What Seems to Be Horrible...

 

Zechariah 13:“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
    I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 In the whole land, declares the Lord,
    two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.
9 And I will put this third into the fire,
    and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” 

The closer we get to the end of Zechariah's prophecies, the more we see a future hope not only for Israel's restoration, but for distant hope of the Messiah.  We saw yesterday that they would "look upon the one whom they had pierced." Here the Shepherd would be struck and the sheep scattered.  But afterward, they would call upon the Lord, and He would answer. The relationship with God would be restored.  What seems to be a bad thing results in the most wonderful hope.

The One Pierced

 

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. 

This chapter begins with God saying: "On that day," indicating the day when He makes everything right. He goes on to announce His salvation is coming through Jerusalem and going out to surrounding nations. He then presents this picture of His coming in grace and mercy.  Note the pronouns above: when they look on ME, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him.  God speaks as if He is more than one Person - Me and Him.  When we respond to or reject Christ, we are responding to or rejecting Him, the One Who He sent to be pierced.  What a prophetic picture of Christ in this Old Testament Prophet.  

Worthless Shepherds

 Zechariah 11:10 And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.

The shepherds of the people - both the royal and religious leaders - had failed miserably. They had lived selfishly, not caring what happened to their people.  The nation was going down the tube. God instructed Zechariah to take the place as shepherd to signify this.  He was to violate his trust and then demand payment, just like the irresponsible leaders had done.  The leaders got the message - they knew that it was the Word of the Lord.  As payment, he received thirty pieces of silver, significant not only because it was the price of the slave, but it foreshadowed the price paid to Judas for his betrayal of Christ. When that happened, Judas also threw it into the house, and it was taken to buy the potters field to use as a cemetery. The rebellious leaders and their people were doomed to death.

Why Will God Do This?

 6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah,
    and I will save the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back because I have compassion on them,
    and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,
    for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.
7 Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,
    and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.
Their children shall see it and be glad;
    their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.

Again we see the hope of this prophecy come to the surface in full view. God will strengthen, save, restore and rebuild Judah and Israel (Ephraim) together as a strong people. The big question is WHY? The answer, in short, is the compassion of God. In mercy He looks down, takes note, and acts. For the one who is open, they can "see it," and they will rejoice.  There is the rub: Can you see the compassion of God? It is there. He is at work.  He is full of mercy and grace even in the midst of judgment. Will you respond to Him?

Rejoice! Shout! Behold!

 

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

In these minor prophets, sometimes the thread of hope blends into the background, while at others it screams from the hilltops.  This is one of the latter.  We recognize this not only as an announcement of hope for the future of Israel after the exile, but especially of the coming Messiah, fulfilled by Christ at His Triumphal Entry.  He was peace in the flesh before them, and His coming brought peace to all who trust in Him.  This prophesy goes on to describe the overwhelming abundance and joy found in the King's presence.  May our hope shout in our hearts today. 

The Purposes of God

 Zechariah 8:14 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts, 15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. 16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; 17 do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”

This chapter is full of Good News: Out of His Jealousy, God had chastised Judah for her infidelity, but now out of that same Jealousy, He was going to restore her and protect her.  In the next paragraph, God told His people to move forward, as He would provide the strength and resources they needed to rebuild. Here He reminds them of His purposes, both for Himself and for them. As He purposed to restore them, He called on them to carry out His purposes for them: truth, honesty, and justice. This would be what they all had longed for: True Peace.

Bad Diamonds

Zechariah 7:8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. 13 “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the Lord of hosts, 14 “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.”

The key word in Zechariah is Remember.  As he had just promised the rebuilding of the temple and the establishment of a King and Priest, at the same time God wanted to warn them not to repeat the reasons they had lost all these things: their diamond-hard hearts - their lack of compassion, justice, and mercy. If they were to experience renewed life and hope, they needed to not repeat these evils.

The Crown of Hope and Peace

Zechariah 6:9 And the word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ 

After receiving eight visions from God, Zechariah received a charge - to crown Joshua the priest as King. This was not standard procedure; Kings were not to presume to take on the role of priests, and priests kept to their role as spiritual leaders.  But this was an exception, foreshadowing the coming of the Messiah as priest and king. It was an act of faith, indicating that this king would build the temple, and during His reign there would be a long-awaited peace.  He would also be the Branch, another prophetic term used for the Messiah.  Once again, we see the thread of hope for the future after all the visions of judgment. 

One Big Scroll

 Zechariah 5:2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. 4 I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.”

Zechariah's next vision involves this scroll, which when rolled out would fill the Holy of Holies. When God's presence and will fill the room, hidden sins are revealed.  Stolen goods are pulled out of the closet and hidden lies will be exposed.  Nothing will be unseen, as the scroll is two-sided - everything above and below it will be made clear and judged, taking away not just the stolen items and lies, but the whole house. This is not just cleaning house; it is leveling the house of evil. 

Grace! Grace to It!

 

Zechariah 4:4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”

As Zechariah received visions from God, he was receiving hope and encouragement.  Having seen that God would provide the righteousness needed for them to approach God in His temple, that brought up another issue: the temple needed to be rebuilt, and the task seemed overwhelming. So, God showed him items associated with the temple and the abundant supply He would give, as well as the strength needed for Zerubbabel and his workers.  What man could not do in his own strength, God would provide by His grace.  When it is God's plan and project, nothing stands in its way. His grace is more than sufficient.

Back Off, Satan!

 Zechariah 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 

In this vision Zechariah sees the high priest preparing to make sacrifice on behalf of his people. But he is so unclean, he is not even able to offer sacrifice for himself, let alone his people.  Satan the accuser steps up and speaks words of condemnation, but the Lord tells him to shut up.  That's because it is His righteousness that gives access to God, not that of the priest.  He takes away sin and gives us His righteousness that allows us to stand before Him forgiven.  This gives hope for today and forever. 

God's Tape Measure

Zechariah 2:1 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” 3 And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 4 and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5 And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

This next vision given to Zechariah was intended to comfort God's people and give them hope. God was going to use His measuring line as He prepared to rebuild Jerusalem after the exile.  He was also going to send His "Wall of Fire", demonstrating His presence with and protection of His people.  He was also seeing beyond that time, as he saw many nations come and join His people there.  God still has a plan.

Return to the Lord!

Zechariah 1:3 Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. 4 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. 5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’”

Zechariah was given numerous visions by God to share with His people. But before he does, God gives a decree to set the stage.  His people had rebelled against God and His Word. When called upon to repent fo their sins and return to Him, they resisted and refused, so God had sent his judgment. That was now history. Many who suffered the exile finally did repent.  That generation was gone and the prophets who announced that judgment were gone. It was now time for this new generation to decide what they would do.  Would they return to the Lord? Will we?

Yet I Will Rejoice

Habakkuk 3:

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the deer's;
    he makes me tread on my high places.

Habakkuk had heard from God, and the immediate future did not look so bright. Tough times were coming. Yet Habakkuk begins this chapter by asking God to go ahead and bring the judgment He had announced, but to also remember His mercy.  He was able to do so by looking back on God's faithfulness throughout the history of His people.  Though he shakes at the thoughts of God's powerful judgment, he is also able to rest in the Lovingkindness of his God. He is ready and able to stand firm in His faith despite the suffering he and his people will endure.  God will give him (and us) the stability and strength to endure.

Wait for It...

 

Habakkuk 2:2 And the Lord answered me:
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets,
    so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.
4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
    but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk was reeling. He had asked God to do something about the wickedness of his own people, only to find that God was going to use the more wicked Babylonians to punish them.  So he complained. Now, he hears from God again.  As the messenger, Habakkuk had to learn to wait upon the Lord. He also needed to beware our tendency to self-righteousness in judging others and thinking we know how, when, and why God should punish. He, like we, needed to learn to live by faith - to trust God's reason, timing, and method. Do we really believe God? 

That's Not Fair! (But It's Just...)

 Habakkuk 1:12 Are you not from everlasting,
    O Lord my God, my Holy One?
    We shall not die.
O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment,
    and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.
13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil
    and cannot look at wrong,
why do you idly look at traitors
    and remain silent when the wicked swallows up
    the man more righteous than he?

Habakkuk begins by coming to God asking Him how He can sit idly by and watch the evil and injustice all around him.  God answered. He is going to do something, using the Babylonians as His form of discipline against His people.  This made Habakkuk wish he had kept his mouth shut. This seemed unfair - that God would use and evil, even more wicked, pagan people to punish Judah. He sounds so familiar. We all so often call out "unfair", when that is not the real question. Is it just? Does God not have a right to do so? What if we always got what we really deserve? 

Who Is a God Like You?

 

18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
    and passing over transgression 

    for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
    because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will again have compassion on us;
    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
    into the depths of the sea.

Though judgment on their nation was inevitable and imminent, Micah held out a wonderful hope. In this last chapter he calls on his people to wait upon his God and to watch for his Shepherd to come and take care of His People, doing wonderful things just like He had at the Exodus.  In this last paragraph he returns to the meaning of his name: "There is no One like our God." Micah stands in wonder of God's forgiveness, faithfulness, and enduring love. So should we. 

What God Really Wants

 

Micah 6:6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

What to notice first here is what comes last: the question mark.  Micah is questioning his people, challenging them to examine themselves. The chapter again with a courtroom setting. We are to interrogate ourselves: "What does God really want from me?" Is it an abundance of gifts and deeds? Does he want child sacrifice like the most inhumane idols? No. He has made it simple and plain in everything He has shown and told us: justice and mercy toward others, like He has shown us, and humility before Him demonstrated by trust and sincere worship. Are we giving Him what He really wants?

One Who Is Coming

 

Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth. 5 And he shall be their peace.

Once again that thread of hope surfaces amidst the news of judgment, wars, and punishment.  That hope is found in a Person, a ruler, who will restore justice and righteousness, a Shepherd who will bring together brothers long separated, peoples from all over the earth. And with Him comes forgiveness, restoration, and true peace.  He is the One all need.  

Come, Let Us Go...

 Micah 4:1 It shall come to pass in the latter days
    that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and it shall be lifted up above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it,
2     and many nations shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples,
    and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war anymore;

Micah steps away from the current situation, with God's people facing judgment, to a future time when Jerusalem will be a place people from around the world come to hear from God and worship Him.  In the last chapter, the high places, including Jerusalem, would be laid low, but here it is exalted above all others.  Instead of Israel being a place where war was a constant, it will be the calming influence of the world.  There is hope, even in the midst of most terrible times. Let us go to the house of the LORD. It's the place you'll want to be. 

From the Top Down

Micah 3:9 Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel,
who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight,
10 who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity.
11 Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price;
its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say,
“Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.”
12 Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field;
Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

This chapter begins with a rebuke of the leaders of Israel:  they were the ones who should have known better.  The civil heads should have known and enforced the laws of God and the justice they contained. The priests should have led the people in righteousness but instead endorsed injustice. And the prophets, who were to be the last line of defense, were to stand up and speak out against the injustice, immorality, and idolatry of the land. All the leaders had failed at their posts, and the whole land was suffering for it. The whole nation would be punished from the top down, with the palace and the temple, the places of the leaders, leveled. God holds us all accountable, but especially those placed in leadership. 

What Are You Meditating About?

 Micah 2:1 Woe to those who devise wickedness
    and work evil on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
    because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They covet fields and seize them,
    and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
    a man and his inheritance.
3 Therefore thus says the Lord:
behold, against this family I am devising disaster,
    from which you cannot remove your necks,
and you shall not walk haughtily,
    for it will be a time of disaster.

Micah was called to preach to a people consumed with covetousness.  They went to bed thinking about how they could get more for themselves, then woke up in the morning taking the steps they dreamed about. Since what they wanted belonged to others, they conceived of ways to take it away from them. They had no heart for justice and their pride made them think they could get away with it.  It is a consuming way to live when all you think about is what you can consume. It is like a noose around one's next.  What are you meditating on when you go to bed?

Don't Make Me Come Down There

Micah 1:2 Hear, you peoples, all of you;
    pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it,
and let the Lord God be a witness against you,
    the Lord from his holy temple.
3 For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place,
    and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.
4 And the mountains will melt under him,
    and the valleys will split open,
like wax before the fire,
    like waters poured down a steep place.

Many of us can remember hearing those words of warning from parents, teachers, bus drivers, and other kinds of authority when we have misbehaved.  Don't make me come back there/up there/down there - wherever that may be.  God was in His Holy Temple of Heaven watching His people, of Israel and Judah, behaving badly, yelling and acting immorally, worshiping their idols.  It was like an infectious disease, spreading from North to South, Isreal to Judah, and God was coming down in judgment.  Just His very presence would make the mountains melt where they had burnt offerings to these fake gods. That's the way His judgment works: swift, total, thorough.  Does He need to come down here again? He will. 

It's Coming...

The Vision of Obadiah:

 15 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
    your deeds shall return on your own head.
16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,
    so all the nations shall drink continually;
they shall drink and swallow,
    and shall be as though they had never been.
17 But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape,
    and it shall be holy,
and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.

This vision of Obadiah is the shortest book of the Old Testament. It focuses mostly on the nation of Edom, but as seen above applies to all nations.  God will judge to each one according to their actions - toward Him and His people.  Nations will come and go, but His people, His "nation of priests" will have their place, and as the vision ends: "The Kingdom shall be the LORD's."  He shall reign over all. 

Non Famine

Amos 9:13 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper
    and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
    and all the hills shall flow with it.
14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,
    and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,
    and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will plant them on their land,
    and they shall never again be uprooted
    out of the land that I have given them,”

As we have seen in the other Minor Prophets, in the midst of the calls for judgment, there is also a ray of hope in the future.  As we saw yesterday, leading up to the destruction of Israel there would be great drought and famine. But later there is a time of restoration.  The descriptions here are as if the harvest is so swift and abundant that it is a constant flow - there is never a time when there is not something to harvest - the inhabitants will never go without bountiful supply of food and drink.  Obviously, this is a scenario yet to come: it is a perfect situation, where God's blessings are endless and complete, because He is present.

The Worst Kind of Famine

Amos 8:11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
    “when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
    but of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord,
    but they shall not find it.

God had sent His Word to Israel through the prophet Amos and they told him to shut up and go home. They were done listening.  God was done speaking.  The time would come when they wanted to hear - needed to hear - what God had to say, but they would not be able to.  Famine was going to be one of the judgments on Israel for their idolatry, immorality, and injustice, but it was by no means the worst one.  When we decide God has nothing to say that we want to hear; when we ignore Him, run from Him, and stop listening to Him, we will find ourselves hungering in the deepest way.  Seek the Lord while He may be found. 

There's Nothing Charming about the Third Time

 Amos 7:7 This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold, I am setting a plumb line
    in the midst of my people Israel;
    I will never again pass by them;
9 the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
    and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
    and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

This is one of the better-known pictures in this book: the plumb line. The plumbline is used when building to make sure a building is being built perfectly straight vertically, so the walls do not fall in or out. Here God is using it after the building is complete to show how out-of-line the people are with His Word and will. This is actually the third illustration of the chapter. In response to the first two, Amos was able to call out to God for mercy on behalf of Israel and have Him relent, holding off judgment.  But this time, before he can do so, the people tell him to shut up and leave. They have no intentions of repenting.  Therefore, God will no longer relent.  Have you told God to just leave you alone? To stop pointing out your sin? The walls will come tumbling down.

The Comparision Game: Really?!?

(Delayed Post from Friday) 

Amos 6:1 “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,
    and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria,
the notable men of the first of the nations,
    to whom the house of Israel comes!
2 Pass over to Calneh, and see,
    and from there go to Hamath the great;
    then go down to Gath of the Philistines.
Are you better than these kingdoms?
    Or is their territory greater than your territory,
3 O you who put far away the day of disaster
    and bring near the seat of violence? 

Amos had pointed out the main reasons for the coming judgment on Israel, but they would have none of it. They kept pointing to the surrounding nations as more wicked, deserving God's punishment, while ignoring their own blatant sin. God would have none of that. There was no way they could put off the judgment of God by self-righteousness. This is a thread not only throughout the history of Israel, but all of scripture.  Our only valid point of comparison is Christ and His righteousness. We all fall short. Our only hope is Him.

Someone to Look Back to and Up to.

 

Amos 5:12 For I know how many are your transgressions

    and how great are your sins—

you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,

    and turn aside the needy in the gate.

13 Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time,

    for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
    as you have said.
15 Hate evil, and love good,
    and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

As God continues His address to Israel through Amos, pointing out how far short they were falling and failing as His people, He goes back to the basics, the core of His Will and Law.  We have here the parallel of Micah 6:8 - what God is really looking for is a people who will seek after Him and treat others justly. Though they had sinned greatly, there was still hope in God's grace.  This last name is significant here: he uses not Israel or Ephraim, but Joseph to refer to the Northern Kingdom, giving them an historical example as the type of people they should be: those who are totally committed to God and caring about others. Though surrounded by evil people and mistreated, Joseph stood faithful, and the Lord was with him.

Prepare to Meet Your God

 Amos 4:11 “I overthrew some of you,
    as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
    and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning;
yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.
12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
    because I will do this to you,
    prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
13 For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind,
    and declares to man what is his thought,
who makes the morning darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth—
    the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

God had been doing everything possible to get Israel's attention.  He had sent poverty, famine, drought, pestilence, and every imaginable wake-up call to confront their injustice, immorality, and idolatry, but they would not listen to Him.  He was about to show them Who He really is, how holy and powerful He is, and that as the God Who reveals Himself, expects to be heard.