Our Daily Scripture – 1/8/25 (Wednesday)

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“v. 5a)  God will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds to scepter in Beth Eden. (v. 5b)  The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir. (v. 5c)GAZA:God will send fire upon the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. (v. 7) God will destroy the king of Ashd…”

SCRIPTURE:  AMOS 1

INTRODUCTION:

“Amos” means “burden” and he was burdened because of the sins of Judah and Israel.  Amos was a humble shepherd called by God to be a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel when Uzziah was the king of Judah and Jeroboam was the king of Israel.  He announced God’s judgment on the people because they had turned away from God.  They lived selfishly and were cruel to the poor.  Amos saw five visions from God with the doomsday closing by.  He warned the people about the judgment of God.  He concluded with hope to the people who loved God reassuring of their safe dwelling.

JUDGMENT ON ISRAEL’S NEIGHBORS (vs. 3-14)

DAMASCUS:

  1.  God will send fire upon the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.  (v. 4a)
  2.  God will break down the gate of Damascus ((v. 5a)
  3.  God will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds to scepter in Beth Eden. (v. 5b)
  4.  The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir. (v. 5c)

GAZA:

  1. God will send fire upon the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. (v. 7)
  2. God will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. (v. 8a)
  3. God will turn his hand against Ekron till the last of the philistines is dead. (v. 8c)

TYRE:  God will send fire upon the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses. (v. 10)

EDOM:  God will send fir upon the Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah. (v. 12)

AMMON:  

  1.  God will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses. (v. 14a)
  2.  There will be war cries on the day of battle. (v. 14b)
  3.  There will be violent winds on a stormy day. (v. 14c)
  4.  Her king and his officials will go into exile together. (v. 15)

SINS OF OTHER NATIONS:

  1.  DAMASCUS – She threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth. (v. 3)
  2.  GAZA – She took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom. (v. 6)
  3.  TYRE – She sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood. (v. 9)
  4.  EDOM – He pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all compassion with his anger and fury unchecked. (v. 11)
  5.  AMMON – He ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders. (v. 13)
  6.  MOAB – He burned the bones of Edom’s king into lime. (2:1)

THOUGHTS:

Amos was a shepherd but he became a channel of God’s message to others.  God can also work through you to do extraordinary things no matter how ordinary your occupation is.

Amos denounced the sins of 6 gentile nations.  He condemned their brutality, slavery, revenge, murder and thievery.  But he also proclaimed God’s judgment on the people of Israel.  We cannot excuse our own sins just because the sins of others seem worst than ours.  God judges all people fairly and impartially.