Amos 9:5-15
The Lord God of hosts,
He who touches the earth and it melts,
and all who dwell in it mourn,
and all of it rises like the Nile,
and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt;
6 Who builds His upper chambers in the heavens
and founds His vault upon the earth;
who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out upon the surface of the earth—
the Lord is his name!
7 “Are you not like the Cushites to me,
O people of Israel?” declares the Lord.
“Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt,
and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir?
8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom,
and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground,
except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,”
declares the Lord.
9 “For behold, I will command,
and shake the house of Israel among all the nations
as one shakes with a sieve,
but no pebble shall fall to the earth.
10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword,
who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’
11 “In that day I will raise up
the booth of David that is fallen
and repair its breaches,
and raise up its ruins
and rebuild it as in the days of old,
12 that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my name,”
declares the Lord who does this.
13 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when the plowman shall overtake the reaper
and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it.
14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,
and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,
and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will plant them on their land,
and they shall never again be uprooted
out of the land that I have given them,”
says the Lord your God.
I love Matthew Henry! Any day of the week, he is beautiful and eloquent. Loving and Tender
as God. The English language has changed in the 250 + years he had his Bible Commentery:
Matthew Henry’s commentary on Amos:
GOD employed a shepherd, a herdsman! One who cares for others tenderly. And uses this tender person to reprove and warn the people. Those to whom God gives abilities for his services, ought not to be despised for their origin, or their employment. Like the advice of Gamaliel - what comes from God should not be tampered with. God places His Holy Spirit in all who believe. Good news.
Let us continue earnest in prayer for the fulfillment of these prophecies, in the peace, purity, and the beauty of the Church! God marvelously preserves his elect amidst the most fearful confusions and miseries. When all seems desperate, He wonderfully revives His Church, and blesses her with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. And great shall be the glory of that period, in which not one good thing promised shall remain unfulfilled.
GOD employed a shepherd, a herdsman! One who cares for others tenderly. And uses this tender person to reprove and warn the people. Those to whom God gives abilities for his services, ought not to be despised for their origin, or their employment. Like the advice of Gamaliel - what comes from God should not be tampered with. God places His Holy Spirit in all who believe. Good news.
Let us continue earnest in prayer for the fulfillment of these prophecies, in the peace, purity, and the beauty of the Church! God marvelously preserves his elect amidst the most fearful confusions and miseries. When all seems desperate, He wonderfully revives His Church, and blesses her with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. And great shall be the glory of that period, in which not one good thing promised shall remain unfulfilled.
God does this!
HE is a giver,
a bringer,
a maker of blessings!
Who can do it! The Great I Am has determined to do it!
God's Power of Whose Grace is engaged, doing this mighty work! Verses 13 to 15- when are these days? - In the awakening of the Holy Spirit within us - And - Possible in each day.
People say they want blessings - and we are made to adapt.
People say they want blessings - and we are made to adapt.
We can adjust to lack of blessings and find joy - however - we work the other way too.
We adapt to being blessed and become fussy while being blessing receivers. Abraham was a fussy blessing receiver. David did far better being a dodge Israel mercenary than a king in a palace.
What will be our response to blessings of God?
This is a Very Large Topic reacting to God's blessings. A God sized topic.
Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said,
What will be our response to blessings of God?
This is a Very Large Topic reacting to God's blessings. A God sized topic.
Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said,
"What if Joseph bears a grudge"
Joseph's father, Jacob had been hugely blessed of God by all his workings, yet Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed Esau came to meet him with 400 men; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies; for he said, "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape."
Joseph's father, Jacob had been hugely blessed of God by all his workings, yet Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed Esau came to meet him with 400 men; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies; for he said, "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape."
The completely heart-wrenching aspect of Jacob's fear, his family then knew who had value in their father's eyes. The most disposable were placed to die. Yes, this would be a very angry family to hear Joseph's dreams.
Israel in the Exodus - Deuteronomy 1:32-33
"But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God, who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go"
2 Kings 17:14-15
However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them And they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the LORD had commanded them not to do like them
Matthew 19:22
But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
John 2:24
But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men
God tells us where all good things come from:
Israel in the Exodus - Deuteronomy 1:32-33
"But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God, who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go"
2 Kings 17:14-15
However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them And they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the LORD had commanded them not to do like them
Matthew 19:22
But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
John 2:24
But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men
God tells us where all good things come from:
Psalm 44
O God, we have heard with our ears,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.
4 You are my King, O God;
ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever.
Selah
Psalm 32:9
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the LORD, loving-kindness shall surround him.…
Sorrows of the wicked... Wouldn't trust involve - trust - to make peace?
The work Jesus said God gives mankind, is to have faith in the One He has sent.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Thank You, Father God, for blessings. Help us to be wise, loving, with joy and be blessed and be a blessing. We ask in Jesus. Amen.
Remembering, even Disciples have fear.
God Himself Bless, Sustain, Comfort, Guide
Jesus Christ Live in us.
Help us to seek You first.
Amen!