Sunday, December 14, 2014

AMOS 1-3:

Amos is a layman sheep breeder during the reign of Uzziah in Judah and Jeroboam II in Israel (755 B.C).  He is called to Bethel (center of Idol worship) to preach, however there is so much opposition that he returns to Judah and writes out the message. 

The first two chapters are warnings to multiple cities, Amon spells out their sins, which include Idol worship, prostitution, selling fellow Israelites into slavery, killing women and children, brothers killing brothers. Then he highlights the sins of Israel

They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines. (2:6-8)

I brought you up out of Egypt, and led you forty years in the desert to give you the land of the Amorites. I also raised up prophets from among your sons and Nazarites from among your young men. Is this not true, people of Israel? declares the Lord.

He then ends the chapter forecasting doom and a tearing apart the kingdom.

REVELATION 4:

In this chapter John is taken and shown "what must take place".  At this point the details become overwhelming.  All references include 24 elders, seven lams, seven spirits, sea of glass, creatures covered in eyes etc. all repeating Day and night "

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is and is to come."(4:8)

Then the 24 elders lay their crowns before the throne and say

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive flory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.

JOURNAL:

In reading the last 3 books of Hosea, Joel and Amos; they were written almost 200 years before Daniel, right before the destruction of Israel.  It is like going back in time...so to have seen all that Daniel went through serving foreign Kings, we get to see why that happened and that God had warned the people repeatedly.  Not only through Prophets but also through laymen. 

Then to read Revelation and how all things are coming and building to everything ultimately surrendering to God.  It almost makes me queasy to think how I take so many things for granted and how negligent I am in acknowledging, thanking and surrendering to God.  

It is so easy to forget in the course of even a few hours. We are so blessed and yet I seem to daily get spiritual amnesia and forget that we are created to glorify God, not ourselves.

"God loves you! So do I! Make it a great day!"