Day 178, Chronological Bible Study Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Amos 7-9, Hosea 1-3 (for a chronology of Hosea, go to more...)
When God has had Enough!
Most parents, teachers, leaders, business managers, and some husbands or wives will come to a place in their lives when they have had enough! They have had enough rebellion, back talking, disrespect, and unacceptable behavior. They’ve done everything to give the offensive person a chance, but it’s no use! It’s then they know they must take action. Patience has its limits—now it’s time to punish or exercise tough love.
Is that all there is to a relationship—punishment for doing wrong? No, not necessarily. Is there any hope? Maybe.
Tough Love
Punishment can take many forms. Giving a child a time out, sending her to face the corner of a wall, letting her experience the consequences of her misbehavior, or spanking are methods of parental discipline. Scolding, demoting, or firing an employee are punishments in the business world. The separation of one spouse from another can be tough love for an abusive relationship.
Can children and parents or teachers work out their difficulties ? Can business leaders and their employees repair the breeches in trust, and can husbands and wives salve their wounds and heal their relationships? Yes, they can, but discipline often comes first. Then, following punitive measures and a change of heart by the offender, we can extend grace to bring restoration.
Similarly, there is a rupture in the relationship between God and Israel in today’s Bible reading. Israel is a wicked nation, and the LORD has had just about enough of her! He showed Israel mercy by sending his prophets, Elijah and Elisha, to warn her. Then, when facing attack by their adversaries, the LORD rescued the Israelites. He won over the false gods of Baal and Ashteroth. But, when they were not paying attention to God, he punished the Israelites with battle losses, drought, and famine. Even that didn’t work. In the book of Amos (chapters 1-6),God told his people that if they don’t turn to him from their sins, he’ll destroy them—disaster is coming.
What Needs to Change?
In Amos 7, the Sovereign LORD shows the prophet a vision of what he could do with Israel. First, the LORD proposes to destroy the land with a locust invasion. Dismayed, Amos pleads for mercy, saying, “Sovereign LORD, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” (7:2, NIV). God relents. Then, God proposes to destroy Israel with a consuming fire. Again, Amos pleads for mercy, and God relents. Finally, God shows Amos a plumb bob (a small pointed device hung from a string so all vertical surfaces of a building can be plumb (meaning straight). When he measures Israel’s house (meaning kingdom), its walls are all out of plumb; it’s an unrighteous nation.
Is our life out of plumb? Jesus Christ can make it right.
The Israelites had experienced a long time of prosperity and peace with King Jeroboam II. They were rich but turned mean and wicked. They became idol worshippers, cheated customers in the marketplace, oppressed the poor, and were sexually perverse (Amos 2:6-8). All were complacent about God and lived for their own comfortConsequences
Assyria would soon attack and conquer most nations in the Middle East, burn their cities with fire, loot and destroy them, and take many into exile. In Israel, the sword of Assyria would kill King Jeroboam II as it decimates the population and takes his subjects into captivity. Only a tiny remnant would remain in the land the LORD gave them. God has had just about enough of Israel’s wickedness!
What about us? God has done everything for our good. In exchange, have we tried his patience with evil behavior? If Israel and the other nations wouldn’t escape, will we? Most of us aren’t Jewish, but we’re a chosen people, if we have a special relationship with God through Jesus Christ (1Peter 2:9-10).Good News!
God isn’t only the Sovereign LORD of justice and righteousness; he’s also merciful. Amos ends, like most of the prophets, with an encouraging message of hope. One day, Israel would return to the land, and God w make her prosperous. The LORD will be her God, and he won’t uproot her again. That promise made in Amos’ day has yet to be entirely fulfilled. The Israelites look forward to it.
We non-Jewish believers also have the hope of a future day in heaven, and no one will take it away (John 14:1-3). Let's live for Jesus today and be ready for his return to take us home with him.A Strange Way to Make a Point
The book of Hosea was written during the same time as Amos. Hosea was also a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel. Because Israel was not listening to verbal proclamations, God used prophets to visualize his message. The instructions given to them were often strange but memorable.
In today’s Bible reading, God instructs Hosea to marry a prostitute to illustrate how Israel has prostituted herself with idolatry and unholy alliances with other wicked nations.
Imagine Hosea’s heartbreak, frustration, and anger as his wife goes after her lovers and has children with them. God feels the same way about unfaithful Israel. Finally, as Hosea sends his wife away to live her sinful lifestyle, God gives Israel up to her sins. Her sins lead to her destruction.
The LORD feels heartbreak, frustration, and anger when we, his adopted children, go astray. Our sins can lead to our destruction if we persist in them and are unresponsive to God’s discipline.
Praise the LORD—he doesn’t leave us in our sins because he is merciful!
God tells Hosea to buy back his wife from her lovers and to love her again. This is a sign that God would bring Israel back to the land and restore her. God is also willing to bring us back, even if we have destroyed our lives. Let’s not wander to paths of destruction. Let’s respond to the discipline of the LORD and never leave the God who loves us so dearly.
Take-Away Lessons
- The LORD sees all we do. He is a God of judgment but also a God of mercy and compassion.
- Is our life all out of plumb? Jesus Christ can make it right.
- If we continue in our wickedness, God must judge, but if we turn away from our wrongdoings to him, he will show mercy. We can have a special relationship with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23; John 3:16; more... ).
- God is willing to forgive and restore Christians, even if we think we are too far gone (1John 1:9 ).
- Let us live for Jesus today and be ready for his return.
- As the prophecies of God begin with judgment and end with hope, we should be gracious to offer hope to others if they are repentant.
Focus Verse
Joel 2:13 (NIV) “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”
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Looking Ahead: In our Next Lesson we will learn more about the Judgment and Mercy of God in the books of Hosea and Jonah. Join us!
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