Meditating Amos 1-5 (April 25)

Guarding Against Complacency

In the midst of a period of prosperity
and peace, the northern 10 tribes
have become indifferent to God.
Their complacency, immorality and
idolatry will be tolerated no longer.
As for Israel, violence, oppression
& rebellion feature nation’s lifestyle.
First to Israel’s neighbours, then
to Israel herself, Amos forcefully
delivers God’s stern warning: I will
send a fire. And thro famine, drought,
pestilence & death, God patiently
called the nation back to Himself.

Dear Lord, You are good and holy;
and You require truth, goodness,
justice and righteousness from
all people and nations today.
Help us to Guard against tendency
to Indifference & Complacency;
Help us to Repent from our sins;
Help us to Be Open to Your Word;
Help us to Seek You & Your Truth.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we’ll Repent of our sins:
For three sins of Israel, even for
four, I will not turn back my wrath.
They sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals.
They trample..the heads of the poor
and deny justice to the oppressed…
I brought you up out of Egypt, and
I led you forty years in the desert
to give you the land of the Amorites.
I also raised up prophets among You.
But you made the Nazirites drink
wine and commanded the prophets
not to prophesy (Amos 2:6-7, 10-12)
Lord, help me to hear Your voice in
the whirlwind & challenges of life.
Help me to recognise those people
who speak Your truth and to act
on the truth they bring. Search me
O God and know my heart; test me
and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way
and lead me into Your way. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Be Open to Your Word:
Hear this word that the Lord has
spoken against you, O Israel which
I brought up from Egypt, saying:
You only have I known of all the
families of the earth; therefore
I’ll punish you for all your iniquities…
Surely the Lord does nothing
unless He reveals His secret
to His servants the prophets…
The Lord God has spoken! Who
can but prophesy? (Amos 3:1-8).
Lord, I pray I will always have good
friends & we’ll encourage & inspire
each other to walk closer to You.
Grant me friends who will tell me
the truth in love, give me sound
counsel and be a help in trouble.
And enable me to be that kind
of friend too to someone. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Seek You & Your Truth:
Seek the Lord and live! If you don’t,
He will roar through Israel like a fire,
devouring you…it is the Lord who
created the stars… It is He who
turns darkness into morning and
day into night. It is He who draws
up water from the oceans and
pours it down as rain in the land.
With blinding speed and power
He destroys the strong, crushing
all their defenses (Amos 5:6-9).
Lord Almighty, It is You who
created heaven and earth; and
nothing can withstand Your power.
Your Word reminds me of Who You
are and calls me back to devotion.
Cause my heart to bow to Your
truth in scripture. Keep me from
the defilement of evil and guide
me along the path of life. Amen.

Preview on Prophet Amos (Apr 25)

Amos Prophet to Northern Kingdom

We meditate Bible chronologically to
enhance understanding of context.
We begin with the 5 books of Laws
to appreciate the Redemptive Plan
of God for mankind and Job, which
occurs during the time of Genesis.
In Phase 2, we meditated on Joshua
to 2Sam & 1 Chron up to King David
and Psalms where we learn to pray.
Then to reign of King Solomon in
1 Kings & cover wisdom poetry of
Proverbs, Song of Songs and Eccl.

In 2Kings, the next century sees
the decline of two nations indifferent
to God’s laws. In Israel, 19 wicked
kings in succession led the people
even further from God & Israel finally
went into captivity by Assyrians.
Continuing Phase 3, we focus next
on the prophets to northern kingdom
with dual themes of repentance and
judgment: “Shape Up or Ship Out.”
But each prophet spoke to unique
contemporary situation. So for
Hosea, the message is God’s love
for adulterous Israel; and for Amos,
God’s people ripe for punishment.

Externally, Israel the northern
kingdom was marked by flourishing
business; but internally the nation’s
condition was grim. Idolatry, greed,
injustice, hypocrisy, oppression
and arrogance indicated a growing
malignancy of deep-seated sin.
Amos, a farmer by trade, dons the
mantle of a prophet to make God’s
message crystal clear to those who
had grown lax in luxurious living:
Repent or Perish. For judgment are
soon to break over God’s people.
Lord, even as we undergo Covid
crisis, we consider & repent. Amen.