SCRIPTURE: AMOS 3
WITNESSES SUMMONED AGAINST ISRAEL (vs.1-15)
Israel did not know how to do right. They hoarded plunder and looted in their fortresses. So the Sovereign Lord will punish them. An enemy will overrun their land and pull down their strongholds. They will plunder their fortresses. God will destroy the altars of Bethel and cut off its horns. He will tear down the winter and summer houses adorned with ivory and demolish the mansions.
THOUGHTS:
God warned the people through prophet Amos before punishing them so that they could have time to repent. Today, God also warns us through His Word about judgment. So when judgment comes, we have no excuse to complain. Do not take the warnings of God lightly. His warnings are way of showing mercy.
God’s judgment against Israel’s altar shows that He was rejecting Israel’s entire religious system because it was polluted. The horns of the altar stood for protection but it would soon be gone. The people would no longer have sanctuary or protection.