Amos 8
COMMENTARY:
: 6 That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat? (4651 “refuse” [mappal] means flakes, what falls off, waste, sweepings of grain, or chaff.)
DEVOTION: Rich people who have no standard or morals do everything in their power to cheat those who are poor. Here we find that they would like to buy poor people for a little silver. They would like to purchase those who are needy for the price of a pair of shoes. They have no regard for those who are suffering in their society. They just don’t care.
They would like to take all the chaff that is supposed to be thrown into the air and fly away when they are harvesting the grain. It is worthless but when you sell by the pound it gives more money to those farmers that don’t care about anyone but themselves.
God loves the poor and judges those who mistreat them. The ones who swallow up the needy are condemned by the LORD. HE wants those who are HIS servants to be givers not takers. Our responsibility is to help those who are poor and needy not to just drive away and say that the government should take care of them. There are people who are genuinely poor. There are also people who will take advantage of the system.
As believers we are to help those who are poor and needy by not enabling them but helping them find a way to earn a living. Many that live at the city missions of our cities can work. They just need an opportunity. If they are willing to work and can work we should give them a fair wage for their work.
If we are in business we can help them with products. Farmers used to allow people to gleam their fields after the machines had harvested the product. This should still happen. Lawyers have taken advantage of this practice to cause it to stop in some places. Many times I have had fresh fruits and vegetables left at our door while the children were growing up. This can still happen.
CHALLENGE: Help where you can those who have less than you do without taking advantage of them.
: 7 The LORD has sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works. (1347 “excellency” [ga’own] means pride, pomp, arrogancy, unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem, height, or loftiness.)
DEVOTION: Do we want the LORD to remember all the sins we have committed in our lifetime? Do we want to remember all of our sins? The problem is that the enemy reminds us of our past sins, so that, we think that we can never really serve the LORD because we have been so bad.
God doesn’t work that way. HE is stating that HE will never forget our wicked acts if we never ask HIM to forgive us. The children of Israel were not asking for forgiveness but thought they were OK with God because of their fake worship of HIM. They worshipped false gods and thought that the LORD wouldn’t mind if they gave HIM a little attention.
HE is a forgiving God. HE sent HIS Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross so that HE could forgive us. Christ died as our substitute if we follow the LORD. HE is willing to forgive those who are willing to recognize HIM for who HE is and honor HIM.
First, there has to be repentance of our sins. Second, with a regular time of self – examination to see how we are doing from HIS perspective. If there is sin HE will forgive if we confess them. HE will forgive and our fellowship with HIM is restored.
Our salvation is sure if we made a genuine commitment to HIM and not just a prayer that meant nothing to use a day later.
We need to daily walk with HIM to serve HIM properly. If we are not willing to forgive others then HE states that HE cannot forgive us.
CHALLENGE: We have to ask for forgiveness for our sins and then be a forgiving people because we serve a forgiving God.
: 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day (935 “cause” [bow’] means to lead in, to carry in, cause to come in, bring to pass, bring to justice, or bring about.)
DEVOTION: The LORD is in control of nature. There is no “mother nature” as the world likes to refer to someone who is in control of nature. We see commercials on Television with a woman with animals all around her and she seems to command them into actions. It is false.
The LORD created our world in six twenty-four hour periods and then rested. HE never sat down but continues to hold every breath that we take in HIS hand. HE knows what is happening in our world because HE hears creation groaning for a time when HIS Son Jesus Christ will come and reign. There will be a new heaven and new earth in the future.
Before this happens there is going to be a time period of darkness on this earth. It is a time of judgment for the majority rejecting Jesus Christ. It will be a time of purification of those who are genuine believers during a seven year period called the Tribulation. There are minor tribulations happening all the time.
Israel is going to go through one because of their sin in the near future in Amos’ time. God uses tribulation to help change the perspective of those who think they are in control of their lives. They find out that the LORD is the one who is really in control.
CHALLENGE: To many people think that they are in control when in reality only the LORD is genuinely in control of what is going on in this world. HE allows man to think he is in control to his own judgment.
: 11-13 Behold, the days come, says the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. (6772 “thirst” [tsama] means a state of extreme dehydration, dryness, or parched.)
DEVOTION: Amos is dealing with the sins of Israel. The people couldn’t wait for the Sabbath to end so they could sell things for high prices. They were weighing their products with false balances. They were buying the poor for silver. They were buying the needy for a pair of shoes.
The LORD said that the land was going to mourn and tremble before HIS judgment because of these actions. The sun was going to be darkened. They were not going to celebrate their feast anymore. Their songs were going to be sad. Their clothing was going to be full of holes.
The worst thing that could happen was that they were going to look for a word from the LORD and there would be none. Here we find that the land of Israel was going to have a famine. In a famine there is usually no water and no food. What is repeated in these three verses is that there is a state of extreme dehydration in the land. It was dehydration for the word of God. People are looking for the living water that Christ talked about to the woman at the well. This living water is only available through the gift of God. The people in the land of Israel were going to search for some living water and find none. The time had passed for the living water to be presented to the people. They were going to be parched. They were going to be dry. They were going to be without any comfort.
The time is coming when we will no longer be able to share the truth concerning the living water that Christ provided through HIS death on the cross. Are we going to share the Word while there is still time? Are the people around us parched? Are they without comfort from the Word of the LORD?
CHALLENGE: Are you hungry for the Word of God? If not, start asking the LORD to give you a hunger. If so, ask the LORD to instruct you daily.
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