Amos 1
Calling of a shepherd verse 1
The words of Amos – who was among the herdmen of Tekoa
which he saw concerning Israel
in the days of Uzziah the king of Judah
in the days of Jeroboam
the son of Joash king of Israel
two years before the earthquake
Amos has a vision of a famine verse 2
AND he said – The LORD will roar from Zion
and utter HIS voice from Jerusalem
and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn
and the top of Carmel shall wither
Judgment on people of Damascus verse 3- 5
Thus says the LORD
For three transgressions of Damascus – and for four
I will not turn away the punishment thereof
BECAUSE they have threshed Gilead
with threshing instruments of iron
BUT I will send a fire into the house of Hazael
which shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad
I will break also the bar of Damascus
and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven
and him that holds the scepter from the house of Eden
and the people of Syria shall go into
captivity unto Kir
says the LORD
Judgment on the Philistines verse 6- 8
Thus says the LORD
For three transgressions of Gaza – and for four
I will not turn away the punishment thereof
BECAUSE they carried away captive the whole captivity
to deliver them up to Edom
BUT I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza
which shall devour the palaces thereof
And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod
and him that holds the scepter from Ashkelon
I will turn MINE hand against Ekron
and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish
says the Lord GOD
Judgment on the people of Tyre verse 9- 10
Thus says the LORD
For three transgression of Tyre – and for four
I will not turn away the punishment thereof
BECAUSE they delivered up
the whole captivity to Edom
and remembered not the brotherly covenant
BUT I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre
which shall devour the palaces thereof
Judgment on the people of Edom verse 11- 12
Thus says the LORD
For three transgressions of Edom – and for four
I will not turn away the punishment thereof
BECAUSE he did pursue his brother with the sword
and did cast off all pity
and his anger did tear perpetually
and he kept his wrath for ever
BUT I will send a fire upon Teman
which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah
Judgment on the people of Ammon verse 13- 15
Thus says the LORD
For three transgressions of the children of Ammon – and for four
I will not turn away the punishment thereof
BECAUSE they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead
that they might enlarge their border
BUT I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah
and it shall devour the palaces thereof
with shouting in the day of battle
with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind
and their king shall go into captivity
he and his princes together
says the LORD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. (5349 “herdmen” [noqed] means sheep-raiser, sheep-dealer, sheep master or sheep-tender)
DEVOTION: The LORD is known for calling people from all different kinds of work backgrounds. HE has called adoptive sons of Pharaoh, garden workers, prophets, priests, kings, scribes, lawyers, tax collectors, doctors, fishermen and many other professions. Here HE is calling a man who tends sheep.
HE called David out of this profession to be king of Israel. HE is calling Amos out of the sheep-tendering business to share a vision he receives from the LORD. This first chapter is dealing with other nations for their treatment of Israel when it was going into captivity.
Some of these nations were cousins to the Israelites. They were descendants of Lot (Abraham’s nephew). Some were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s (Israel) brother.
Sometimes relatives are the ones who mistreat us the worst. Sometimes relatives can be lifelong family enemies. Sometimes it is perfect strangers. We never know where those who are planning to hurt us come from but the LORD does and HE deals with them.
We are not to take vengeance on our enemies. We are to leave it to the LORD. HE will deal with them in HIS time. Are we willing to let the LORD deal with those who cause us problems? We should be!!!
HE is calling us to be faithful to HIS word. HE is calling us out of our professions to share the Good News of the gospel. There is an internal and external purpose to the church today. Let’s be busy doing the LORD’S work.
As I was listening to a sermon today, I heard the pastor quote from Spurgeon. He was making the point that Christians are not to move along as single individuals. They are not compared to lions or tigers that hunt alone. They are compared to sheep, which travel in flocks.
The LORD wants us to have fellowship with one another. So as we think about Amos giving the vision of God for these nations because of their treatment of Israel, he is emphasizing the fact that we are to treat our neighbors well, especially those who are related to us. All Christians are related to one another. How are we treating one another?
CHALLENGE: Our profession is Christian. Our avocation is whatever we do other than our service to the LORD. If we are faithful in our service the LORD will use us just like HE used Amos to reach others.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. (398 “devour” [’akal] means to eat, to feed, to destroy completely, consume, or destroy.)
DEVOTION: The LORD states that HE is going to send a fire. What does this mean? Here we have many nations who have hurt the children of Israel. HE is going to judge them for their actions.
What does HE use in judgment? Fire is a term HE uses to describe what HE is going to do. What does fire do? It burns things. Sometimes there are some things left after a fire other times nothing is left. In this case HE is going to end a nation from existence. There will not be a remnant of them.
HE always gives a reason for the judgment on a nation. They have done something to Israel that was cruel. HE uses fire to destroy material things. HE uses fire to torment humans who have not obeyed HIS commands.
The final place for those who have rejected Christ is called the Lake of Fire. The first ones there are the devil and his angels. Next comes those who have worshiped the beast. Finally, after the Great White Throne judgment those who have not been found in the book of life are cast into the Lake of Fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Some say that God is a God of love only. They are wrong. HE so loved the world that HE gave HIS Son to die for the sins of the world. HE gave everyone a choice to follow HIM. There is no other way to heaven but through Jesus Christ. No one will have an excuse when they stand before HIM. HE will open the books and there will be recorded their refusal to follow the LORD Jesus Christ.
CHALLENGE: The time period of the end is coming. All those who are ready will be in heaven. All those who refuse will be in the Lake of Fire for eternity.
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: 8 And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holds the scepter from Ashkelon, and I will turn MINE hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, says the Lord GOD. (6 “perish” [’abad] means destroy, get lost, go astray, to cease existing as a sentient entity, vanish, or be exterminated.)
DEVOTION: God has many names. Each name has a special meaning. In the Old Testament there are three main names for God.
In Genesis 1: 1 we find the words “In the beginning God created….” In this verse the name for God is Elohim. This means that we have a plural name with a singular verb. What does this mean? The name means that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit created the world as ONE God. They were united. They were each individual persons that made up ONE GOD not three gods. Not saying that HE was God the Father in the Old Testament. Then HE became God the Son in the Gospels. Then HE became God the Holy Spirit in the Epistles. There is no Modalism here. This name for God is not found in this verse.
The second name for God is LORD. This is the name that is translated sometimes Jehovah. HE is a personal God. HE is a God who keeps all HIS promises. This is the second name used for God and it is found in this verse.
The third major name for God is Adonai. This means owner, master or sovereign. HE is in control. HE has a plan and HE is working HIS plan. So we find this name first in this verse.
We have the Sovereign (Adonai) Personal (Jehovah) God speaking concerning judgment of the nations for their treatment of HIS people. HE has the same feelings for us. HE is our protector and HE will judge those who give us a hard time. Trust HIM to take care of your enemies. You don’t have to. We are to pray for them.
CHALLENGE: The LORD is the one who deals with people who disobey HIM or mistreat HIS people. We are to realize that HE knows exactly what we are facing each day.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 11 Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept this wrath forever. (7356 “pity” [racham] means mercy, compassion, loving feeling, or favor.
DEVOTION: History lesson helps us understand that the descendants of Esau were the Edomites. Esau was the brother of Jacob who was renamed Israel by the LORD. The two fought of the blessing and birthright which Jacob received through trickery. Esau initially wanted to kill his brother before he ran away. Upon Jacob’s return he thought Esau still wanted to kill him. The LORD protected him.
So we have a brother, Esau, whose descendants have been carrying a grudge against another brother, Jacob, for something that happened years before. Family feuds have been happening since the first family and will never end until the end of time.
The LORD wants us to have compassion toward one another. We are to love one another if we are genuine followers of the LORD. This is not happening in many churches. There is a lot of family feuds going on when we should be facing the world with an attitude of love for each other.
This is a transgression that the LORD doesn’t like.
We are not pursuing a brother with a sword, at least, most of the time but words can be worst than a sword. We are not heartless most of the time but if someone crosses us they need to watch out because too often we are looking for an opportunity to return the favor.
CHALLENGE: One of characteristics should be showing mercy to others. If we put it into practice, then we could encourage others to put it into practice. Avoid all gossip about others.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Thus says the LORD verse 6, 9, 11, 13, 15
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15
LORD will roar from Zion verse 2
LORD will utter HIS voice from Jerusalem verse 2
I will turn away the punishment thereof
because they have threshed Gilead
with threshing instruments
of iron verse 3
I will send a fire into the house of Hazael
which will devour the palaces of
Ben-hadad verse 4
I will break also the bar of Damascus verse 5
I will cut off the inhabitant from the
plain of Aven verse 5
I will cut off him that holds the scepter from
the house of Eden verse 5
The people of Syria shall go into captivity
unto Kir says the LORD verse 5
I will not turn away the punishment of
Gaza because they carried away
captive the whole captivity to deliver
them up to Edom verse 6
I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza
Which shall devour the palaces thereof verse 7
I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod and
him that holds the scepter from
Ashkeion verse 8
I will turn MINE hand against Ekron verse 8
Remnant of the Philistines shall perish verse 8
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 8
GOD – Jehovah verse 8
Lord GOD verse 8
I will not turn away the punishment
because they have delivered up the
whole captivity of Edom and remember
not the brotherly covenant verse 9
I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus
Which shall devour the palaces thereof verse 10
For three transgression of Edom and for four
I will not turn away the punishment
because he did pursue his brother
with the sword and did cast off all pity
and his anger did tear perpetually and he
kept his wrath forever verse 11
I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall
devour the palaces of Bozrah verse 12
I will not turn away the punishment of
Children of Ammon because they
have ripped up the women with
child of Gilead – that they might
enlarge their border verse 13
I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah
and devour the palaces thereof
with shouting in the day of battle
with a tempest in the
day of the whirlwind verse 14
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Damascus verse 3, 5
House of Hazael verse 4
Palaces of Benhadad verse 4
Plain of Aven verse 5
House of Eden verse 5
Syria verse 5
Kir verse 5
Gaza verse 6, 7
three transgression
Edom verse 6, 9, 11
Ashdod verse 8
Ashkelon verse 8
Ekron verse 8
Philistines verse 8
Tyrus verse 9, 10
Teman verse 12
Palaces of Bozrah verse 12
Ammon verse 13
Wall of Rabbah verse 14, 15
their king shall go into captivity
he and his princes together
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Transgressions verse 3, 6, 9, 11, 13
Transgressions of Damascus and for four verse 3
Three transgressions of Tyrus and for four verse 9
Remembered not brotherly covenant verse 9
Pursue brother with sword verse 11
Cast off all pity verse 11
Anger verse 11
Three transgressions of the children of Ammon verse 13
Rip up women with children verse 13
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Amos verse 1
Herdmen of Tekoa verse 1
Israel verse 1
Days of Uzziah – king of Judah verse 1
Judah verse 1
Jeroboam – son of Joash king of Israel verse 1
two years before the earthquake
Israel verse 1
Zion verse 2
Jerusalem verse 2
Habitation of the shepherds shall mourn verse 2
Top of Carmel shall wither verse 2
Gilead verse 3, 13
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
1:4 The fourth element in the Damascus oracle is the announcement of God’s judgment. Three first-person verbs in vv. 4–5 outline God’s actions: “I will send,” “I will break down,” and “I will destroy.” The Lord himself will be the agent of judgment, though such language would not rule out his use of an intermediate agent. The Assyrians actually carried out the threatened punishment of Aram.27
“Fire” was an occasional tool of warfare in Old Testament times (2 Kgs 8:12). Destruction by fire was a type of covenant curse (Deut 32:21–22) and an expression of divine wrath (Gen 19:24; Num 11:1–3). The image of God sending fire suggests the concept of Holy War. The Lord was portrayed as the military leader of Israel’s army. Whatever was devoted to destruction (ḥerem) was “either killed, if alive, or burned, if flammable (Deut 7:25–26; 12:3; Num 31:10; Judg 1:8).” The particular property of fire that made it suitable as a method of warfare was its power to consume (ʾākal, “eat,” “devour”).
The targets of the Lord’s judgment by fire would be “the house of Hazael” and “the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.” Two or possibly three Ben-Hadads appear in the Old Testament (1 Kgs 15:18, 20; 20:1ff.; 2 Kgs 6:24; 8:7, 9; 13:3). The one Hazael mentioned became king of Aram by murdering the reigning king Ben-Hadad (2 Kgs 8:14–15). Assyrian documents refer to the new dynasty he founded as “the house of Hazael,” the same expression used here in Amos. His son Ben-Hadad succeeded him (2 Kgs 13:3). Rezin, who may have been king in Damascus when God sent Amos to Israel as his prophet, was the last king of Aram-Damascus before the Assyrians annexed it in 732 b.c. He probably was not a descendant of Hazael.
“House” may denote the reigning house, the reigning king, or the royal palace. “Fortresses” (ʾarmĕnôt) probably designate fortified towns, distinct from fortified city walls and the royal palace. Neither would be a match for the Lord’s consuming fire. (Smith, B. K., & Page, F. S. (1995). Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Vol. 19B, p. 49). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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4 The judgment the Lord decrees for Syria is “fire upon the house of Hazael.” Hazael ruled Syria about 841 to 806 b.c. His accession to the throne of Syria was revealed by the Lord to the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 8:13). The Lord also revealed that Hazael would commit monstrous crimes against the Israelites (2 Kings 8:12). When Hazael came to the throne, he fought against Joram and Ahaziah at Ramoth Gilead, an encounter in which Joram was seriously wounded (2 Kings 8:28–29).
Ben-Hadad (“son of Hadad,” an ancient storm god) is the name of two or possibly three kings of Syria. It may be a dynastic name. Ben-Hadad I, a contemporary of Baasha, king of Israel (909–886 b.c.), and Asa, king of Judah (911–870 b.c.), took large territorial holdings from Baasha (1 Kings 15:20). Each of the kings named “Ben-Hadad” carried on continual hostilities against Israel. The name Ben-Hadad in Amos 1:4 could well stand for all the kings who bore that name; yet since only one Hazael is known, it may be that Amos had only one of the kings named Ben-Hadad in mind. It is likely that this was the son of Hazael (2 Kings 13:3). The names of Hazael and Ben-Hadad would be synonymous with the long history of Syrian conflict and oppression.
The fire mentioned in v.4 is not a description of an isolated occurrence relating only to Damascus, for it appears in all but one of the oracles. Only the oracle against Israel lacks it (2:6–16). It is best understood as a metaphorical representation of God’s judgment (cf. 7:4). (McComiskey, T. E. (1986). Amos. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, p. 283). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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1:4–5. In the judgment on each of the first seven nations God is pictured as a suzerain Lord who has brought his armies to punish a vassal city for its revolt. The attack begins in each case with a fire that would eventually consume the walls and/or fortresses of the city and leave it a smoldering ruin (vv. 4, 7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5). In punishing Damascus God declared He would smash the bar of the city gate and break down the gate, stripping the city of its defenses. He would destroy the rebel king who reigned over the wicked and proud nations. Valley of Aven and Beth Eden may refer to other regions of Aram, Baalbek and Bit-Adini. More likely, they are derogatory references to the area and palace of Damascus, meaning “Valley of Wickedness” and “House of Pleasure.” The house (dynasty) of Hazael would be terminated, and the Arameans would be exiled (cf. 1:15) back to their place of origin, a Mesopotamian site called Kir. In essence, this punishment would be a complete reversal of Aram’s proud history. God, who had originally brought them out of Kir (9:7), would send them back, after obliterating all they had achieved. This judgment was carried out by the Assyrians under Tiglath-Pileser III in 732 b.c. (cf. 2 Kings 16:7–9). (Sunukjian, D. R. (1985). Amos. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1429). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Syria (vv. Amos 1:3–15). Damascus was the capital of Syria, one of the Jews’ persistent enemies. Amos denounced the Syrians for their inhuman treatment of the Israelites who lived in Gilead, east of the Jordan River. They cruelly “threshed them” as though they were nothing but stalks of grain. God had called the Syrians to punish Israel (2 Kings 10:32–33; 13:1–9), but the Syrians had carried it too far.
The man who began his prayer with “Lord, no doubt You saw in the morning newspaper …” was stating a great truth in a clumsy way: God sees how the nations treat one another, and He responds appropriately. Benjamin Franklin said it well at the Constitutional Convention, “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men.”
The phrase “I will send a fire” (Amos 1:4, 7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5) means “I will send judgment”; for fire represents the holiness and judgment of God (Deut. 4:11, 24, 36; Heb. 12:29). Indeed, the Lord did judge Syria: the dynasty of King Hazael ended; his son Ben-Hadad was defeated; Damascus lost its power (business was done at the city gate, Amos 1:5); and “the house of Eden” (delight, paradise) became a ruin. King Josiah defeated Ben-Hadad three times (2 Kings 13:25), but it was the Assyrians who finally subdued Syria and took them into captivity. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be concerned (pp. 12–13). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor.)
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He tells us that he was neither born into the goodly company of the prophets, nor did he choose that calling for himself. But when he was “a herdman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit” (that is, the fruit of the wild fig), the Lord said unto him, “Go, prophesy unto My people Israel” (ch. 7:14, 15). This was enough for Amos. He was not disobedient to the voice from heaven, but, leaving behind the pastures of the wilderness, and turning his back on the place of his birth, we soon find him declaring the word of the Lord away up in the capital of the northern kingdom, greatly to the disgust and arousing the indignation of Jeroboam and his false priest Amaziah. When ordered to flee to his own land and do his prophesying there, he boldly gives his divine credentials, and delivers a message more searching than ever.
Of the duration of his ministry, or the time or circumstances of his death, we have no record. But what has been vouchsafed to us is fraught with most important lessons.
It is ever God’s way to prepare His servants in secret for the work they are afterwards to accomplish in public. Moses at the backside of the desert; Gideon on the threshing-floor; David with his “few sheep” out upon the hillside; Daniel refusing to be defiled with the king’s meat; John the Baptist in the desert; Peter in his fishing-boat; Paul in Arabia; and Amos following the flock and herding the cattle in the wilderness of Tekoa—all alike attest this fact. It is important to observe that only he who has thus learned of God in the school of obscurity is likely to shine in the blaze of publicity.
Amos had no thought of becoming, or being recognized, as a prophet, as men today select “the ministry” as a profession. He would doubtless have been quite content to pursue his humble avocation as a small farmer, or possibly a mere farmer’s hand or assistant, to the end of his life, if such had been the mind of God for him. But as he followed the flock, his soul was communing with Jehovah. As he gathered the wild figs of the wilderness, his heart was meditating on the great issues of the soul’s relationship to God and the importance of walking in His ways. As he tended the herds he was learning wondrous lessons of a faithful Creator’s love and care. And so, when for him “the fulness of time was come,” the Lord, so to speak, kindled the already prepared fuel into a flame, and the humble herdman became a mighty, Spirit-energized prophet of God, not only to his own people, but to all Israel and the nations around.
We read of no unbelieving hesitation, no parleying with God, no bargaining or questioning as to temporal support; even as before there was no fleshly impatience or desire to be at the front attracting notice as a prophet or speaker. Throughout it is the record of a simple, humble man of God, who can wait or run as his Lord sees fit. In all this how much there is for our souls today! There are many self-made ministers whose inner lives are in sad contrast to their ministry. Many, too, insist on taking the place belonging to a servant of God who have never spent any time in His school, learning His ways, as did Amos. Thus their utterances are empty and disappointing in the extreme, as might be expected when coming from men who had not been sent by the Lord. It is blessedly otherwise with Amos. The more we learn of the messenger, the more we are prepared to listen to his message.
Those hidden years had not been wasted. Not only were they years in which he listened to the voice of God speaking to his own soul, but in them he was acquiring experience, and an insight into men and things which would be invaluable to him later on. Again and again in his public utterances he uses figures, or illustrations, which show how closely and thoughtfully he had observed the many things, animate and inanimate, surrounding him in his early life. This the following passages make abundantly plain: Chapters 2:13; 3:12; 4:9; 5:8; 6:12; 7:1, 2. Others too we shall notice as we proceed.
The theme of the book of Amos is emphatically one of judgment on Israel and Judah, and the nations about them. (Ironside, H. A. (1909). Notes on the Minor Prophets. (pp. 141–144). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 4. But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, &c.] For so doing; into his family, his sons’ sons, one of whom perhaps was Rezin, that Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria slew, as Aben Ezra observes. This denotes the judgments of God upon his posterity for his cruel usage of the Israelites; and designs an enemy that should come into his country, and war made in the midst of it, by which it should be depopulated; and this being by the permission and providence of God, and according to his will, is said to be sent by him: which shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad; a name frequently given to the kings of Syria; there was one of this name the immediate predecessor of Hazael, whose servant he was; and he left a son of the same name that succeeded him, 2 Kings 7:7, 15 and 13:24. these may denote the royal palaces of the kings of Syria, which should not be spared in this time of desolation; though rather by them may be intended the temples, which he and Hazael are said by Josephus to build in the city of Damascus, whereby they greatly adorned it; and for these and other acts of beneficence they were deified by the Syrians, and worshipped as gods; and even to the times of Josephus, he says, their statues were carried in pomp every day in honour of them; and so the house of Hazael, in the preceding clause, may signify a temple that was either built by him, or for the worship of him, since he was deified as well as Ben-hadad; and it may be observed, that as Adad was a common name of the kings of Syria; for, according to Nicholas of Damascusd, ten kings that reigned in Damascus were all called Adad; so this is a name of the god they worshipped. Pliny speaks of a god worshipped by the Syrians, whose name must be Adad; since, according to him; the gem adsdunephros had its name from him; and Macrobiusf is express for it, that the chief god of the Assyrians was called Adad, which signifies one; see the note on Isa. 66:17. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 480). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
Esther 4
Esther learns of the plot to kill the Jews and plans to intercede.
INSIGHT
“I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (4:16). Those are not the words of someone being melodramatic; they are the words of a realist who accurately assesses the situation. By law, no one can go into the presence of the king unless invited; to do so means execution. If the king chooses to extend grace to the person, he offers his scepter, whereupon the subject is to kneel and touch the top of the scepter. Esther has no idea what Ahasuerus will do. He deposed Vashti with a clap of his hands; he signed the edict to kill the Jews without asking a question. Though she has no other choice, Esther’s decision still takes great courage. (Quiet Walk)
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FACING DEATH
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.
2 Timothy 4:8
The kingdom of God gives us power even to look into the face of death and to smile at it. We go out of this world in triumph and in joy. Consider what Paul says; this is power, this is not just a talker, nor just a man who has been writing all his life. Here is a man who has known the power; so he says, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
So what about it? Have you known all this? This is Christianity; this is the kingdom of God, the power of God! Here, then, are the questions that we must ask ourselves. Do I know anything about this power of God? Is it obvious to those who live with me that the power of God is in me? Does my life show it? Are other people influenced by what they see? Can I say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16)?
Has God made you anew? Do you know there is a new nature in you? If not, you are not a Christian; you are outside the kingdom of God, whatever your knowledge, whatever your interest may be. A Christian is a new creation born of the Spirit, born from above, born again–“not in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). Have you known this? If you have, I need not exhort you to praise God! If you have not, then go to Him; tell Him you are dead and lifeless. Cry, “God have mercy upon me, a sinner.”
A Thought to Ponder
A Christian is a new creation born of the Spirit, born from above, born again.
(From The Kingdom of God, p. 119, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Judgment
“For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.” (Amos 4:13)
This awesome ascription of judgmental power to God is in the midst of a dire prophecy by Amos to the 10-tribe northern kingdom of Israel. He had reminded them of earlier judgments, including even that of Sodom and Gomorrah, concluding with the fearsome warning: “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel” (Amos 4:12).
Then, in our text verse, he seems to carry them still further back in time to remind them of an even greater destruction. The great winds of the earth, like its rains, first blew over its surfaces at the time of the mighty Deluge (Genesis 8:1), and the present mountains of the earth likewise rose out of the churning waters of the Flood (Psalm 104:6-9). It was at the time of the Flood that dark clouds first obscured the sunlight that before had perpetually shown through the pre-Flood “waters which were above the firmament” (Genesis 1:7), which had then condensed and fallen to the earth in great torrents from “the windows of heaven” (Genesis 7:11)
This awful judgment had come because the antediluvians, like the Israelites, had rejected their Creator and gone after other gods (Genesis 6:5). As if to confirm that he was, indeed, referring to the great Deluge, Amos, a few verses later, exhorted the Israelites to “seek him . . . that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth” (Amos 5:8).
It is dangerous and foolish for any nation or any person to question the true God of creation. He made all things, He knows all things, and He judges all things. “The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.” (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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All of us have times when we want to be pampered. For some, that means a few hours at a day spa or a hike in the great outdoors. But another option is now available, courtesy of a farm in upstate New York: cow cuddling.
Mountain Horse Farm offers visitors a “Horse & Cow Experience.” The “experience” consists of spending quality time petting, brushing, and even cuddling the animals. According to the website Healthy Food House, cow cuddling is “the hottest [wellness] trend of the moment.”
And it isn’t cheap: $300 for a ninety-minute cuddle, but the potential benefits are considerable, we’re told. “Cuddling with animals has shown to reduce stress and help us bond with nature.” The horses and cows at Mountain Horse Farms can, and I quote, “feel your happiness, sadness or anxiety . . . these animals will respond to you without any judgment.”
The results will be “relaxation, healing, awareness, comfort, and mindfulness,” and improved “assertiveness and confidence.”
Cow cuddling is one example of a larger, and still growing, trend. Increasingly, people are looking for emotional support from animals, instead of from each other.
Another example is “goat yoga,” which is exactly what it sounds like: “yoga practiced in the presence of — and in tandem with — live goats.”
The goal of “goat yoga” “isn’t to sweat. It’s to have a baby goat climb on your shoulders during your plank,” a position that resembles the top of a pushup. According to the L.A.Times, all of that bleating cuteness promotes emotional and physical wellness.
And of course, the sheer number of “emotional support animals” joining us in supermarket aisles or crowded airplanes has led to, let’s say, challenges. United Airlines recently announced it is limiting “emotional support” animals to dogs and cats. That policy change came in response to complaints from passengers and crew members about all of the “emotional support” pigs, turkeys, ducks, and even a peacock or two biting people and soiling the cabin.
Having grown up on a farm with dogs, cats, a pet calf, a few pigs and even a turtle, I love animals. A few years ago at our Wilberforce Weekend event, we featured an incredible ministry that emotionally helps abused women and children by utilizing therapy involving horses. But the goal was to help these people heal, and trust people again. Today, the proliferation of emotional support animals in all forms and places highlights a real and growing problem across Western culture: loneliness and a lack of connection with other people.
We are, as former Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy put it, in the midst of a “loneliness epidemic,” which is causing a “reduction in lifespan similar to that caused by smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and it’s greater than the impact on life span of obesity.”
The cure for loneliness, however, isn’t “company,” it’s connection. As we’ve said before on BreakPoint, many of our greatest ills, such as addiction and depression, can be traced back to a lack of meaningful connection to other people.
Societies like ours, as one of my BreakPoint colleagues put it, “are loneliness-producing machines.” Because of our obsession with individualism and autonomy, the average American has gone from having three close friends, on average, to just one.
Because, as one commentator described, “far too many of us [are] alienated, anxious, despairing, and lost,” we find ourselves paying $300 to cuddle with a cow or carry ducks around for emotional support.
And let’s be clear. Though I have not seen any church-sponsored goat yoga groups– yet– Christians are not immune to the “loneliness-producing machine” that is our culture, or the worldview that fuels it. Still, we of all people should understand the God-given created need for connectedness. And that the church has an opportunity to offer to the world a community of connected people, connected with our Creator and with each other, like no other institution across our society can. (This is for my wife’s family that are farmers.)
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From 10 POWER PRINCIPLES for CHRISTIAN SERVICE by Warren W.& David W. Wiersbe:
Jowett’s statement could be expanded to read: “Ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. If the minister’s life is without a measure of pain and sacrifice, his ministry will be without blessing.” When the going is tough, the hireling runs to easier pastures; but the true shepherd stays with the flock, sacrifices for them, and counts it a privilege to do so. (p. 49)
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The late Henri J. M. Nouwen asked, “What does it mean to be a minister in our contemporary society?” His answer is biblical: “a wounded healer.” Unless we’ve felt the wounds ourselves and experienced God’s healing, we can’t adequately minister to others who are wounded. God “comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Chrsit abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ” (2 Cor. 1: 4-5). (p. 50)
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In addition, pastors are rarely, if ever, satisfied with what they are or how they minister, and their hearts break because of the blindness of people who close their eyes to the church’s opportunities. (p. 51)
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We are called by God’s grace, called to God’s glory, and called to suffer as God’s servants. (p. 53)
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