

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The prophet insisted that the “Day of the Lord” was “near.” What could he mean? Though the ultimate moment of God's final judgment upon the earth was many centuries away, throughout the history of mankind the Lord has given humanity many reminders of the reality of the eventual end of the world. The trouble that Israel faced with plagues of locusts described in Joel was one such moment of terror. Another would happen when armies from the north threatened much of Israel and Judah. The Romans would be the agents of a future sad story involving a second destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. More than all of these, a Day of the Lord is still promised that will be worldwide, inescapable, and completely definitive regarding the eternal destiny of billions of people.

Each of the earlier trials preserved for us in the Scriptures are opportunities for us to consider and learn about God and His plans. When He returns with signs in the heavens we should not be surprised that any observer would say: “Who can endure it?” While we still have time to make the most important choices of life, we should hear the voice of the Lord recorded in Joel: “Return to Me with all your heart.”

Joel 2 preserves an amazing occasion when Israel did gather together in covenant assembly, pleading with the Almighty, and the Lord heard their cries. God then brought them the “early rain” and the “latter rain” necessary for a bountiful harvest. He more than made up for all that the locusts had eaten. Regarding the armies to the north, there was at least a delay in the exile that would eventually take place. Nonetheless, one day a greater calamity would arrive that would only be avoided by the singular means that God had appointed for the salvation of His people, calling upon the Name of the Lord.

Joel 2:28-29 prepares us for the New Testament era of the fruit of the Holy Spirit that began with the pouring out of the third Person of the Trinity at Pentecost combined with the forthright gospel preaching of Peter. Yet verses 30-31 indicate the appearance of frightening displays of God's wrath like those that once fell upon the Egyptians when they persecuted the children of Israel. Which would it be, blessing (28-29) or curse (30-31)? Verse 32, as quoted by Peter in Acts 2 and Paul in Romans 10, tells us this important biblical answer: “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”

What “Name” shall we use when we need to be heard? Acts 2:36 assures us that “Jesus” is the “Lord” referred to so long ago by the prophet Joel. The time has finally arrived for people everywhere to confess with their lips that “Jesus is Lord,” together with the church all over the earth. True worshipers must not only sing and pray using the word “Jesus,” they also need to believe in their hearts “that God raised Him from the dead.” (Romans 10:9,13) This is the way to have the blessing of the heavenly “Zion” promised in Joel 2:32.

What can we do as we hear the demands of God in the gospel? “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:38-39 citing the final words of Joel 2:32, “those whom the Lord calls.”)

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father, help us to learn from personal and societal disaster. Is not the day of Your judgment coming upon the whole earth in due time? Will we be ready for that day? Locusts destroy the produce of the land, and invading armies take Your people captive and assault life as we know it. Yet even in difficult times of trouble, Your Word goes out to Your people. We must repent, return to You, and gather together in solemn assembly. Spare Your people! Hear us, O Lord, and be jealous for Your children, for You love us. You can remove invading armies in a moment, give health to the land again, and restore what the locust has consumed. You can bring about a day of blessing that is beyond anything that we ask for or imagine. You are the Lord God. According to Your Word, we shall surely all be full of the Spirit like the prophets of old. Though there will be frightening signs of Your judgment in the heavens and upon the earth, all who turn to You in sincere worship shall be saved. We call upon the Name of Jesus now, O Lord, for You have provided Your perfect Son, through whom we have bold access to Your heavenly sanctuary.

Joel 1

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“The Word of the Lord” came to God's people through the prophet Joel in a time of overwhelming distress. Jehovah spoke to the “elders” and all the “inhabitants of the land.” They were facing a trial from a horde of locusts “like a powerful army drawn up for battle.” Agricultural losses threatened everyone's existence.

It was in this time of need that God brought a very clear message to His chosen nation calling them to “awake,” to “lament,” to “be ashamed,” to “consecrate a fast,” and to “call a solemn assembly.” All of these communal actions of heartfelt worship would constitute a “cry” to the Lord of Glory. With earnest mourning for their sin, they would acknowledge before God that their only hope was in His grace. God's discipline of His covenant people was a taste of the coming “Day of the Lord” since “destruction from the Almighty” was truly “near” them.

What does it mean to “call upon the Name of the Lord,” a concept that is central to this ancient book and plays such an important role in New Testament preaching? Surely Joel 1 helps us to understand the meaning of these important words. This phrase is not primarily a plea for an inner change of heart on the part of a solitary individual, although that great work of God is necessary for all people everywhere to escape from the final judgment of Jehovah. Joel insists that we need more than a private religious experience. We must come together as the assembly of the Lord in the integrity of God-centered worship.

The cross and the resurrection of Jesus give gathered Christians hope that the ultimate Day of the Lord will bring much blessing from the Almighty for His beloved family. By the death of our Redeemer all divine justice that stood against us has been satisfied. Because the Messiah was raised from the dead, we now find great assurance that we shall participate in a new world of eternal blessing. We must still wake up from our spiritual sleep and repent, but through faith in our Substitute we can approach the end of all things with a confident expectation that all will be well for the community of worshipers who truly call upon the Name of the Lord.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord God, we must listen when You sound the alarm to Your people through Your ambassadors. Will we give attention to Your word of warning? When You call us to receive Your fatherly care and discipline, we need to humble ourselves and return to You. Thank You for Your Word. We should wail over our sin and mourn because of the trouble that we face. Hear us, O Lord, when we gather together in a solemn assembly and call upon Your Name. 

Monday Morning Clarity - 1 Chronicles 9

Some of the Jews came back to the Promised Land after a period of exile. They had not left Canaan willingly, but were being disciplined by the Almighty because of their “breach of faith.” Those returning to Jerusalem and to their ancestral territories were the new “Israel.” In their number there were also priests and many Levites, including gatekeepers, temple servants, and leading musicians, reflecting the great importance of reestablishing divine worship.

Though the people listed in 1 Chronicles 9 were engaged in a new mission, it involved the restitution of an old system for drawing near to God. Eventually a new way of spiritual vitality would come through the death and resurrection of the Messiah. It was necessary for some Jews to return to Jerusalem in order for the purposes of God to be fulfilled. Only then would Jesus be rejected by many priests, Levites, and other leaders. The “Stone” of Psalm 118 would be despised by the “builders” and would thus become the “Cornerstone” of a new world.

Of course, the great majority of Jews did not return home. By the wise providence of God, the Lord's people would be scattered throughout a very great area where many synagogues would be established by the faithful. This one fact would be of great importance when the time came for the faith of the Jews to touch all the many people groups of the earth. Apostles, preachers, and many worshipers would go first to the Jews and then to many Gentile god-fearers in city after city in the Mediterranean world. In this way Christ would be preached everywhere.

It was the intention of Jehovah to establish a very new Temple in the appointed Messiah. Through the preaching of the gospel, a new “obedience of faith” would be planted in many lands. Eventually, the victorious Priest at the head of a vast priesthood of all believers will return to earth to reign over an eternal kingdom of life. Our participation in the proclamation of this new world through our every word and deed is the privilege of the church throughout the New Testament era. Our religion is more than just a coping mechanism for living peacefully and profitably in a dying world. Christ is the only answer for anyone who would seek eternal life.

Hosea 14

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“Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God.” The northern kingdom had “stumbled” because of their “iniquity.” It was time for them to remember their sincere devotion to the Almighty. They needed to call out to God for the removal of their sins, and to ask for their Redeemer to accept the offerings that they had committed to bring to Him.

Returning to God would require the rejection of all false hopes. “Assyria shall not save us.” No longer would they turn to idols as a supposed road to Jehovah. Their only trust would be in God's steadfast love for them in their weakness. “In You the orphan finds mercy.”

Yahweh would not let them down, despite their “apostasy.” He would “love them freely.” His anger against them would not continue unabated. He had a good plan that would enable them to “blossom,” to “take root,” and even to “flourish.” The Lord was not stingy with His gifts. He invited Israel to remember that “from Me comes your fruit.”

The insights found in Hosea were not only for the ancient Jews who would soon face the ravages of exile. The book contained necessary warnings that must be heard in every age. The closing words are instructive for “whoever is wise,” but they also remind the reader that “transgressors” will unfortunately “stumble” over God's excellent Word.

In Christ alone we see the One who flawlessly followed “the ways of the Lord.” He is the worthy focus of our entire attention. The Stone that the builders rejected has now become the Cornerstone of the church (Psalm 118:22, Romans 9:33, and 1 Peter 2:4-8). No longer shall we “stumble” over Him and His Word, for we have been given grace to follow the Savior and to hear and obey His voice.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, we return to You with sincere sadness for our sin, but also with abundant joy because of Your greatness. We think of Your mercy to the orphan, and we love You. You will make Your children beautiful. We will flourish under Your protective kindness. Your ways are right, and we will walk in them forever. Please pick us up when we stumble, and rescue us when the battle of this age is more than we can bear.

Hosea 13

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The northern kingdom of Israel, referred to in this chapter as “Ephraim,” was a significant regional force in the life of Judah and the other people groups in the Ancient Near East. “When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling.” Yet Israel worshiped Baal and set up “metal images.” Their idolatry led to their own weakness and destruction. “Like the morning mist,” they were soon gone.

In contrast to the fleeting existence of Jehovah's wandering family, God would be the everlasting “I Am.” He was the one who led His people out of Egypt so many centuries before Hosea, yet they forgot Him and committed themselves to spiritual treachery that would lead to their sure demise. God would come against them “like a lion,” and He would “fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs.”

Israel was “an unwise son.” Though the Almighty was determined to send very severe discipline against Ephraim, He still affirmed through Hosea His own family relationship with His rebellious children. His sanction against them could not be eternal. We see that most clearly now because of Paul's citation of Hosea 13:14 in 1 Corinthians 15:55. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” These questions were answered by Isaiah 25:8. “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” In Paul's precise words from 1 Corinthians 15:54, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Returning to the concluding verses of Hosea 14, though the northern kingdom's life would “dry up,” and though the capital city of Samaria would “bear her guilt,” there would remain a future hope for Israel. The good news of resurrection would one day shine forth, helping the entire world to see the blessing that has come from the Redeemer's obvious triumph over sin and the grave. Because of Jesus the church has a reason to work with confidence (1 Corinthians 15:58), for our King lives forever.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great God, we have a new hope in Your Son Jesus Christ. Idols cannot help us and we will not trust in them. You are the Savior who brought us through the wilderness. Your Son is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He will not devour Your elect but will protect us. We confess that we have been unwise sons and daughters, yet through the resurrection of our great Atoning Sacrifice, the sting of death has been removed far from us. We have a Redeemer in Jesus Christ and He will never forsake us.

Monday Morning Clarity - 1 Chronicles 8

The Chronicler returns to the tribe of Benjamin in chapter eight with two distinct genealogical stories. The first paragraph shows us the fulfillment of Jacob's words of blessing at his death regarding this tribe that descended from his youngest son: "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf." Though the territory given to this tribe was relatively small, descendants of Benjamin had fought their way into all kinds of places. Men like Ehud were used to bring a rather gruesome victory over the weighty Moabites. At the end of the book of Judges the town of Gibeah (from whim King Saul came) is shown to be a place of great violence and depravity.

The second paragraph gives us the genealogy of the most famous Benjaminite, King Saul, including many of the descendants that came from this man who was greatly used by God. Despite his impressive beginnings, Saul was unable to rejoice in God's chosen line that would come from David of Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah. What Saul was unable to countenance, his son Jonathan wholeheartedly embraced. Jonathan was ready to cast any future crown at David's feet.

Many centuries later, Saul of Tarsus from the tribe of Benjamin was transformed from a "ravenous wolf" who was proud that he was a "persecutor of the church" to a new man who was utterly devoted to Jesus the Christ, David's most renowned descendant.

In this dangerous world, we are often thankful for a strong attack dog, provided that he is kept on a leash. Often people are ready to destroy the reputations of others or even to kill in their religious zeal. But Jesus began his kingdom not by killing but by teaching with authority, working heavenly miracles, and then dying for our sins. He has shown us the power of divine mercy and has made a way for a new life of shalom with God. Do you desire to receive the peace that he so freely bestows upon those who call upon His Name?