Amos lamented the future of Israel. He begged the people to seek the Lord and live. Amos recounted the ways the people hurt those less fortunate than them. The Lord hated the way they pretended to worship him with their celebrations and gatherings, because there wasn't any more to it than that. After they got done with their worship, they'd turn around and hurt the people they had just promised to take care of. The only people they helped was themselves.
Amos asked the people why they felt so smug while all the other nations around them were being destroyed. The Lord saw the way the wealthy people lounged around, ate, drank, sang songs, wore expensive perfume and congratulated themselves on how fabulous they were. These people were the first on His list to go. They had turned justice and fairness into bitter poison and would be punished for it.
Amos told the people that God had showed him a vision of locusts destroying their food crops. Amos asked the Lord how the nation would survive since it was so weak. The Lord told Amos that He wouldn't let it be destroyed. The Lord showed Amos a ball of fire that would consume the earth. Amos asked how Israel would survive. So the Lord told Amos that he wouldn't let it be destroyed. The Lord showed Amos a plumb line and asked him what he saw. Amos told him, and the Lord explained that it was to measure Israel and they didn't measure up. Amaziah the priest at Bethel tattled against Amos to king Jeroboam that Amos was plotting against him. Then Amaziah told Amos to get out of Israel and go back to Judah and work there. Amos educated Amaziah that he was a shepherd and farmer, not a prophet. Then Amos told Amaziah what the Lord had said would happen to him and his family.
The Lord showed Amos a basket of ripe fruit and spoke about the end of Israel. The people would congratulate themselves on how spiffy they were, then turn around and abuse poor people. God saw it all and He wouldn't forget it either. Instead of partying they would be mourning. God would not be with them no matter how much they begged. They would fall and not get up.
Amos saw a vision in which the Lord commanded that the temple be shaken until it crumbled, and if anyone escaped they would be killed. God is all powerful and He is in control. The Lord told Amos that the Ethiopians were no less important to Him than the Israelites. God brought all the nations to the place they were. God would kill the evil people and scatter the faithful. The Lord told Amos that He would rebuild David's kingdom in the future.
Obadiah
The Lord gave Obadiah a vision about Edom. They were very proud and they would be punished. They would run, but they couldn't hide. They were doomed. Everything they treasured would be taken away from them. There would be nothing left. The descendants of Esau would be wiped out.
Tomorrow read Obadiah 1:10-21; Jonah; Micah 1-3
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