July 4, 2025 • 21 mins
Transcript
Today's Bible Translation
Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 5-7 NET; Ch. 8-9 NASB
Associate Producer
Jørn Rune Reinertsen
Podcast Introduction
It’s Prophecy Friday, and we’ll complete the book of Amos by reading chapters 5-9. I’m calling this episode “Seek God Wholeheartedly.“
Design: Jason Paschall | Photo: Midjourney
Summary
In Amos 5 we see the importance of seeking a genuine relationship with God. We need to wholeheartedly pursue God and not engage in superficial religious practices. God desires true devotion and despises empty rituals. Let’s examine our lives and eliminate anything that hinders our relationship with God. Let’s make God the ruler of our lives.
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The Team
Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Denise: Transcript CorrectionMichael Haner: Podcasting 2.0 ChaptersScott Snider: Show ArtJason Paschall: Show ArtLifespring Family Berean, Sister Brittaney: Newsletter Publisher
Transcript
Download .txt file.
Transcript corrected by Sister Denise
Steve Webb 0:00If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
Steve Webb 0:10This is the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, and podcasting since 2004, I'm your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. How are you today? The website is at lifespringmedia.com, and we'll have contact information at the end of today's show. It's Prophecy Friday today. We'll complete the book of Amos by reading chapters 5 through 9. Before we read, let's pray. Our heavenly Father, Lord, how, we love you. And we thank you for your Word. We thank you for our time together and we pray, God, that you would touch our hearts today and that you would teach us. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, are you ready? Let's begin.
Steve Webb 0:55Amos, chapter 5. Listen to this funeral song I am ready to sing about you, family of Israel: “The virgin Israel has fallen down and will not get up again. She is abandoned on her own land with no one to help her get up.” The sovereign Lord says this: “The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers will have only a hundred left; the town that marches out with a hundred soldiers will have only ten left for the family of Israel.” The Lord says this to the family of Israel: “Seek me so you can live! Do not seek Bethel! Do not visit Gilgal! Do not journey down to Beer Sheba! For the people of Gilgal will certainly be carried into exile; and Bethel will become a place where disaster abounds.” Seek the Lord so you can live! Otherwise he will break out like fire against Joseph’s family; the fire will consume and no one will be able to quench it and save Bethel. The Israelites turn justice into bitterness; they throw what is fair and right to the ground. (But there is one who made the constellations Pleiades and Orion; he can turn the darkness into morning and daylight into night. He summons the water of the seas and pours it out on the earth’s surface. The Lord is his name! He flashes destruction down upon the strong so that destruction overwhelms the fortified places.) The Israelites hate anyone who arbitrates at the city gate; they despise anyone who speaks honestly. Therefore, because you make the poor pay taxes on their crops and exact a grain tax from them, you will not live in the houses you built with chiseled stone, nor will you drink the wine from the fine vineyards you planted. Certainly I am aware of your many rebellious acts and your numerous sins. You torment the innocent, you take bribes, and you deny justice to the needy at the city gate. For this reason whoever is smart keeps quiet in such a time, for it is an evil time. Seek good and not evil so you can live!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Steve Webb (00:00):
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find
me.
This is the Lifespring! One YearBible coming to you from
Riverside, California, andpodcasting since 2004, I'm your
OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. Howare you today? The website is at
(00:22):
lifespringmedia.com, and we'llhave contact information at the
end of today's show. It'sProphecy Friday today. We'll
complete the book of Amos byreading chapters 5 through 9.
Before we read, let's pray. Ourheavenly Father, Lord, how, we
love you. And we thank you foryour Word. We thank you for our
time together and we pray, God,that you would touch our hearts
(00:42):
today and that you would teachus. We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen. All right, are you ready?Let's begin.
Amos, chapter 5. Listen to thisfuneral song I am ready to sing
about you, family of Israel: “The virgin Israel has fallen (01:00):
undefined
down and will not get up again.She is abandoned on her own land
with no one to help her get up.”The sovereign Lord says this:
“The city that marches out witha thousand soldiers will have
only a hundred left; the townthat marches out with a hundred
soldiers will have only ten leftfor the family of Israel.” The
(01:21):
Lord says this to the family ofIsrael: “Seek me so you can
live! Do not seek Bethel! Do notvisit Gilgal! Do not journey
down to Beer Sheba! For thepeople of Gilgal will certainly
be carried into exile; andBethel will become a place where
disaster abounds.” Seek the Lordso you can live! Otherwise he
will break out like fire againstJoseph’s family; the fire will
(01:43):
consume and no one will be ableto quench it and save Bethel.
The Israelites turn justice intobitterness; they throw what is
fair and right to the ground.(But there is one who made the
constellations Pleiades andOrion; he can turn the darkness
into morning and daylight intonight. He summons the water of
the seas and pours it out on theearth’s surface. The Lord is his
(02:06):
name! He flashes destructiondown upon the strong so that
destruction overwhelms thefortified places.) The
Israelites hate anyone whoarbitrates at the city gate;
they despise anyone who speakshonestly. Therefore, because you
make the poor pay taxes on theircrops and exact a grain tax from
them, you will not live in thehouses you built with chiseled
(02:26):
stone, nor will you drink thewine from the fine vineyards you
planted. Certainly I am aware ofyour many rebellious acts and
your numerous sins. You tormentthe innocent, you take bribes,
and you deny justice to theneedy at the city gate. For this
reason whoever is smart keepsquiet in such a time, for it is
an evil time. Seek good and notevil so you can live! Then the
(02:49):
Lord, the God who commandsarmies, just might be with you,
as you claim he is. Hate what iswrong, love what is right!
Promote justice at the citygate! Maybe the Lord, the God
who commands armies, will havemercy on those who are left from
Joseph. Because of Israel’s sinsthis is what the Lord, the God
who commands armies, thesovereign One, says: “In all the
(03:12):
squares there will be wailing,in all the streets they will
mourn the dead. They will tellthe field workers to lament and
the professional mourners towail. In all the vineyards there
will be wailing, for I will passthrough your midst,” says the
Lord. Woe to those who wish forthe day of the Lord! Why do you
want the Lord’s day of judgmentto come? It will bring darkness,
(03:33):
not light. Disaster will beinescapable, as if a man ran
from a lion only to meet a bear,then escaped into a house,
leaned his hand against thewall, and was bitten by a
poisonous snake. Don’t yourealize the Lord’s day of
judgment will bring darkness,not light – gloomy blackness,
not bright light? “I absolutelydespise your festivals! I get no
(03:55):
pleasure from your religiousassemblies! Even if you offer me
burnt and grain offerings, Iwill not be satisfied; I will
not look with favor on yourpeace offerings of fattened
calves. Take away from me yournoisy songs; I don’t want to
hear the music of your stringedinstruments. Justice must flow
like torrents of water,righteous actions like a stream
(04:15):
that never dries up. You did notbring me sacrifices and grain
offerings during the forty yearsyou spent in the wilderness,
family of Israel. You will pickup your images of Sikkuth, your
king, and Kiyyun, your star god,which you made for yourselves,
and I will drive you into exilebeyond Damascus,” says the Lord.
He is called the God whocommands armies!
(04:37):
Amos, chapter 6. Woe to thosewho live in ease in Zion, to
those who feel secure on MountSamaria. They think of
themselves as the elite class ofthe best nation. The family of
Israel looks to them forleadership. They say to the
people (04:52):
“Journey over to Calneh and look at it! Then go from
there to Hamath-Rabbah! Then godown to Gath of the Philistines!
Are they superior to our twokingdoms? Is their territory
larger than yours?” You refuseto believe a day of disaster
will come, but you establish areign of violence. They lie
around on beds decorated withivory, and sprawl out on their
(05:14):
couches. They eat lambs from theflock, and calves from the
middle of the pen. They sing tothe tune of stringed
instruments; like David theyinvent musical instruments. They
drink wine from sacrificialbowls, and pour the very best
oils on themselves. Yet they arenot concerned over the ruin of
Joseph. Therefore they will nowbe the first to go into exile,
(05:36):
and the religious banquets wherethey sprawl on couches will end.
The sovereign Lord confirms thisoath by his very own life. The
Lord, the God who commandsarmies, is speaking: “I despise
Jacob’s arrogance; I hate theirfortresses. I will hand over to
their enemies the city ofSamaria and everything in it.”
If ten men are left in onehouse, they too will die. When
(05:59):
their close relatives, the oneswho will burn the corpses, pick
up their bodies to remove thebones from the house, they will
say to anyone who is in theinner rooms of the house, “Is
anyone else with you?” He willrespond, “Be quiet! Don’t invoke
the Lord’s name!” Indeed, look!The Lord is giving the command.
He will smash the large house tobits, and the small house into
(06:20):
little pieces. Can horses run onrocky cliffs? Can one plow the
sea with oxen? Yet you haveturned justice into a poisonous
plant, and the fruit ofrighteous actions into a bitter
plant. You are happy because youconquered Lo-Debar. You say,
“Did we not conquer Karnaim byour own power?” “Look! I am
(06:41):
about to bring a nation againstyou, family of Israel.” The
Lord, the God who commandsarmies, is speaking. “They will
oppress you all the way fromLebo-Hamath to the Stream of the
Arabah.”
Amos, chapter 7. The sovereignLord showed me this: I saw him
making locusts just as the cropsplanted late were beginning to
sprout. (The crops planted latesprout after the royal harvest.)
(07:06):
When they had completelyconsumed the earth’s vegetation,
I said, “Sovereign Lord, forgiveIsrael! How can Jacob survive?
He is too weak!” The Lorddecided not to do this. “It will
not happen,” the Lord said. Thesovereign Lord showed me this: I
saw the sovereign Lord summoninga shower of fire. It consumed
the great deep and devoured thefields. I said, “Sovereign Lord,
(07:29):
stop! How can Jacob survive? Heis too weak!” The Lord decided
not to do this. The sovereignLord said, “This will not happen
either.” He showed me this (07:38):
I saw the sovereign One standing
by a tin wall holding tin in hishand. The Lord said to me, “What
do you see, Amos?” I said,“Tin.” The sovereign One then
said, “Look, I am about to placetin among my people Israel. I
will no longer overlook theirsin. Isaac’s centers of worship
(07:58):
will become desolate; Israel’sholy places will be in ruins. I
will attack Jeroboam’s dynastywith the sword.” Amaziah the
priest of Bethel sent thismessage to King Jeroboam of
Israel (08:10):
“Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of
the kingdom of Israel! The landcannot endure all his
prophecies. As a matter of fact,Amos is saying this: ‘Jeroboam
will die by the sword and Israelwill certainly be carried into
exile away from its land.’”Amaziah then said to Amos,
“Leave, you visionary! Run awayto the land of Judah! Earn your
(08:33):
living and prophesy there! Don’tprophesy at Bethel any longer,
for a royal temple and palaceare here!” Amos replied to
Amaziah, “I was not a prophet byprofession. No, I was a herdsman
who also took care of sycamorefig trees. Then the Lord took me
from tending flocks and gave methis commission, ‘Go! Prophesy
to my people Israel!’ So nowlisten to the Lord’s message!
(08:57):
You say, ‘Don’t prophesy againstIsrael! Don’t preach against the
family of Isaac!’ “Thereforethis is what the Lord says:
‘Your wife will become aprostitute in the streets and
your sons and daughters will dieviolently. Your land will be
given to others and you will diein a foreign land. Israel will
certainly be carried into exileaway from its land.’”
(09:18):
Amos, chapter 8. Thus the LordGod showed me, and behold, there
was a basket of summer fruit. Hesaid, “What do you see, Amos?”
And I said, “A basket of summerfruit.” Then the Lord said to
me, “The end has come for Mypeople Israel. I will spare them
no longer. The songs of thepalace will turn to wailing in
(09:39):
that day,” declares the LordGod. “Many will be the corpses;
in every place they will castthem forth in silence.” Hear
this, you who trample the needy,to do away with the humble of
the land, saying, “When will thenew moon be over, So that we may
sell grain, And the sabbath,that we may open the wheat
market, To make the bushelsmaller and the shekel bigger,
(09:59):
And to cheat with dishonestscales, So as to buy the
helpless for money And the needyfor a pair of sandals, And that
we may sell the refuse of thewheat?” The Lord has sworn by
the pride of Jacob, “Indeed, Iwill never forget any of their
deeds. Because of this will notthe land quake And everyone who
dwells in it mourn? Indeed, allof it will rise up like the
Nile, And it will be tossedabout And subside like the Nile
(10:22):
of Egypt. It will come about inthat day,” declares the Lord
God, “That I will make the sungo down at noon And make the
earth dark in broad daylight.Then I will turn your festivals
into mourning And all your songsinto lamentation; And I will
bring sackcloth on everyone’sloins And baldness on every
head. And I will make it like atime of mourning for an only
(10:43):
son, And the end of it will belike a bitter day. “Behold, days
are coming,” declares the LordGod, “When I will send a famine
on the land, Not a famine forbread or a thirst for water, But
rather for hearing the words ofthe Lord. People will stagger
from sea to sea And from thenorth even to the east; They
will go to and fro to seek theword of the Lord, But they will
(11:06):
not find it. In that day thebeautiful virgins And the young
men will faint from thirst. Asfor those who swear by the guilt
of Samaria, Who say, ‘As yourgod lives, O Dan,’ And, ‘As the
way of Beersheba lives,’ Theywill fall and not rise again.”
Amos, chapter 9. I saw the Lordstanding beside the altar, and
(11:28):
He said, “Smite the capitals sothat the thresholds will shake,
And break them on the heads ofthem all! Then I will slay the
rest of them with the sword;They will not have a fugitive
who will flee, Or a refugee whowill escape. Though they dig
into Sheol, From there will Myhand take them; And though they
ascend to heaven, From therewill I bring them down. Though
(11:50):
they hide on the summit ofCarmel, I will search them out
and take them from there; Andthough they conceal themselves
from My sight on the floor ofthe sea, From there I will
command the serpent and it willbite them. And though they go
into captivity before theirenemies, From there I will
command the sword that it slaythem, And I will set My eyes
against them for evil and notfor good.” The Lord God of
(12:12):
hosts, The One who touches theland so that it melts, And all
those who dwell in it mourn, Andall of it rises up like the Nile
And subsides like the Nile ofEgypt; The One who builds His
upper chambers in the heavensAnd has founded His vaulted dome
over the earth, And who callsfor the waters of the sea And
pours them out on the face ofthe earth, The Lord is His name.
(12:34):
“Are you not as the sons ofEthiopia to Me, O sons of
Israel?” declares the Lord.“Have I not brought up Israel
from the land of Egypt, And thePhilistines from Caphtor and the
Arameans from Kir? Behold, theeyes of the Lord God are on the
sinful kingdom, And I willdestroy it from the face of the
earth; Nevertheless, I will nottotally destroy the house of
(12:55):
Jacob,” Declares the Lord. “Forbehold, I am commanding, And I
will shake the house of Israelamong all nations As grain is
shaken in a sieve, But not akernel will fall to the ground.
All the sinners of My peoplewill die by the sword, Those who
say, ‘The calamity will notovertake or confront us.’ “In
(13:15):
that day I will raise up thefallen booth of David, And wall
up its breaches; I will alsoraise up its ruins And rebuild
it as in the days of old; Thatthey may possess the remnant of
Edom And all the nations who arecalled by My name,” Declares the
Lord who does this. “Behold,days are coming,” declares the
Lord, “When the plowman willovertake the reaper And the
(13:37):
treader of grapes him who sowsseed; When the mountains will
drip sweet wine And all thehills will be dissolved. Also I
will restore the captivity of Mypeople Israel, And they will
rebuild the ruined cities andlive in them; They will also
plant vineyards and drink theirwine, And make gardens and eat
their fruit. I will also plantthem on their land, And they
(13:59):
will not again be rooted outfrom their land Which I have
given them,” Says the Lord yourGod.
Well, of course, a lot happenedin these chapters but I'm gonna
focus on a few points. Inchapter 5, verse 4, God tells
Israel "Seek me so you canlive!" Beloved, when we
sincerely pursue a relationshipwith God we'll find him and will
(14:20):
have eternal life. In the bookof Jeremiah, God said "If you
look for me wholeheartedly, youwill find me." Jesus said, "Ask
and it will be given to you;seek and you will find; knock
and the door will be opened foryou." God isn't hiding. He wants
us to know him, to trust him, tolove him. But we have to seek
him wholeheartedly as he said inJeremiah. If we hold on to our
(14:43):
old ways, he's not pleased. Andfurther on in chapter 5, he
chastises the Israelites fortheir phony attempts to serve
him while they remain in theirsin. In verse 21, he tells them
"I absolutely despise yourfestivals! I get no pleasure
from your religious assemblies!"And dropping down to verse 27,
he says, "I will drive you intoexile beyond Damascus." So you
(15:07):
see religious activity, churchattendance doesn't fool God. We
can fool those around us and wemight even fool ourselves, but
if we try to hold on to anythingthat is not pleasing to him, he
sees through that. We shouldcontinually take a spiritual
inventory, we should ask him toshow us if there's anything in
our life that's more importantto us than he is and help us to
(15:29):
eliminate whatever that is. Hewants to shower blessings on us,
but we have to be willing tohave him be on the throne of our
lives, him and only him. Inchapter 9, verse 7, we read,
“Are you not as the sons ofEthiopia to Me, O sons of
Israel?” declares the Lord.“Have I not brought up Israel
from the land of Egypt, And thePhilistines from Caphtor and the
(15:51):
Arameans from Kir?" So what doesthat mean? "Are you not as the
sons of Ethiopia to me?" WhatGod was saying was, just because
you're my chosen people, don'tthink too highly of yourself.
Yes, I brought you out of Egypt.But I also brought the
Philistines from Caphtor, andthe Arameans from Kir. Don't be
proud just because you're Jews.You see, the Jews thought that
(16:14):
the people of Ethiopia weredistant and unimportant. You're
no more important to me than thePhilistines or the Arameans. And
then in verse 9, a shift beginsto take place in the narrative.
Up until this point, it's allbeen judgment, judgment,
judgment. Well, listen to verse9, “For behold, I am commanding,
And I will shake the house ofIsrael among all nations As
(16:36):
grain is shaken in a sieve, Butnot a kernel will fall to the
ground." Here's what CharlesSpurgeon said about that. “I
think I see you, poor believer,tossed about like that wheat, up
and down, right and left, in thesieve, and in the air, never
resting. Perhaps it is suggestedto you, ‘God is very angry with
me.’ No, the farmer is not angrywith his wheat when he casts it
(16:59):
up and down in the sieve, andneither is God angry with you;
this you shall see one day whenthe light shall show that love
ruled in all your griefs.” Yousee, this shaking in a sieve is
a purification process. God isseparating the wheat from the
chaff. He's purifying hispeople. So now let's look at
(17:19):
verses 11 and 12. “'In that dayI will raise up the fallen booth
of David, And wall up itsbreaches; I will also raise up
its ruins And rebuild it as inthe days of old; That they may
possess the remnant of Edom Andall the nations who are called
by My name,' Declares the Lordwho does this." So beginning
there in verse 11, the messageis that God will restore the
(17:41):
royal line of David. Hementioned here in the New
American Standard, "the fallenbooth of David." In other
translations, it's "the fallentabernacle of David." It's no
longer a great house, it's nowjust a booth. But God says, "In
that day, I will raise up thefallen booth..." G. Campbell,
Morgan wrote, “It is nowdeclared that the reason of the
(18:02):
divine judgment is not revenge,but the only way in which it is
possible to usher in therestored order on which the
heart of God is set.” So has theroyal line of David been
restored? Yes, it has. Jesus,the Messiah is from that line,
and he will be forever on thethrone. Remember when God made
(18:23):
that promise to David? So thegist of these two verses is that
God will restore David's linewhich he did in Jesus, and build
a new kingdom which will includenot just the Jew but all who
declare the name of the Lordbecause it says there in verse
12, "That they may possess theremnant of Edom And all the
nations who are called by Myname.” He's talking about the
(18:44):
Gentiles there. He's talkingabout the people who are not
Jewish. He's talking about allthe nations which was a foreign
concept to the Jews of the time.And, Beloved, God is even now
doing a great work. It sort offeels like we are being tossed
in a sieve, doesn't it? But welook ahead to that day when the
troubles here pass away, and theLord brings the new heaven and
(19:07):
the new earth. Won't that be awonderful time? What are your
thoughts? I'd love to hear fromyou. Contact information will be
at the end of today's show. Orif you have a modern podcast
app, you can comment viaboostagram. Tomorrow will be
Gospel Saturday and we'llcomplete the book of John by
reading chapters 19 through 21.
(19:35):
Jørn Rune Reinertsen came inwith his monthly $20 donation
today, making him today'sAssociate Producer. Thank you
Jørn and God bless you. AndLester came in with $30 with
this note, "I'll send an emailwith my accident report. Thanks
for what you do, Steve." Well,you're welcome Lester, and thank
you for this donation and,Beloved, Lester sent in a prayer
(19:56):
request which I've already begunpraying for, and which I'll
share on Monday's prayersegment. In the meantime, I'll
just ask you to lift him up inprayer. God knows what Lester
needs.Lifespringmedia.com/support. I
will thank you and I believethat God'll bless you. I would
(20:17):
love to hear from you. If you'vegot a comment, if you've got a
question or a prayer request, ora praise, here's how to reach
me. To leave a voice message,call the Lifespring Family
Hotline at +1-951-732-8511. Orif you'd prefer to type the
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(20:38):
question, go tocomment.lifespringmedia.com.
Also, of course, I love to getboostagrams so take advantage of
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to steve@lifespringmedia.com.
Thanks to Sister Denise, MichaelHaner, Scott Snider, Jason
(21:01):
Paschall, and Sister Brittaneyfor their donations of time and
talent. And today's show art isby Jason Paschall. Thanks also
to today's Associate Producer,Jørn Rune Reinertsen, and Lester
for their donations of treasureto support the show. Thanks for
hanging out with me today andI'll see you tomorrow. And until
then, may God bless you richly.My name is Steve Webb. Bye.
(21:28):
Lifespring! Media, bringing themessage of hope, love, and good
news since 2004.
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find
me.
This is the Lifespring! One YearBible coming to you from
Riverside, California, andpodcasting since 2004, I'm your
OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. Howare you today? The website is at
(00:22):
lifespringmedia.com, and we'llhave contact information at the
end of today's show. It'sProphecy Friday today. We'll
complete the book of Amos byreading chapters 5 through 9.
Before we read, let's pray. Ourheavenly Father, Lord, how, we
love you. And we thank you foryour Word. We thank you for our
time together and we pray, God,that you would touch our hearts
(00:42):
today and that you would teachus. We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen. All right, are you ready?Let's begin.
Amos, chapter 5. Listen to thisfuneral song I am ready to sing
about you, family of Israel: “The virgin Israel has fallen (01:00):
undefined
down and will not get up again.She is abandoned on her own land
with no one to help her get up.”The sovereign Lord says this:
“The city that marches out witha thousand soldiers will have
only a hundred left; the townthat marches out with a hundred
soldiers will have only ten leftfor the family of Israel.” The
(01:21):
Lord says this to the family ofIsrael: “Seek me so you can
live! Do not seek Bethel! Do notvisit Gilgal! Do not journey
down to Beer Sheba! For thepeople of Gilgal will certainly
be carried into exile; andBethel will become a place where
disaster abounds.” Seek the Lordso you can live! Otherwise he
will break out like fire againstJoseph’s family; the fire will
(01:43):
consume and no one will be ableto quench it and save Bethel.
The Israelites turn justice intobitterness; they throw what is
fair and right to the ground.(But there is one who made the
constellations Pleiades andOrion; he can turn the darkness
into morning and daylight intonight. He summons the water of
the seas and pours it out on theearth’s surface. The Lord is his
(02:06):
name! He flashes destructiondown upon the strong so that
destruction overwhelms thefortified places.) The
Israelites hate anyone whoarbitrates at the city gate;
they despise anyone who speakshonestly. Therefore, because you
make the poor pay taxes on theircrops and exact a grain tax from
them, you will not live in thehouses you built with chiseled
(02:26):
stone, nor will you drink thewine from the fine vineyards you
planted. Certainly I am aware ofyour many rebellious acts and
your numerous sins. You tormentthe innocent, you take bribes,
and you deny justice to theneedy at the city gate. For this
reason whoever is smart keepsquiet in such a time, for it is
an evil time. Seek good and notevil so you can live! Then the
(02:49):
Lord, the God who commandsarmies, just might be with you,
as you claim he is. Hate what iswrong, love what is right!
Promote justice at the citygate! Maybe the Lord, the God
who commands armies, will havemercy on those who are left from
Joseph. Because of Israel’s sinsthis is what the Lord, the God
who commands armies, thesovereign One, says: “In all the
(03:12):
squares there will be wailing,in all the streets they will
mourn the dead. They will tellthe field workers to lament and
the professional mourners towail. In all the vineyards there
will be wailing, for I will passthrough your midst,” says the
Lord. Woe to those who wish forthe day of the Lord! Why do you
want the Lord’s day of judgmentto come? It will bring darkness,
(03:33):
not light. Disaster will beinescapable, as if a man ran
from a lion only to meet a bear,then escaped into a house,
leaned his hand against thewall, and was bitten by a
poisonous snake. Don’t yourealize the Lord’s day of
judgment will bring darkness,not light – gloomy blackness,
not bright light? “I absolutelydespise your festivals! I get no
(03:55):
pleasure from your religiousassemblies! Even if you offer me
burnt and grain offerings, Iwill not be satisfied; I will
not look with favor on yourpeace offerings of fattened
calves. Take away from me yournoisy songs; I don’t want to
hear the music of your stringedinstruments. Justice must flow
like torrents of water,righteous actions like a stream
(04:15):
that never dries up. You did notbring me sacrifices and grain
offerings during the forty yearsyou spent in the wilderness,
family of Israel. You will pickup your images of Sikkuth, your
king, and Kiyyun, your star god,which you made for yourselves,
and I will drive you into exilebeyond Damascus,” says the Lord.
He is called the God whocommands armies!
(04:37):
Amos, chapter 6. Woe to thosewho live in ease in Zion, to
those who feel secure on MountSamaria. They think of
themselves as the elite class ofthe best nation. The family of
Israel looks to them forleadership. They say to the
people (04:52):
“Journey over to Calneh and look at it! Then go from
there to Hamath-Rabbah! Then godown to Gath of the Philistines!
Are they superior to our twokingdoms? Is their territory
larger than yours?” You refuseto believe a day of disaster
will come, but you establish areign of violence. They lie
around on beds decorated withivory, and sprawl out on their
(05:14):
couches. They eat lambs from theflock, and calves from the
middle of the pen. They sing tothe tune of stringed
instruments; like David theyinvent musical instruments. They
drink wine from sacrificialbowls, and pour the very best
oils on themselves. Yet they arenot concerned over the ruin of
Joseph. Therefore they will nowbe the first to go into exile,
(05:36):
and the religious banquets wherethey sprawl on couches will end.
The sovereign Lord confirms thisoath by his very own life. The
Lord, the God who commandsarmies, is speaking: “I despise
Jacob’s arrogance; I hate theirfortresses. I will hand over to
their enemies the city ofSamaria and everything in it.”
If ten men are left in onehouse, they too will die. When
(05:59):
their close relatives, the oneswho will burn the corpses, pick
up their bodies to remove thebones from the house, they will
say to anyone who is in theinner rooms of the house, “Is
anyone else with you?” He willrespond, “Be quiet! Don’t invoke
the Lord’s name!” Indeed, look!The Lord is giving the command.
He will smash the large house tobits, and the small house into
(06:20):
little pieces. Can horses run onrocky cliffs? Can one plow the
sea with oxen? Yet you haveturned justice into a poisonous
plant, and the fruit ofrighteous actions into a bitter
plant. You are happy because youconquered Lo-Debar. You say,
“Did we not conquer Karnaim byour own power?” “Look! I am
(06:41):
about to bring a nation againstyou, family of Israel.” The
Lord, the God who commandsarmies, is speaking. “They will
oppress you all the way fromLebo-Hamath to the Stream of the
Arabah.”
Amos, chapter 7. The sovereignLord showed me this: I saw him
making locusts just as the cropsplanted late were beginning to
sprout. (The crops planted latesprout after the royal harvest.)
(07:06):
When they had completelyconsumed the earth’s vegetation,
I said, “Sovereign Lord, forgiveIsrael! How can Jacob survive?
He is too weak!” The Lorddecided not to do this. “It will
not happen,” the Lord said. Thesovereign Lord showed me this: I
saw the sovereign Lord summoninga shower of fire. It consumed
the great deep and devoured thefields. I said, “Sovereign Lord,
(07:29):
stop! How can Jacob survive? Heis too weak!” The Lord decided
not to do this. The sovereignLord said, “This will not happen
either.” He showed me this (07:38):
I saw the sovereign One standing
by a tin wall holding tin in hishand. The Lord said to me, “What
do you see, Amos?” I said,“Tin.” The sovereign One then
said, “Look, I am about to placetin among my people Israel. I
will no longer overlook theirsin. Isaac’s centers of worship
(07:58):
will become desolate; Israel’sholy places will be in ruins. I
will attack Jeroboam’s dynastywith the sword.” Amaziah the
priest of Bethel sent thismessage to King Jeroboam of
Israel (08:10):
“Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of
the kingdom of Israel! The landcannot endure all his
prophecies. As a matter of fact,Amos is saying this: ‘Jeroboam
will die by the sword and Israelwill certainly be carried into
exile away from its land.’”Amaziah then said to Amos,
“Leave, you visionary! Run awayto the land of Judah! Earn your
(08:33):
living and prophesy there! Don’tprophesy at Bethel any longer,
for a royal temple and palaceare here!” Amos replied to
Amaziah, “I was not a prophet byprofession. No, I was a herdsman
who also took care of sycamorefig trees. Then the Lord took me
from tending flocks and gave methis commission, ‘Go! Prophesy
to my people Israel!’ So nowlisten to the Lord’s message!
(08:57):
You say, ‘Don’t prophesy againstIsrael! Don’t preach against the
family of Isaac!’ “Thereforethis is what the Lord says:
‘Your wife will become aprostitute in the streets and
your sons and daughters will dieviolently. Your land will be
given to others and you will diein a foreign land. Israel will
certainly be carried into exileaway from its land.’”
(09:18):
Amos, chapter 8. Thus the LordGod showed me, and behold, there
was a basket of summer fruit. Hesaid, “What do you see, Amos?”
And I said, “A basket of summerfruit.” Then the Lord said to
me, “The end has come for Mypeople Israel. I will spare them
no longer. The songs of thepalace will turn to wailing in
(09:39):
that day,” declares the LordGod. “Many will be the corpses;
in every place they will castthem forth in silence.” Hear
this, you who trample the needy,to do away with the humble of
the land, saying, “When will thenew moon be over, So that we may
sell grain, And the sabbath,that we may open the wheat
market, To make the bushelsmaller and the shekel bigger,
(09:59):
And to cheat with dishonestscales, So as to buy the
helpless for money And the needyfor a pair of sandals, And that
we may sell the refuse of thewheat?” The Lord has sworn by
the pride of Jacob, “Indeed, Iwill never forget any of their
deeds. Because of this will notthe land quake And everyone who
dwells in it mourn? Indeed, allof it will rise up like the
Nile, And it will be tossedabout And subside like the Nile
(10:22):
of Egypt. It will come about inthat day,” declares the Lord
God, “That I will make the sungo down at noon And make the
earth dark in broad daylight.Then I will turn your festivals
into mourning And all your songsinto lamentation; And I will
bring sackcloth on everyone’sloins And baldness on every
head. And I will make it like atime of mourning for an only
(10:43):
son, And the end of it will belike a bitter day. “Behold, days
are coming,” declares the LordGod, “When I will send a famine
on the land, Not a famine forbread or a thirst for water, But
rather for hearing the words ofthe Lord. People will stagger
from sea to sea And from thenorth even to the east; They
will go to and fro to seek theword of the Lord, But they will
(11:06):
not find it. In that day thebeautiful virgins And the young
men will faint from thirst. Asfor those who swear by the guilt
of Samaria, Who say, ‘As yourgod lives, O Dan,’ And, ‘As the
way of Beersheba lives,’ Theywill fall and not rise again.”
Amos, chapter 9. I saw the Lordstanding beside the altar, and
(11:28):
He said, “Smite the capitals sothat the thresholds will shake,
And break them on the heads ofthem all! Then I will slay the
rest of them with the sword;They will not have a fugitive
who will flee, Or a refugee whowill escape. Though they dig
into Sheol, From there will Myhand take them; And though they
ascend to heaven, From therewill I bring them down. Though
(11:50):
they hide on the summit ofCarmel, I will search them out
and take them from there; Andthough they conceal themselves
from My sight on the floor ofthe sea, From there I will
command the serpent and it willbite them. And though they go
into captivity before theirenemies, From there I will
command the sword that it slaythem, And I will set My eyes
against them for evil and notfor good.” The Lord God of
(12:12):
hosts, The One who touches theland so that it melts, And all
those who dwell in it mourn, Andall of it rises up like the Nile
And subsides like the Nile ofEgypt; The One who builds His
upper chambers in the heavensAnd has founded His vaulted dome
over the earth, And who callsfor the waters of the sea And
pours them out on the face ofthe earth, The Lord is His name.
(12:34):
“Are you not as the sons ofEthiopia to Me, O sons of
Israel?” declares the Lord.“Have I not brought up Israel
from the land of Egypt, And thePhilistines from Caphtor and the
Arameans from Kir? Behold, theeyes of the Lord God are on the
sinful kingdom, And I willdestroy it from the face of the
earth; Nevertheless, I will nottotally destroy the house of
(12:55):
Jacob,” Declares the Lord. “Forbehold, I am commanding, And I
will shake the house of Israelamong all nations As grain is
shaken in a sieve, But not akernel will fall to the ground.
All the sinners of My peoplewill die by the sword, Those who
say, ‘The calamity will notovertake or confront us.’ “In
(13:15):
that day I will raise up thefallen booth of David, And wall
up its breaches; I will alsoraise up its ruins And rebuild
it as in the days of old; Thatthey may possess the remnant of
Edom And all the nations who arecalled by My name,” Declares the
Lord who does this. “Behold,days are coming,” declares the
Lord, “When the plowman willovertake the reaper And the
(13:37):
treader of grapes him who sowsseed; When the mountains will
drip sweet wine And all thehills will be dissolved. Also I
will restore the captivity of Mypeople Israel, And they will
rebuild the ruined cities andlive in them; They will also
plant vineyards and drink theirwine, And make gardens and eat
their fruit. I will also plantthem on their land, And they
(13:59):
will not again be rooted outfrom their land Which I have
given them,” Says the Lord yourGod.
Well, of course, a lot happenedin these chapters but I'm gonna
focus on a few points. Inchapter 5, verse 4, God tells
Israel "Seek me so you canlive!" Beloved, when we
sincerely pursue a relationshipwith God we'll find him and will
(14:20):
have eternal life. In the bookof Jeremiah, God said "If you
look for me wholeheartedly, youwill find me." Jesus said, "Ask
and it will be given to you;seek and you will find; knock
and the door will be opened foryou." God isn't hiding. He wants
us to know him, to trust him, tolove him. But we have to seek
him wholeheartedly as he said inJeremiah. If we hold on to our
(14:43):
old ways, he's not pleased. Andfurther on in chapter 5, he
chastises the Israelites fortheir phony attempts to serve
him while they remain in theirsin. In verse 21, he tells them
"I absolutely despise yourfestivals! I get no pleasure
from your religious assemblies!"And dropping down to verse 27,
he says, "I will drive you intoexile beyond Damascus." So you
(15:07):
see religious activity, churchattendance doesn't fool God. We
can fool those around us and wemight even fool ourselves, but
if we try to hold on to anythingthat is not pleasing to him, he
sees through that. We shouldcontinually take a spiritual
inventory, we should ask him toshow us if there's anything in
our life that's more importantto us than he is and help us to
(15:29):
eliminate whatever that is. Hewants to shower blessings on us,
but we have to be willing tohave him be on the throne of our
lives, him and only him. Inchapter 9, verse 7, we read,
“Are you not as the sons ofEthiopia to Me, O sons of
Israel?” declares the Lord.“Have I not brought up Israel
from the land of Egypt, And thePhilistines from Caphtor and the
(15:51):
Arameans from Kir?" So what doesthat mean? "Are you not as the
sons of Ethiopia to me?" WhatGod was saying was, just because
you're my chosen people, don'tthink too highly of yourself.
Yes, I brought you out of Egypt.But I also brought the
Philistines from Caphtor, andthe Arameans from Kir. Don't be
proud just because you're Jews.You see, the Jews thought that
(16:14):
the people of Ethiopia weredistant and unimportant. You're
no more important to me than thePhilistines or the Arameans. And
then in verse 9, a shift beginsto take place in the narrative.
Up until this point, it's allbeen judgment, judgment,
judgment. Well, listen to verse9, “For behold, I am commanding,
And I will shake the house ofIsrael among all nations As
(16:36):
grain is shaken in a sieve, Butnot a kernel will fall to the
ground." Here's what CharlesSpurgeon said about that. “I
think I see you, poor believer,tossed about like that wheat, up
and down, right and left, in thesieve, and in the air, never
resting. Perhaps it is suggestedto you, ‘God is very angry with
me.’ No, the farmer is not angrywith his wheat when he casts it
(16:59):
up and down in the sieve, andneither is God angry with you;
this you shall see one day whenthe light shall show that love
ruled in all your griefs.” Yousee, this shaking in a sieve is
a purification process. God isseparating the wheat from the
chaff. He's purifying hispeople. So now let's look at
(17:19):
verses 11 and 12. “'In that dayI will raise up the fallen booth
of David, And wall up itsbreaches; I will also raise up
its ruins And rebuild it as inthe days of old; That they may
possess the remnant of Edom Andall the nations who are called
by My name,' Declares the Lordwho does this." So beginning
there in verse 11, the messageis that God will restore the
(17:41):
royal line of David. Hementioned here in the New
American Standard, "the fallenbooth of David." In other
translations, it's "the fallentabernacle of David." It's no
longer a great house, it's nowjust a booth. But God says, "In
that day, I will raise up thefallen booth..." G. Campbell,
Morgan wrote, “It is nowdeclared that the reason of the
(18:02):
divine judgment is not revenge,but the only way in which it is
possible to usher in therestored order on which the
heart of God is set.” So has theroyal line of David been
restored? Yes, it has. Jesus,the Messiah is from that line,
and he will be forever on thethrone. Remember when God made
(18:23):
that promise to David? So thegist of these two verses is that
God will restore David's linewhich he did in Jesus, and build
a new kingdom which will includenot just the Jew but all who
declare the name of the Lordbecause it says there in verse
12, "That they may possess theremnant of Edom And all the
nations who are called by Myname.” He's talking about the
(18:44):
Gentiles there. He's talkingabout the people who are not
Jewish. He's talking about allthe nations which was a foreign
concept to the Jews of the time.And, Beloved, God is even now
doing a great work. It sort offeels like we are being tossed
in a sieve, doesn't it? But welook ahead to that day when the
troubles here pass away, and theLord brings the new heaven and
(19:07):
the new earth. Won't that be awonderful time? What are your
thoughts? I'd love to hear fromyou. Contact information will be
at the end of today's show. Orif you have a modern podcast
app, you can comment viaboostagram. Tomorrow will be
Gospel Saturday and we'llcomplete the book of John by
reading chapters 19 through 21.
(19:35):
Jørn Rune Reinertsen came inwith his monthly $20 donation
today, making him today'sAssociate Producer. Thank you
Jørn and God bless you. AndLester came in with $30 with
this note, "I'll send an emailwith my accident report. Thanks
for what you do, Steve." Well,you're welcome Lester, and thank
you for this donation and,Beloved, Lester sent in a prayer
(19:56):
request which I've already begunpraying for, and which I'll
share on Monday's prayersegment. In the meantime, I'll
just ask you to lift him up inprayer. God knows what Lester
needs.Lifespringmedia.com/support. I
will thank you and I believethat God'll bless you. I would
(20:17):
love to hear from you. If you'vegot a comment, if you've got a
question or a prayer request, ora praise, here's how to reach
me. To leave a voice message,call the Lifespring Family
Hotline at +1-951-732-8511. Orif you'd prefer to type the
message, for prayer requests andpraises go to
prayer.lifespringmedia.com. Ifyou've got a comment or a
(20:38):
question, go tocomment.lifespringmedia.com.
Also, of course, I love to getboostagrams so take advantage of
that as well. And if you'd liketo send an email to me, send it
to steve@lifespringmedia.com.
Thanks to Sister Denise, MichaelHaner, Scott Snider, Jason
(21:01):
Paschall, and Sister Brittaneyfor their donations of time and
talent. And today's show art isby Jason Paschall. Thanks also
to today's Associate Producer,Jørn Rune Reinertsen, and Lester
for their donations of treasureto support the show. Thanks for
hanging out with me today andI'll see you tomorrow. And until
then, may God bless you richly.My name is Steve Webb. Bye.
(21:28):
Lifespring! Media, bringing themessage of hope, love, and good
news since 2004.
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