No Rest for the Wicked

July 5, 2015 Background Scripture: Micah 2 Lesson Passage: Micah 2:4 – 11 As we continue our study of the Minor Prophets, our attention turns to Micah. Like the prophecy of Amos, it is a prophecy that warns of God’s vengeance against those who oppress the least among them. Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and prophesied against the capital cities of Samaria and Jerusalem where Israel and Judah’s leadership resided. It should be noted that Micah’s prophecy is a stern warning to those who are God’s people but choose to walk contrary to God’s will. God does not tolerate evil among His people—especially the leaders among them. Those who lead God’s people receive a sterner warning against evil deeds. No truer picture could be painted to show that God’s people are never given a license to sin—nor is sin overlooked indefinitely by God—than the prophecy of Micah. As Micah lays out God’s claims against the wicked, there is a clear reminder that God is omniscient and “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good”. God sees the deeds of the wicked that oppress the poor. God also knows the heart of man and He sees the covetous desires of those who devise plans to take from the poor. Some effects of evil deeds last long after the deeds are done. Future generations may no longer fear the Lord if they believe that the wicked can have their way without fear of repercussions. Men, women, and children were all being oppressed by wicked people who had either wealth or power or both. God was going to remove everyone from their place because the land was being spiritually polluted by the sins of God’s people. They would not be allowed to continue to inhabit the land. God had created the nation from a small family. God had led them out of bondage in Egypt and given them a law to properly govern themselves as His children. Finally, God had given them a fertile land to call their own. But now that they were settled into the land, they were rejecting God’s law that was delivered to them as a framework for governance. They apparently did not know that God’s law and God’s provision were complementary and not intended for one to be accepted and the other rejected. They wanted the land with no strings attached so that they could live in it as they chose to live. They did not consider that God was watching their every deed and He knew their heart’s desire. Since wickedness had replaced righteous living, then the land of promise would no longer be available as a refuge for the people of God. Micah’s prophecy served much like an eviction notice. The terms of occupation had not been kept and therefore the occupants would be removed from the land. The sin of God’s people would lead to their self-destruction. The wicked would no longer be at ease and continue to live as if God did not exist. They would no longer be allowed to rest in the promise land while ignoring the conditions of God’s promises. God’s desire is to walk among His people. However, holiness will not dwell in the midst of evil. God was going to remove the evil from His sight. The wicked would be punished and the poor protected. Robert C. Hudson June 29, 2015

God Will Never Forget

June 28, 2015 Background Scripture: Amos 8 Lesson Passage: Amos 8:1 – 6, 9, 10 Today’s lesson recalls a somber time in the waning days of the northern kingdom of Israel. No longer did the prophecy warn of impending doom if there was no national repentance. The prophecy now is a message of inevitable doom because the nation had gone beyond the point of no return. The Prophet Amos delivered God’s declaration that the nation would fall and never rise again. The northern kingdom would never be reestablished. All of God’s promises would now apply to the southern kingdom of Judah which would become the remnant of God’s covenant people. Israel’s time would be over forever. Their empty worship would be turned into mourning. Finally, the oppression of the poor and needy in Israel would be avenged by God. God vowed that he would never forget the sins against the poor and needy. God champions the cause of those who are marginalized by society’s elite. The wealthy and mighty would now have to contend with God and would not continue to abuse the overmatched masses at the bottom of society. God was going to remove joy and laughter from the land and replace it will mourning and despair. Moreover, Israel was going to experience the worse kind of famine. This would not be a famine for lack of physical food or thirst because of a drought in the land. God was going to withhold His word from them. They would seek Him but would not be able to find Him. They would desire to hear the prophet speak God’s word into their hearing but there would be none. The people would go to great extent seeking the word of God but would not be able to find it. The false prophets would be exposed and rejected. The promises of the false prophets would fail because they were counter to God’s warnings. The fate of the northern kingdom of Israel gives plenty of reasons for one to stop and reflect on the deeper meaning of it all. The northern kingdom initially represented ten of the twelve tribes that were given full allotments of land. The southern kingdom of Judah was primarily made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The tribe of Levi was dispersed in cities among the northern and southern kingdoms as their inheritance under Joshua’s leadership. It is possible that the northern kingdom could represent those who are favored and delivered from worldly situations but who never come to true repentance and conversion. If so, the message is clear that God never forgets sin and if sin is not dealt with and the person reconciled to God, then that person will face eternal punishment. The northern kingdom was not given a second chance after God’s patience had run out. Likewise, there is a day of reckoning for all of mankind. Those who are converted and turn to God will have their sins forgiven but those who refuse to repent or trust in God for salvation will be forever doomed. Sin separates man from God. Only after God removes our sin can we have peace with God. If we refuse to allow God to remove our sin, then our sin will be a testimony against us and God will never forget. Robert C. Hudson June 19, 2015

God Abhors Selfishness

June 21, 2015 Background Scripture: Amos 6 Lesson Passage: Amos 6:4 – 8, 11 – 14 “These six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16 – 19 Hatred, abomination, and abhorrence are words we should pay keen attention to when used in the context of God’s disposition. I don’t know of anyone who wants to be hated by God. Nor do I know of anyone who wants to be considered an abomination to God. Yet, there are clearly actions and attitudes that we do sometimes embrace that are on God’s “hit list”—or better yet, “hate list”. The bible teaches us that there are some things about human nature, attitude, and actions that God find despicable. We don’t have to try to figure this out. God tells us what he does not like. For us it is not a question of knowledge but rather a question of repentance and obedience. In this regard, Israel’s situation in the time of Amos was no different than ours today. The wealthy lived in luxury and trusted in themselves for safety and security. They refused to learn the lesson of pass civilizations that were brought to ruin: God will not always look the other way while the rich ignore the poor and the “have’s” show no compassion or concern for the “have not’s”. Although your luxury might be extravagant, God will not allow such an unbalanced society of his people to go on unpunished. Justice and righteousness again take center stage in Amos’ prophecy to Israel. When justice is made bitter, the poor suffers unjustly. God is the defender of the poor, orphans, and widows. Today we live in a very materialistic world that seems to be driven by selfishness and greed. In such an environment, the poor will always endure most of the collateral damage. For Israel, God was going to turn it around and the wealthy would receive the bitterness of God’s justice upon the whole of society. Those who have much have more to lose and therefore their suffering will be great. God is love and he has shown this love to his people many times. We know what love looks like but oftentimes we fail to model the love God has demonstrated towards us. Amos warned Israel that their captivity was inevitable and they would be oppressed by another nation that God would raise up. It can be difficult to imagine desolation when one is living in the lap of luxury. God’s warning ensured that they would not be caught by surprise. Israel deserved what they had coming. Amos gave Israel the reason for her future punishment and the details of the punishment. In spite of these warnings, the people proceeded full speed ahead. This is sobering when today’s society is considered. We have warnings all around us: historic floods in strange places, historic droughts in others, earthquakes in unheard of places, tornadoes and hail in historic proportions. Yet we believe we have the prerogative to redefine what God has defined. Again, the human race has become a collection of selfish individuals and God is showing his displeasure. God abhors selfishness. Robert C. Hudson June 1, 2015

God is not Fooled

June 14, 2015 Background Scripture: Amos 5 Lesson Passage: Amos 5:14, 15, 18 – 27 We say that God is omniscient and then we go about living our lives as though God is clueless about what we are up to. We often act as though God does not see or hear us. Who’s fooling who? God denounced Israel for attempting to substitute religious activity for true piety and righteousness. God made it clear that He was not desirous of pious acts that did not come from the hearts of His people. God used very strong words to rebuke Israel for thinking that empty worship would satisfy Him. He said He hated their religious holidays and would not savor the prayers they offered during their worship assemblies. In fact, God declared that He would ignore their prayers, supplications, singing, and music. What does worship accomplish if God ignores all of these things that we consider essential to a spiritual worship service? Why did God have such an attitude towards His people? God was displeased because Israel was not reflecting His image and likeness. Israel was abusing the poor among them and being unjust towards those who were in right standing with God. God was saying loud and clear “Stop pretending to worship Me and start living a just and righteous life that is befitting of those who are called by My name.” For people of God, the bar of righteous living is raised to a higher standard than for others. This lesson teaches us that unrighteous living and unjust acts towards the poor are not tolerated by God. God demanded an overwhelming amount of social justice to be sent forth by Israel as though it were a flood moving through the land. If there is an acme or crescendo in Amos’ prophecy, then it occurs towards the end of the fifth chapter. God did not want words; He wanted righteous living demonstrated through action. God did not want formality; He wanted justice. Amos can be described as the prophet of justice and righteousness. This is the heart of his preaching. What happens in the synagogues should show up in the streets. Lessons such as this bring into focus how the Bible is like a mirror to the soul. If we replace Israel of old with the church today, Amos’ prophecy would speak directly the heart of the problems and challenges faced by Christians today. Christianity was never meant to be a once-a-week talent and fashion show. Christianity is a religion of transformation of the individual and subsequently the local congregation. The local congregation is not meant to stay local but rather to become a transforming agent of the entire world population. Today, we are challenged to transform even the city block where the sanctuary stands. Too often we have become so internally focused that the very idea of missions is becoming a strange doctrine. Yet the topic of today still rings true “God is not Fooled.” So now that we have been called out, what are we going to do? Or put another way, if God is not fooled by our empty rituals, then what’s the point? Are we satisfied in deceiving others or are we deceiving ourselves? Who’s fooling who? Robert C. Hudson June 1, 2015

God Passes Judgment

June 7, 2015 Background Scripture: Amos 2:4 – 16 Lesson Passage: Amos 2:4 – 8 Amos is unique among the prophets of Israel in that he lived in the Southern Kingdom of Judah but he was called by God to prophesy against the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In the middle of Amos’ discourse, he declared that he was not a prophet or a prophet’s son. In other words, Amos had no natural reason to prophesy against God’s people except that he was under God’s mandate to do so. He had no reputation to live out nor did he have to live up to his father’s reputation. Amos was a rancher living a fairly simple and basic life prior to being called of God. In carrying out his calling, Amos became a staunch defender of justice and righteousness. In our lesson today, Amos works his way up to the prophecies against Israel. His message starts by denouncing the enemies of God’s people and God’s judgment against them. This no doubt made Israel even more confident in spite of their wayward living. Next, Amos denounces the actions of Judah which are the same as those of their fathers who were rebuked by God in years pass. Finally, Amos’ message turns towards the intended audience of Israel. Here he provided much more details about the transgressions of Israel. They had taken advantage of the poor for the sake of worldly wealth. People who were in right standing with God were sold into slavery. Israel had continued to decline morally and their actions had not gone unnoticed by God. God was preparing to bring judgment against them. God reminded Israel through Amos that her enemies were mightier than her but yet God destroyed them. Israel was also reminded that God had blessed her above all nations in delivering her from slavery and nurturing her for forty years in a desert place where she was not able to fend for herself. In spite of God’s work among her ancestors, Israel continued to walk contrary to the will of God. God told Israel that her sins had become a burden to Him and he would not allow them to continue to go unpunished. Today’s lesson reminds us that God will not allow sin to go unpunished forever. God will not sit by idly and allow the righteous and the poor to become the prey of the rich and mighty. When God raised up prophets among Israel, they refused to allow the prophets to do God’s bidding. Hence, Amos was sent as an outsider of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. They refused to allow their sons with a prophetic calling to exercise their gift among them but God would not be silenced by the actions of man. God raised up Amos from outside of their families to prophesy against their actions. Judgment Day had come and there would be a reckoning on God’s own terms. Amos is a reminder that God’s righteousness will prevail in spite of man’s actions or plans. God sets high standards for his people and He holds us accountable for meeting those standards. People of God always have a choice to follow after God or to go their own way. Following God brings blessings but turning away from God brings judgment. Robert C. Hudson June 1, 2015