Complacent Self Indulgent Punished

Alas for those who are at ease in Zion, and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria, the notables of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel resorts! Cross over to Calneh, and see; from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is your territory greater than their territory, O you that put far away the evil day, and bring near a reign of violence? Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music; who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away. The Lord God has sworn by himself (says the Lord, the God of hosts): I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds; and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it. (Amos 6:1-8, NRSV)

Does Amos say you can’t lie on beds of ivory or lounge on couches or eat lamb or calves and sing idle songs?

No, he doesn’t say you can’t do this. But if you do this without being vexed or concerned or worried about everything happening in the world, then you do not have the heart of the Lord.

We need concern for our fellow man, enough that we do not become self-indulgent and forget about everyone else but ourselves.

It is the path to the unholy trinity of me, myself and I…

The Day of the Lord a Dark Day

Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? (Amos 5:18-20, NRSV)

What is the day of the Lord?

I did an image search on it and that produced a lot of images about the end of time, or the judgment day of the Lord.

The day God returns to earth and we are all judged by Him.

And Amos has a good question here. Why do we want this?

Do you want to be judged by God for everything you did, for everything you didn’t do that you should have?

That is a dark dark day. When God will tell you everything that you did wrong.

I love the analogy of escaping a lion to run into a bear! Escape one torturous devouring to be taken by another.

But the one thing we know that Amos had not yet discovered is we have the Messiah. So the day of the Lord is light for us who have Jesus as our savior.

So live in the light that the darkness can not over come.

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Do two walk together unless they have made an appointment? Does a lion roar in the forest, when it has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from its den, if it has caught nothing? Does a bird fall into a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster befall a city, unless the Lord has done it? Surely the Lord God does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:1-8, NRSV)

Nothing happens unless God knows about it.

Traps just don’t spring up when nothing sets them off. And Birds don’t get trapped when there is no trap for them.

Things happen and God knows all of them.

He will always be with us.

Amos: Justice Rolls Down

The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of King Uzziah of Judah and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake.And he said: The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds wither, and the top of Carmel dries up. Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. (Amos 1:1-2; 5:14-15, 21-24, NRSV)

Seek good and not evil not just for your self but for everyone.

Hate evil and love good not just for yourself but for everyone.

It’s not about what we do to look good to God, it is truly about how we love our neighbors as ourself and live that in daily life.

When we love others as God loves us, justice will roll down like living waters and righteousness will be an everflowing stream.

Let us love the Lord and live His love!

Jezebel’s Violent Death

When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; she painted her eyes, and adorned her head, and looked out of the window. As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?” He looked up to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down; some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, which trampled on her. Then he went in and ate and drank; he said, “See to that cursed woman and bury her; for she is a king’s daughter.” But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, ‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; the corpse of Jezebel shall be like dung on the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.’” (2 Kings 9:30-37, NRSV)

Wow. This text seems to come out of the middle of nowhere.

But this is the completion of what God told Elijah to do by anointing Jehu king of Israel. You see Jezebel’s son was “king” but everyone knew that Jezebel was ruling the kingdom. That is why the prophets of Baal were prevalent and why Elijah had to kill them.

So in order for Jehu to become king, Jezebel had to die.

God will always make His word come to fruition.

The word of the Lord is a promise that will be fulfilled.

Elisha Heals Naaman

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the king of Aram said, “Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.” But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.”But he said, “As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!” He urged him to accept, but he refused. Then Naaman said, “If not, please let two mule-loads of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except the Lord. But may the Lord pardon your servant on one count: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I do bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant on this one count.” He said to him, “Go in peace.” (2 Kings 5:1-19a, NRSV)

If the prophet had told you to do something difficult you would have done it without complaining. But since it is something easy Naaman complains…

And aren’t we the same?

Aren’t the waters of the rivers over here better than here? Why should I wash in the dirty water here?

We make excuses about what God has asked us to do. When it is easy we complain and when it is difficult we probably won’t do it. Even though we know that God will provide for us a rich and wonderful life.

So listen to God and live in His wonderment!

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil

Now the wife of a member of the company of prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.” Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house, except a jar of oil.” He said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not just a few. Then go in, and shut the door behind you and your children, and start pouring into all these vessels; when each is full, set it aside.” So she left him and shut the door behind her and her children; they kept bringing vessels to her, and she kept pouring. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” But he said to her, “There are no more.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your children can live on the rest.” (2 Kings 4:1-7, NRSV)

When We ask God for something He will provide abundantly.

Here we see a widow who cannot provide and those whom she owes are coming to take her children to use as slaves to pay off the debt. But she asks of Elisha and God provides for her and her children.

So what will God abundantly provide to you?

Elisha Performs Miracles

Now the people of the city said to Elisha, “The location of this city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went to the spring of water and threw the salt into it, and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have made this water wholesome; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” So the water has been wholesome to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke. He went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!” When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and then returned to Samaria. (2 Kings 2:19-25, NRSV)

Go away baldhead…

Watch who you make fun of.

Some small boys the reading says. Interesting the Hebrew word here is used of Isaac when Abraham binds him and of Joseph when scholars believe he is 17. So the word actually means a male ages 12 – 30. So they were not necessarily small boys. But still, why did Elisha call the she-bears on them? And how many of the boys were there, as the 2 she-bears mauled 42 of the boys. Or did Elisha do it. The reading says that Elisha turned and saw them and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then the she-bears came out of the woods. Not that Elisha called them out. was it a coincidence or did Elisha’s curse bring them out? Either way, why is this in the bible?

Add it to the list of questions to ask God when we see Him.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. They said to him, “See now, we have fifty strong men among your servants; please let them go and seek your master; it may be that the spirit of the Lord has caught him up and thrown him down on some mountain or into some valley.” He responded, “No, do not send them.” But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men who searched for three days but did not find him. When they came back to him (he had remained at Jericho), he said to them, “Did I not say to you, Do not go?” (2 Kings 2:13-18, NRSV)

I wonder if God says, “Did I not say to you, Do not go?” Or “Why don’t they listen to me?”

The men saw Elisha come back after they had told him the Elijah was going to be taken, but even though they knew God was going to take him they didn’t understand that Elijah wasn’t coming back?

They thought maybe God just took Elijah for a little ride and had dropped him off somewhere. Like God would just randomly pick up one of His prophets and just drop them on the side of a mountain.

And Elisha told them not to go looking, but we don’t listen.

Do you listen to God?

Elijah Ascends to Heaven

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.” Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. (2 Kings 2:1-12, NRSV)

Elisha was anointed to be a prophet and to take Elijah’s place. So Elisha is getting some on the job training from Elijah and the day has come for Elijah to leave.

And everyone knows this and is trying to make sure Elisha knows this. And this would be making me all the more worried. Am I ready? Do I have the skills down?

And Elijah asks Elisha what he can do for him before he goes. And Elisha asks for a wonderful gift, a double shot of Elijah’s spirit! That way Elisha will never be alone and his mentor will always be with him. Great thought.

I wonder what we would have asked for?

And would we be ready?