The Day of the Lord
Amos 5:18 “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.”
Amos was from Judah, who was sent by God up to the northern kingdom of Israel….to preach against their sin….giving them time to repent and turn back to God.
(Judah was made up of the tribes of Judah, and Benjamin. Whereas, Israel was made up of the other ten tribes)
Amos 5:6-7 “Seek the Lord, and ye shall live; lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. (Bethel was one of the places they had put a golden calf….calling it the Lord.)
Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,”
The Israelites at this time were very prosperous….so much so, that they were known for their large and fancy sacrifices,….although God did not accept them.
Amos 4:1-2 “Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, (they were herdsmen, known for their beautiful and fat cows), which are in the mountains of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.
The Lord God hath sworn by His holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that He will take you away with hooks, and your prosperity with fishhooks.”
God would rather that they taken their sacrifices…..down the street to the poor….for He was not pleased with the sacrifices of thieves.
Amos 5:11-12 “Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat;…
For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate (the place of the city court) from their right.”
Amos was sent toward the end of Jeroboam’s reign…..within thirty years, all Israel was killed or carried away captive….for refusing to hear God’s warnings, through His prophets…
You think…..thirty years!….they had plenty of time to hear God’s Word…..to repent….to change their ways….
….and so have we, had….are we hearing what the Lord is telling us?
2 Kings 17:13-14 “Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers…..
Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their necks….”
Revelation 3:18-19 “I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;….
(The pure “gold” of God’s life in my life….no dross of self-glory to dull or tarnish it)
…and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;….
(He clothes us with His righteousness, which empowers us to do the righteous acts we are to be walking in….with Him. Ephesians 2:10, 1 John 3:10…..and if we are not walking in them?….we are naked.)
….and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
(The eye salve of honesty with God).
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
He loves us…..so He rebukes….speaks first;……then chastens….so we will awaken to what He is showing us.
But as I said, Israel was very prosperous…..living it up….believing the bigger the sacrifice….the bigger the blessing….
….when what God wanted, was righteousness.
He wanted His people to act according to His commandments of righteousness, brotherly kindness, and mercy.
Amos 5:22, 24 “Though ye offer Me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”
This is what they should have been doing…..judgement, the knowledge of what is good in God’s sight, and wrong to Him.
This should have been as the rain on a thirsty ground….being right in their actions, to all people—rich and poor.
And righteousness should have been flowing out, so that all Israel would have been cleansed and turning to God.
About that time….the phrase: the day of the Lord, was given.
It has to do with the day that the Lord will come and deliver Israel from their enemies….in the last days. (The tribulation period)
But many appropriated it to any time of trouble….believing that since they were God’s chosen people, that God would have to honor His promises………forgetting God’s commandments….as though they could ignore those.
Amos 5:18-19 “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.
As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him.”
He was telling them that to claim His protection, while refusing Him…..was ridiculous!
They talk of worshipping God, but it was a god of their own imagination…..not Him.
They were not walking in Light….but darkness, and self-deception.
God told them, if the “day of the Lord” came to them,…as they were, now…..He would not see them as His people, but as enemies….
They would feel as though a lion was chasing them…..so they run the other way, expecting relief…..when a bear would meet them.
So they run into the house….ahhh, safe….and put their hand on the wall for support….when a serpent would bite them.
How this should have shown them, that God will not be used….
…..He is God….His promises and commands go together….and they were to “seek Him”.
Amos 5:8 “Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is His name:”
There were a few, that listened to Amos….but most were swayed by their prosperity…..
……how could God be angry with us, when we are so successful?
And so they refused His rebuke…..to awaken them.
And what is the Lord saying to His church…..even while standing outside of it?
Revelation 3:20 “Behold, (Look and really see)
I stand at the door, and knock:
(This is certainly the door of the Laodicean church….and is also the door of every believer’s heart)
if any man hear my voice,
(He is speaking….through His Word, through His Spirit, through His preachers, and teachers…to any who will hear HIs rebuke and call)
and open the door,
(this is to open the door of our life….and to be receptive to Him…to His commands, as well as His promises)
I will come into him,
(It has often been said that the door latch is on the inside….we must open up to Him…..but, though we have been cold, or lukewarm and miserable, poor, blind…….He will come in to us, in authority and power…….when we open to Him.)
and sup with him, and he with Me.
(This is the fellowship, which dining together means….remember the “come and dine”……Jesus call to His disciples after His resurrection….and the restoration of Peter, after His denial. John 21:12-19)
Through the years, there has been a lot of controversy over “the day of the Lord”….
I believe we should look for Him….His Rapture certainly could come at any time….but the most important thing I need to see, is:
Am I ready to stand before Him? Have I done His commands, as well as seek His promises?
Do I love Him? Or just what He gives?
Today, He is still speaking, calling us to awaken to His Voice,….and His counsel…..will we?
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 