Hosea 5 - Judgment

LINK: Hosea 5

BACKGROUND

Hosea speaks to the people, priesthood, and the monarchy; but the leaders are singled out because they have encouraged the people in false worship at the cult sites of Mizpah and Tabor. Mount Tabor was in northern Israel, 12 miles southwest of the Sea of Galilee. Mizpah was either in Gilead or in Benjamite territory. The activity of the priests is explained in hunting imagery as they snare, net (see 7:12; Amos 3:5), and slaughter their prey (the people of Israel). Because of Israel's spiritual adultery and subsequent corruption, God will discipline.  The Hebrew word for discipline is musar which means "severe punishment designed to restore one to proper behavior."

Punishment would come in two ways:

1) withdrawal of aid and blessing (5:6-7, 15a)
2) warfare (5:8-14)

Even ritualistic sacrifice would not save them (5:6) because this would be hypocritical and not from a heart to obey God's covenant. Judah's leaders were like those who "move boundary stones." This was forbidden in the Law and carried a curse (Deuteronomy 19:14; 27:17). It was like theft because it was a way of taking land unlawfully.

There is a reference in 5:13 about Ephraim turning to Assyria. This refers to the northern kingdom turning to Tiglath-Pilesar III of Assyria in order to restore national stability. This is probably referring to King Hoshea's alliance with Assyria (1 Kings 17:3). Judah had also formed an alliance when threatened by Syria and Israel (2 Kings 16). Hosea rightly observed that Assyria did not "heal/cure" them because only God could do that.

In the end, God would be the attacker and destroyer even though he would use foreign armies to accomplish this. A few years later, Ephraim would be conquered by Assyria and the people were carried away into exile (2 Kings 17). Judah would be overrun by Assyria in 701 B.C. but would be delivered through miraculous means. The prophecy about Judah's fall and exile (5:14) would be fulfilled later through Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (2 Kings 25).

REFLECTION

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. (James 3:1)

As I read Hosea 5 this morning, I saw God's condemnation of the leaders who led Israel into false worship. The priests were to be the spiritual leaders, but they led them into sin! Spiritual leadership is a BIG responsibility! I want to be the kind of leader that leads others to seek God and obey Him. Are people watching my life and thinking, "Well if Carol does it, it must be OK," when it is really not OK?

Most of us are leaders in one way or another, we may be a Sunday school teacher, a bible study leader, hold a church office, or lead our children. Someone is probably looking at our life. Where are we leading them?

I have mentioned this before, but I had a friend whose mom told her, "You should look up to Carol and model your life after her." The next morning after my friend told me this, her mom died when her car slammed into a pole. It really caused me to question things and say, "If I am someone that others should model their life after, then who am I looking up to and modeling my life after?" With my friend, it was like the "blind leading the blind" because even though I was a believer in Jesus I was not really following His leadership! I had to take a hard cold look at my life and say that I was just living for myself and not following the perfect leader. Within a year, my world spiraled into sin, but God in His infinite mercy showed His love to me (2:23), and I began to really follow Him. My wholehearted desire is to follow Him all the days of my life!

APPLICATION

Evaluate your life in light of those who might be watching you. What would they see from the way you use your time, interact with your family, talk about others, or spend your money? Where are you leading them by your actions?

PRAYER

Lord, I pray that we would all be leaders who lead others to You. I ask this in the name of the best leader who ever walked this earth: Jesus! Amen.

Hosea 4 - The Charge Against Israel

LINK: Hosea 4

BACKGROUND

This chapter marks a transition in the narrative away from Hosea and Gomer's family drama and toward Israel's sin and impending judgment.

In Israel, there was no faithfulness or loyal love for the Lord. The Hebrew word for faithfulness is ˒ĕmet. This carries the underlying meaning of certainty and dependability.  They did not acknowledge God and they violated five of the Ten Commandments (in order: 3,9, 6,8, and 7), and their judgment would be drought.

Hosea took aim at the religious leaders who were not appointed by God because they were not descendants of Aaron.  The people were "destroyed for lack of knowledge" (4:6) because the illegitimate priests kept them from knowing the one true God. If their priests were doing it, the people reasoned that it must be OK to do it themselves. Just like Gomer, a "spirit of prostitution" (4:12) led them away from following the One true God. This prostitution came in the form of worshiping the Canaanite gods, Baal and Asherah, who represented the power of fertility and sexual reproduction. Their worship included rituals of wicked sexual practices. Male worshipers had sex with temple prostitutes and women worshipers had sex with the priests. 

In the midst of all of this, God also gives a warning to the southern kingdom of Judah to not follow the practices of the northern kingdom of Israel (4:15).

Ephraim is another name for the northern kingdom of Israel because it was the most powerful of the ten tribes in the north. 

REFLECTION

The priests were leading the people of Israel astray. The people would look at them and say, "Well, if the priests are doing it, it must be OK!" 

This is such a reminder to me that I need to lead a life that leads others into a closer relationship with God!  That is a big responsibility but a noble one!

APPLICATION

We are all leaders to someone! What is your life communicating about what is OK?

Pray that your life leads others to God!

PRAYER

Lord, show us where we might be compromising. We know that others are watching. Help us to be watching You and following Your lead so that others might follow You too! Amen. 

Hosea 1-3: God and Gomer

LINK: Hosea 1-3 

Please read INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS if you have not already done so. 

BACKGROUND 

Book of Hosea

2 Chr. 27-32:  750-697 (2 Kings 16-20)

                        755-714: HOSEA 1-14 (Northern)

                        739-681: ISAIAH 

                        733-701: MICAH 

 -----------------722 - ASSYRIAN CAPTIVITY OF ISRAEL (NORTHERN KINGDOM) --------------------

The time frame mentioned in Hosea 1:1 corresponds to 2 Chronicles 26-32 and 2 Kings 14-18. While his prophecies go to the reign of Hezekiah, I chose to put this at the end of the reigns of the kings of Israel we just covered since he was a prophet to the northern kingdom. He prophesied from 755- 714 B.C. from the end of the reign of Jeroboam II and through Kings Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea.

Even though he was a prophet to the northern kingdom, the kings of Judah during that time were mentioned in Hosea 1:1 instead. Perhaps this was because they were the God-ordained kings, and Israel was an apostate kingdom.  

During this time Israel was prospering and enjoying great military success and the Assyrian influence had declined. Hosea foresaw a time when Tiglath-Pilesar III, who is also called King Pul (745-727 B.C.), would expand Assyria, and Israel would be in his path! We already saw in 2 Kings 15:29 that the northern kingdom of Israel was made a vassal state by the Assyrians. In 722 B.C. Israel was deported to Assyria (2 Kings 17:1-16; 18:10-12). Thus ending the kingdom of Israel forever. Judah was also made a vassal state by the Assyrians during Hosea's time (2 Kings 16:5-10). 

But at the time of Hosea's prophecy, Israel was prospering, but they were oppressing the poor and practicing idolatry. Therefore God likens their idolatry to the adultery happening in Hosea's own marriage to Gomer, the prostitute. God's faithfulness (loyal love) is illustrated in Hosea's faithfulness to his wife. 

In this book, God is pictured not only as a husband but also as a father, lion, leopard, bear, dew, rain, moth, etc. Israel is pictured as a wife, a sick person, a vine, grapes, early fruit, an olive tree, a woman in childbirth, an oven, morning mist, chaff, smoke, etc. 

The message of the whole book of Hosea goes back and forth from judgment to salvation. In the context of Hosea's own marital drama, God is telling the story of Israel's unfaithfulness, the judgment that will surely come, and God's promise that He will restore them to Himself because He loves them. 

Hosea 1-3

Hosea's name means "salvation." He is instructed by God to marry the prostitute, Gomer. She is promiscuous and adulterous, and his children are unfaithful, but Hosea is faithful to her and shows loyal love. When she becomes a slave, God commands Hosea to buy her back since she is his wife. In the same way, God has made a covenant with Israel, even though they would be enslaved by the Assyrians; He still loved them with his everlasting (loyal) love! Eventually, they would be restored to God through Jesus the Messiah. 

REFLECTION

We have an engaged couple in our kingdom community that wanted to know if we had any ideas for a Bible passage for their wedding ceremony. I turned to the one shared in ours:

I will betroth you to Me forever; 

Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion, And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord. (Hosea 2:19-20) 

"Betroth" is a somewhat archaic word in our day and age, but I am glad to see that most translations have retained it. It marks "a new beginning, with all the freshness of first love, rather than the weary patching up of differences" (The Message of Hosea by Derek Kidner). 

That is what our relationship with God is like; full of new beginnings. He is our faithful, loyal, loving husband who welcomes us back when we turn away from our sins and run back to Him. We can always have a new beginning as we "confess and press" on knowing that He is "faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

APPLICATION 

Search your heart and see if there are any areas of unfaithfulness to God in your life. Let this lead you into a time of confession and reconnection with Your husband (I know that may be difficult for the men reading this). 

PRAYER

Faithful, loyal, loving God, we come to You and confess that we have wandered away from You to pursue things that do not satisfy. Restore us back to You in confession and repentance. We ask this in Jesus' name who restores us to You. Amen. 

Psalm 66-67 & 125 - Let ALL the Earth Praise God!

LINK: Psalm 66-67 & 125 

BACKGROUND

Psalm 66

The Psalmist exhorts us to join creation in praising God for His infinite greatness. Some commentators believe that 66:8-12 refer back to the miraculous defeat of Assyria (Isaiah 36-37) and the person speaking in 66:13-20 is King Hezekiah, whose prayer the Lord answered (Isaiah 37:14-20).

Notice the "praise progression" goes from Gentile nations (66:1-7) to Israel (66:8-12) to the individual believer (66:13-20). This is a "missionary" psalm that shows that God wanted praise from ALL the earth and that His actions throughout Israel's history were to reveal Himself to the Gentile nations. "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22).

God's purpose is that ALL the nations (peoples) praise Him (98:4; 100:1; Romans 15:9-12). 

Psalm 67

Almost every verse mentions "ALL" nations or peoples. It is praise and a prayer that His blessings and salvation would flow out to the Gentiles. It was part of God's covenant to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. More on that in the reflection!

Psalm 125

Last but not least, this psalm speaks of the security a believer has in the Lord. He encircles us. He is our rock in every distress and trouble. It is another Song/Psalm of Ascent that you can read about HERE. 

REFLECTION

God's purpose was for Israel to be the conduit of His blessings of salvation to ALL nations. It is seen very clearly in God's covenant promise to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3:

Now the Lord said to Abram, 

“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse."

Jesus was the "summing up of all things" in that He confirmed God's desire for ALL Gentiles to come to God through Him. 

For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written. (Romans 15:8-12) 

Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles,
And I will sing to Your name. (2 Samuel 22:50, Psalm 18:49)  

Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people. (Deuteronomy 32:43)  

Praise the Lord all you Gentiles . . . (Psalm 117:1) 

There shall come the root of Jesse . . . (Isaiah 11:10, Revelation 5:5, 22:16)  

And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,
In Him shall the Gentiles hope. (Matthew 12:21)

APPLICATION

Meditate on Romans 15:8-12.

If you want to understand MORE about God's heart for the nations, I heartily encourage you to join a class called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. There are both in-person and online options. 

PRAYER

I know that Christmas is a long way away, but I love the song "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" because it has several prophetic themes and speaks of God's desire for the nations.

The ti­tle comes from the well-known verse, Isai­ah 7:14: 

Be­hold, a vir­gin shall conceive, and bear a son, 

and shall call his name Im­man­u­el.

Im­man­u­el is He­brew for “God with us.” 

The “Rod of Jesse” refers to Isaiah­ 11:1:

There shall come forth a rod

out of the stem of Jes­se.

Jesse was the fa­ther of Da­vid, se­cond king of Is­ra­el. 

“Dayspring” comes from Za­cha­ri­as, fa­ther of John the Bap­tist, in Luke 1:78:

The day­spring from on high has vis­it­ed us.

“Thou Key of Da­vid” is in Isai­ah 22:22:

The key of the house of Da­vid 

will I lay up­on his shoul­der.

 This, in turn, refers to Isai­ah 9:6:

The gov­ern­ment shall be up­on His shoul­der.

I pray that this will help you understand the deeper meaning of this song, and it will be sung all year long! 

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

Refrain

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Refrain

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease;
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Refrain

(This song is also part of the "O Antiphons" that are traditionally prayed through from December 17th-23rd. Here is a PowerPoint I made when leading a group through these at Christmastime.)

Also, look at the lyrics to this familiar song and notice the references to Genesis 3:15 and the similar words in the hymn above. 

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

2 Kings 18-20 & 2 Chronicles 29-32 - Hezekiah the King

LINK: 2 Kings 18-20 & 2 Chronicles 29-32 

(Read over the next week)

I decided to put the whole life of Hezekiah in one post with both the 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles accounts. 2 Chronicles devotes much more time to all the religious reforms of Hezekiah.  That is because the temple is central in 2 Chronicles. 2 Kings focuses more on his military movements.

Most commentators believe that the events in both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles are not chronological. Also, they overlap with the prophet Isaiah in chapters 36-39. We will go through the whole life of Hezekiah before we turn to that big book so as not to break up the flow of history.

BACKGROUND

Israel is no more. They have been carried off in the Assyrian captivity. Now, we will see the last days of the surviving kingdom of Judah from 2 Kings 18-25 and the parallel account in 2 Chronicles 29-36.

Hezekiah of Judah - 2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32

Reigned: 715-686 B.C. for 29 years, vice-regency under father, Ahaz, for 14 years (729-715 B.C.), and vice-regency with his son, Manasseh, for 11 years (697-686 B.C.)
Character: The Best
Overlap with Israel's King: Hoshea during Hezekiah's co-regency with his father, Ahaz (732-722 B.C.)
Manner of death: Natural 

Hezekiah's name means "the Lord strengthens," and he lived up to his name by seeking the Lord's strength. He was considered Judah's best king. In the first two months of his reign, he removed the high places, put an end to idol worship, and restored worship in the temple. "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done" (2 Chronicles 29:2). This is phenomenal when you consider that his father was such a bad king who defiled the temple, closed its doors, stopped the ministry of the Levites, and practiced idolatry (2 Chronicles 28:24; 2 Kings 16:10ff). Hezekiah lived above his upbringing!

In addition, Hezekiah invited people from both Judah and Israel to come to the temple in Jerusalem and worship the Lord because it was the only true center of worship (see Deuteronomy 12). He also restored the observance of Passover (2 Chronicles 30). (See HERE for a previous post about the Passover.) The people's return to worship shamed the priests into action. They sanctified themselves and brought offerings to the temple (2 Chronicles 30:15).

Regardless of the mocking of the people outside of Judah and the mocking of the king of Assyria when he attacked Judah, Hezekiah remained steadfast and fought the Lord's battle exactly where it should have been fought: on his knees! God honored his prayers by defeating Assyria.

Isaiah prophesied that Hezekiah would die, but Hezekiah's faith-filled intercession caused God to hear his prayer and see his tears and heal him, giving him fifteen more years of life (701-686 B.C.). He showed this through the sign of the shadow on the "stairway of Ahaz." Some commentators say this was an Egyptian sundial in the form of a miniature staircase with shadows moving up and down the staircase. Other commentators say it was a literal staircase built by King Ahaz. Hezekiah had pride in his heart and did not respond to the Lord's kindness. Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart though and the Lord's wrath was averted (2 Kings 20:1-11; 2 Chronicles 32:24-26). 

Merodach-Baladan reigned Babylon during two time periods: 721-710 and 703-702 B.C. He sent an envoy to Judah to seek King Hezekiah's support as an ally in the anti-Assyrian effort but also to find out how strong Judah was. Hezekiah made a foolish mistake and failed the Lord's test in showing the Babylonian envoy all of his wealth and armaments and revealed more of his proud heart (2 Chronicles 32:25-31; 2 Kings 20:12-19; Isaiah 39:1-8). This led to Isaiah's sad prophecy regarding the end of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians.

Despite his pride, Hezekiah responded well to the "word of the LORD" (2 Kings 20:19).

He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. (2 Kings 18:5-6)

Only a handful of people in the Bible are given 10 or more chapters in the Bible: Moses, David, Paul, and Hezekiah are a few. Of course, those chapters are scattered between three books: 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah!

REFLECTION

Oh PRIDE! It got even good King Hezekiah in the end, and it can get all of us because it is one of the evil one's greatest tools:

Pride is one of Satan’s chief weapons in his battle against the Lord and His people. Satan himself committed the sin of pride when he rebelled against God and sought the worship and obedience that God alone deserves (Isa. 14:12–15). Pride makes us rob God of the glory that belongs to Him alone. Pride gives us a feeling of false security and this leads us into sin and defeat. Charles Spurgeon said to his London congregation, “Be not proud of race, face, place, or grace.” Good advice! William Barclay wrote, “Pride is the ground in which all the other sins grow, and the parent from which all the other sins come. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be Distinct, p. 135)

Be aware! No one is immune to pride.

APPLICATION

How is your pride meter today? There are many verses on pride, pray through some of them:

Leviticus 26:19
Psalm 36:11
Proverbs 8:13
Proverbs 11:2
Proverbs 16:18
Proverbs 21:24
Proverbs 29:23
Isaiah 2:17
Micah 6:8

Also, the book Praying God's Word by Beth Moore has an excellent chapter called "Overcoming Pride." I heartily recommend this book. It is fantastic for your prayer life!

"Pride is the deification of self." 

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

PRAYER

Lord, You bring down rulers from their thrones, but You exalt the humble (Luke 1:52). Please show us the areas of pride in our life and root them out so that we might give ONLY YOU the glory and honor. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

2 Kings 16-17 & 2 Chronicles 28 - Israel Removed from God's Presence and to Assyria

LINK: 2 Kings 16-17, 2 Chronicles 28 

(Read over the next two days)

BACKGROUND

God's patience had finally run out and judgment came. The final kings of Israel lead the people even deeper into idolatry, and Assyria delivered the final punch by capturing them and deporting them to Assyria and putting other peoples in their place. But first, a word about Judah.

Ahaz of Judah - 2 Kings 16:1-20; 2 Chronicles 28:1-27

Reigned: 732-715 B.C. for 16 years, vice-regency under father, Jotham, for 9 years (744-735 B.C.), and co-regency with his father for 4 years (735-732 B.C.) 
Character: Wicked 
Overlap with Israel's King: Pekah (752-732 B.C.), Hoshea (732-722 B.C.) 
Manner of death: Natural

Ahaz was a bad egg in between two pretty good kings of Judah. He imitated the wickedness of Israel and Assyria. He even sacrificed his own son ("children" in 2 Chronicles 28:3) to a pagan god, Baal or Molech. Obviously, this was prohibited by Mosaic Law (Leviticus 18:21).

2 Chronicles 28 tells us that the LORD brought Pekah, King of Israel, and Rezin, King of Syria against Judah to punish Ahaz for his sin. Ahaz went to Assyria (King Tiglath-Pileser II who reigned from 745-727 B.C.) and asked for help and paid tribute for it. Isaiah tried to prevent Ahaz from turning to Assyria (for a complete story read Isaiah 7-9 and specifically Isaiah 7:4-9), but he did so anyway. Assyria helped by attacking and capturing Damascus. This was foolish because it encouraged further Assyrian advancement into the Promised Land.

Ahaz's apostasy is reflected in his adoption of the altar of Assyria instead of using God's altar and furnishings in the temple. His acts of idolatry are more fully explained in 2 Chronicles 28 than in 2 Kings 16. He died and was not buried with the other godly kings of Judah (2 Chronicles 28:27).

Hoshea, the LAST King of Israel - 2 Kings 15:30-17:6

Reigned: 732-722 B.C. for 9 years 
Character: Bad
Overlap with Judah's King: Ahaz (732-715 B.C.)
Manner of death: Carried off to Assyria in 722 B.C. and died there

Hoshea came to power because he murdered his predecessor, Pekah (2 Kings 15:30). He was evil but not as evil as the previous kings. Jewish tradition purports that he was not as evil because he allowed Israelites to go to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

On the surface, Israel was attacked and deported by Assyria because Hoshea failed to pay tribute to Shalmaneser V (727-722 B.C.) and tried to align with King So (Osorkon IV, ca 727-726 B.C.) of Egypt. I find it amazing that the last king of Israel would ask for help from Egypt because 724 years earlier (1446 B.C.) Egypt had been their captor! The northern kingdom had ceased to exist after only two centuries (931-722 B.C.).

Here is their track record: Seven of Israel's kings were assassinated, and ALL were judged evil by God!

The remainder of 2 Kings 17 gives a very thorough list of the REAL reasons for their captivity. The gist of the history of Israel's apostasy is contained in verses 14-15:

But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the LORD their God. They rejected His decrees and the covenant He had made with their fathers and warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, 'Do not do as they do,' and they did the things the LORD had forbidden them to do.

The LORD had had enough and "removed them from His presence"(2 Kings 17:18, 23). Assyria moved the Israelites out and foreigners in to prevent revolt and to keep the Israelites from uniting. This mixture of peoples that resettled in Israel came to be known as Samaritans who were despised by the Jews in the time of Christ (John 4:9). These new settlers in Israel worshiped God but did not give up pagan customs. The modern-day term for this practice is called syncretism and is common in cultures that turn to Christ but do not give up their former religious practices.

REFLECTION

Israel imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them not to "do as they do." Similarly, we are not to imitate the sinful ways of the culture around us, but I think I probably do more than I would like to admit. Right now, I am pondering the ways I have let our culture seep into my life in the books that I read, the movies that I watch, the music I listen to, and the way I spend my time. Don't get me wrong, I think entertainment, relaxation, and refreshment can be very good. There are many worthwhile books, movies, and music out there. I just want to have better discernment in filtering out those things that make me like the un-godly culture around me.

The Phillips New Testament in Modern English versions says:

Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within. so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity. (Romans 12:2)

The goal is moving toward maturity and toward the "presence of God" and not removed from God's presence like the sad case of Israel in today's reading.

For example, my book club read and discussed a book today. It was pretty post-modern and very anti-God with some very disturbing images attached to it. In conversation with a couple of women afterward, we discussed that we want God to teach us to "number our days to present to Him a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). Is putting those disturbing images into our head and spending 6+ hours reading this book really the BEST use of these God-given days of our life? It is something for evaluation and prayer.

2012 Update: It has been almost three and a half years since I wrote this original reflection, and I have recently decided to step away from that book club. I was always concerned about not being able to see those I love if I stepped away, but I realized I could spend more quality face-to-face time with them in far fewer hours than it cost me to read the books I am no longer interested in reading!  WIN-WIN and better for my soul! I had forgotten that I was considering this step even back when I wrote the original post in 2009.

2014 Update: It was a great decision. I have been away for two years and have not missed it at all! I have even stepped away from my much beloved, classics book club, to spend more time reading books that energize my soul! 

2015 Update: I am going back to my beloved, classics book club this Saturday after an 18-month hiatus! 

2023 Update: I went back to that original book club, but I pick and choose the books I read. Often, they are fine in terms of not squeezing me into the world's mold, but they are not always the best use of my time. I just ask God for wisdom each time. 

APPLICATION

Will you do some evaluation of your life with me? I am not talking about LEGALISM here. I am talking about allowing God to "re-mold your mind from within" and let Him call the shots in how you order your days. It may mean cutting out those things that compete with His presence in your life.

A few weeks ago I wrote on a 3x5 card in my prettiest handwriting:

Presence 24/7/365

It has stopped me dead in my tracks on more than one occasion to help me reevaluate where my mind and day's direction have been going. I have made course corrections as the Lord has directed.

Living my days on earth in His presence 24/7/365 is all I want to do. How about you?

2023 Update: Since 2018, I have consistently stopped in the middle of my day for a refocusing course direction by practicing Silent/Centering Prayer.  I have the option to do this with a group six out of seven days of the week, and that has been really helpful. Consider adding this type of prayer to your Rule of Life (see my 2 Kings 15 Application section for a reminder of what this is).   

PRAYER

Meditate and responsively pray through Romans 12:2. Lord, re-mold us. Amen.

Put Amos on the Prophets Shelf

Amos 7-9: A Series of Visions and Time Is Up

LINK: Amos 7-9 (Read over the next two days)

BACKGROUND

The prophecies of Amos occurred from 767-755 B.C. during the reigns of Jeroboam II, King of Israel, and Uzziah (Azariah), King of Judah. His prophecy was primarily to Israel, and the king of Israel and his priest, Amaziah, did not like what he had to say!

Amos, the shepherd and fruit picker, saw a series of visions of locusts (7:1-3), fire (7:4-6), a wall and a plumb line (7:7-9), a basket of ripe fruit (8:1ff), and God standing by the altar (9:1ff).

In the first two visions, Amos's intercession causes God to relent from His punishment. Prayer is important!

In the third vision, Amos sees a wall and a plumb line. A plumb line is a cord with a lead weight at the end. It is used to make sure that a wall is straight because a wall that is not straight will eventually collapse. The nation of Israel had been built "true to plumb," but it was now "out of plumb" because they were no longer in line with the plumb line of God's Law. In this situation, the nation had gone too far, and there was no hope. Amos did not intercede. He faithfully proclaimed the Word of the Lord to Amaziah, and Amaziah and Jeroboam II refused to listen. The result would be the Assyrian captivity and exile.

In the fourth vision, Amos sees a basket of ripe fruit. Israel was ripe for judgment because they had broken God's Law and did not live by His covenant. His longsuffering had run out because they did not love God, and they did not love their neighbors (Matthew 22:36-40). Four pictures (earthquake, darkness, funeral, and famine) describe the terror of this judgment. The last picture is interesting in that it would not only be a famine of literal food but also of spiritual nourishment in the deprivation of hearing the Word of the Lord to give comfort and direction in their time of crisis, only silence.

The final vision of Amos involves the Lord standing by the altar. This center of worship would be the scene of judgment for all 12 tribes. Yet, God would not "totally destroy" the house of Jacob (9:8). The nation would be purified, but God would restore "David's fallen tent" because of God's covenant with David that one of his descendants would sit on his throne (2 Samuel 7:12-16, 25-29).

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

That promised descendant will be fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus, who will establish His rule forever. He will rule in the Messianic kingdom and will include both Jews and Gentiles (the "remnant of Edom" in Amos 9:12). He will bring light, justice, and full knowledge of the LORD to all nations on the earth (Isaiah 9:1-7; 11:1-13; 42:1-7; 45:22-25; 49:5-7; 55:1-5). It should be noted that at the Jerusalem Council, James cited Amos 9:11-12 as proof that the Gentiles did not need to be circumcised and live as Jews to be saved (Acts 15:1-20). They would have full rights in God's coming kingdom!

Amos concludes his prophecy with hope. Israel would be planted, protected, and restored to their land!

REFLECTION and APPLICATION

Two things stand out to me in these chapters: the plumb line and the obedience of Amos.

Our plumb line is God's Word. How do you measure up to it? Is your wall a little crooked these days? Are you "out of plumb"? I really believe there is a "famine" with the Word of God lately, especially with younger people. I am praying that changes and one of the reasons I am so passionate about this Bible Book Club! I want people to feast on God's Word so they can have straight plumb lines!

Amos was just a shepherd and tender of sycamore trees with no special preparation, education, or pedigree. Despite his lack of "qualifications," God had big plans for him. This ordinary man became extraordinary just because he listened and obeyed God's calling on his life. Are you obeying God's call on your life, or do you think you do not have the right qualifications?

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for the plumb line of Your Word. Help us to be in "plumb" with You. Also, help us to obey Your calling on our lives no matter how disqualified we may be in the world's eyes. We ask it in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.

Amos 6 - Are You Living for Pleasure or Glory?

LINK: Amos 6

BACKGROUND

As promised, I wanted to touch on the "day of the LORD" mentioned in Amos 5:18,20.

The "day of the LORD" is a common phrase used in the Old Testament. When reading the Old Testament in chronological order, it is first used in the book of Joel (2:1,11,31; 3:14). You will see it quite a bit as we read the prophets. You might want to underline it in your Bible.

Here is an explanation of this key phrase from the Life Application Bible:

It always refers to some extraordinary happening, whether a present event (like a locust plague), an event in the near future (like the destruction of Jerusalem or defeat of enemy nations) or the final period of history when God will defeat all forces of evil.

Even when the day of the Lord refers to a present event, it also foreshadows the final day of the Lord. This final event of history has two aspects to it: (1) the last judgment on all evil and sin and (2) the final reward for faithful believers. Righteousness and truth will prevail, but not before much suffering (Zechariah 14:1-3). If you trust the Lord, looking toward this final day should give you hope, because then all who are faithful will be united forever with God. (p. 1529)

Amos 6 begins with a "woe." When it was pronounced for the living, "woe" was a "prediction of death (cf. Amos 5:18; 6:1, Isaiah 5:8-24; 10:1-4; Micah 2:1-5 . . .) . . . or an interjection of distress in the face of present or coming calamity" (The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament: Volume 1, p. 1441). It was leveled against both Israel ("Samaria") and Judah ("Zion") in that they were complacent ("at ease" and "feel secure"). They were living in prosperity, and peace, and had military strength. Consequently, they had become proud. They were living for pleasure rather than the glory of God.

As a result, they would face three judgments:

1) Death (9-10)
2) Destruction (11-13)
3) Disgrace and defeat (14)

Not a pretty outlook, is it?

REFLECTION

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines complacency as "a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements." In Hebrew, it means "at ease, careless, wanton, arrogant, prideful" (Enhanced Strong's Lexicon).

It causes me to ask myself if I am putting any of my security in something other than the Lord. Is it in my bank account, 401K, nice home, or even my peaceful existence here in comfortable America? Is my security the American Dream? Am I living for my own personal pleasure rather than the glory of God?

Over the last few days, we had a couple staying with us who uprooted their family from the secure soils of America to live in Kurdistan, Iraq to help the people there get on their feet after the terrors of Saddam Hussein and the first Gulf War. His wife said, "It was one of the best places in the world to raise a family." They made friends and contributed greatly to the restoration of that society!

What a great example of people who gave up personal pleasure for the glory of God!

APPLICATION

Ask yourself some of the questions in the reflection above and dialogue with God about it.

PRAYER

Lord, teach us not to be smug and prideful and to live only for Your glory. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Amos 5 - Seek Good, Not Evil

LINK: Amos 5

BACKGROUND

The gist of Amos 5 is that the nation of Israel would be judged by God for its legal injustice and religious hypocrisy, but individual people could repent, seek Him, and live.

Even though Israel was at the pinnacle of prosperity under Jeroboam II, Amos speaks a sad lament/dirge (song of grief) over them.

The key verse in this chapter is found in 5:14:

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live."

Amos 5 also talks about the day of the Lord, but I will talk about that tomorrow. I do not want to take away from today's application because I think it is ultra-important to ponder!

APPLICATION

Are you seeking good?

One of the charges against Israel was that they were not helping the poor and needy (5:12). What are you doing to help those in need? Could you volunteer to work with a community group that fights poverty in your area?

A super program in the Corvallis is the Southside Youth Outreach

Our family has been blessed to help out with their Tuesday Club by cooking and serving the meal for kids! It is a “blessed blast.” This is a picture of my husband and Paul, my youngest, flipping sandwiches.

There are also opportunities to help with tutoring kids at the Southside Youth Outreach. 

2023 Update: We did this until 2018 when they changed the dinner outreach and no longer needed volunteers. Check their page for the latest volunteer needs.

Often, as my kids got older and they were working, they would still try to come and volunteer. My oldest would even commute from out of town to come. That is how much they loved doing this with our family. When we our kids could not come, we recruited our friends and their children. I think this is a picture of our last time volunteering:

Every May, there is a repacking party at Linn-Benton Food Share for the Postal Carriers Food Drive.  This is a national program, and if you are not in my area, I am sure there is a way you can help in your own area: http://www.nalc.org/commun/foodrive/. See pictures HERE.

Also, there was a monthly Open House Repack on the last Thursday of every month from 6-8 pm at the Linn Benton Food Share Warehouse in Tangent, but that might not happen anymore since COVID. You can check their webpage for volunteer opportunities From their Facebook page several years ago:

It is amazing what a group of like-minded people can accomplish in two hours. Over 2,000 pounds of bulk flour was repacked into family-size portions in less than two hours.

Another thing we did every Christmas was helping them with their annual donation appeal mailer. We did it for about 10 years, and it was always fun and festive, but they outsourced the job to a mailing company.  

Christmas 2007 - I would always bring Christmas music, and they provided the pizza and treats!

If you are not in this area, why not take some time to look for something you might be able to do for those in need!

PRAYER

Lord, help us always to seek God and not evil all the days of our life. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Amos 3 & 4 - “Yet you have not returned to Me”

LINK: Amos 3 & 4

BACKGROUND

Israel’s judgment was inevitable because they had oppressed people. God had chosen (from the Hebrew word yada’, literally, “to know”) them out of all the families of the earth. Since He had chosen them, revealed Himself to them, and blessed them, they should have wanted to know Him and please Him, but they did not. Through a series of seven rhetorical questions indicating that inevitably one event will follow another, Amos revealed that judgment would surely come, and there would be no turning back.

It was not as if God had not warned Israel, but they had not listened. Throughout Israel’s history, God had warned them through the prophets. If you are going through the Bible Book Club from the beginning, you have been reading 1 and 2 Kings where prophets like Ahijah, Elijah, Elisha, and anonymous prophets predicted the rise and fall of dynasties. The Lord always revealed his major plans in advance.

God had continually attempted to discipline the nation through famine, drought, mildew, locusts, plagues, military defeat, and devastation (see a similar pattern of chastening in Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28-29, and 1 Kings 8), but nothing had turned them from their course of economic exploitation (by husbands responding to their “fat cow” wives demanding more drink), religious hypocrisy, and refusal to repent. Five times God declared through Amos:

“Yet you have not returned to Me.” 

(4:6, 8-11)

Thus prompting Amos to declare the judgment of the LORD God of hosts:

"Prepare to meet your God, O Israel." 

(4:12)

REFLECTION

“Yoo-hoo! Carol, it’s Me, God. Are you listening?”

Israel was NOT listening to God through the prophet Amos; a pattern we will see repeated over and over again as we study the prophets. It is easy to cast judgment upon them, but are we any different? We go along on our own way with our busy lives and give God only a small portion of it, but we do not give him ALL of it.

The Hebrew word for “return” is šûb. It is the twelfth most frequently used verb in the Old Testament and is used over 1050 times. It appears most often in the prophecies of Jeremiah (111 times). The Bible is rich with idioms for the process of repentance (see Joshua 24:23, Jeremiah 4:4,14; Hosea 10:12), but this word sums up what repentance really means: to turn from evil and to turn to the good.

I think God is constantly trying to get our attention to keep us on His path straight to His goodness, but we often just go our own way. We can make many tiny little decisions to “seek good, not evil" (Amos 5:14) every single day of our lives. These little choices create a destiny.

Are you listening when He asks you to return to Him?

APPLICATION

Set aside some time to listen to God today. Slow down and REALLY listen. Ask Him to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin (I am posting a link to a prayer guide from a previous post in the prayer section below.). I think we may be surprised at what He brings up when we take the time to stop and really listen. 

Remember that in the confession of sin, you are not only turning away from evil, but you are also turning to the good!

After confession, keep on listening. He may have something to tell you to say or do. After you hear Him, write it down. We are so prone to forget. I have my best listening times in the shower. I used to always forget what He told me by the time I was dried off. Now, I have a tub crayon, and I write it on my shower wall. Sometimes, I get back in the shower the next day and see it written there, and I am reminded to do the last step of listening:

OBEY! 

We all need to follow through on what He tells us to do.

PRAYER

Teach us to return to You, O God! Amen

Try reading this prayer from Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship (pp. 4-5) out loud as a verbal affirmation:

Examination 

Holy Spirit, search my heart and reveal to me any unconfessed sin you find in me: 

Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
Test me and know my anxious thoughts. 
See if there is any offensive way in me, 
And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24) 

Lord, I thank you for the forgiveness you promised when you said: 

Come now, let us reason together: 
Though your sins are like scarlet, 
They shall be as white as snow; 
Though they are red as crimson, 
They shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18) 

My Identity in Christ 

I rejoice, Lord Jesus, in the identity I have in You: 

I have been crucified with You and it is no longer I who live, but You who live in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in You, the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Yourself up for me. (Galatians 2:20) 

I have forgiveness from the penalty of sin because You died for me: 

But You, O God, demonstrate Your own love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) 

I have freedom from the power of sin because I died with You: 

In You, O Christ, I was circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by Your circumcision, having been buried with You in baptism and raised with You through faith in the working of God, who raised You from the dead. (Colossians 2:11-12)

I have fulfillment for this day because You live in me: 

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always You, Jesus Christ, will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live in You, Jesus Christ, means everything and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:20-21) 

By faith, I will allow You, O Christ, to manifest Your life through me: 

Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in You and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of You. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

I have been praying through these affirmations since 1999. They are important to seep into your soul. You can download all of the Morning Affirmations HERE.  I also made an audio version of them.