God sends warnings
Israel had been blessed like our nation, but wealth brought spiritual idolatry and much evil, so God would and will bring judgment. Each generation must seek God and to do his will.
Amos 3:1 Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,
Deu 7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Amos 3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
punish - chastise
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
(Amos 3:3-8 rhetorical questions)
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Unity
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
We like to hear positive messages. The world teaches "self esteem", but this should not be the message to the church. Where is the teaching of sin? It isn't in the schools. We are told to repent of sins, to deny self and to take up our cross and follow Jesus. We are one people in Christ by his Spirit. The flesh divides and makes strife and every evil work. We are one when we walk in the spirit with love.
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Actions have consequences
Amos 3:4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
No, the roar says that he has killed for food. It is dinner time.
Amos 3:5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?
Normally a bird doesn't fall except there is a trap or a gunshot?
18 Million Blackbirds Dead on New Year’s Eve in Beebe, Species Likely Extinct | Rock City Times
Millions of Red winged blackbirds fell to their death. Was this a message from God? A warning? I have always enjoyed the sweet wind chime songs of these birds. I have not seen any in recent months at our park.
Amos 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
trumpet (Shofar horn calls)
long blast and short blast = war or danger; call to assembly or celebration
1Co 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. calamity in the city, twin towers, the Lord allowed it. We hear sirens and are alerted; what is it?
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
The LORD will sound the alarm, blow the siren, through his prophets and his watchman. Like in olden times their are prophets only saying things pleasing to hear. We also need to hear the hard messages, if from God.
Noah... Gen 6:13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Abraham...Gen 18:17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
Gen 18:18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
Daniel...Dan 9:21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
Dan 9:22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
Amos 3:8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
A prophet must prophecy
Jer 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Mic 3:8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
Stepen...Act 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Act 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Peter...Act 4:20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
Paul...1Co 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
Amos 3:9 Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.
Amos 3:10 For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
No justice in the land
Psa 14:4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
Jer 4:22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
sottish; foolish
Amos 3:11 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.
Amos 3:12 Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.
Amos 3:13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,
Amos 3:14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.
Altars at Bethel and at Gilgal; golden calves were worshipped.
2Ki 23:15 Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.
Hos 10:14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
Hos 10:15 So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.
Amos 3:15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.
1Ki 22:39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
The LORD would destroy their palaces and their pleasure places. We must give all up that separates us from the Lord, but he will abundantly bless us in our spirit.
Amos 4
Amos 1 Table of Contents
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