Bible In One Year-Day 235 (Saturday, August 23, 2014)

Commentary: Amos4-6. The inputs of women in the nefarious activities of the men of Samaria were outlined in chapter four. Obviously, they encouraged their husbands to horribly sin against the poor. The chapter opened with literal appellation of the women as “fat cows” (feminine description). The nation was so bad to the point that they refused to yield to God’s chastisement through unfavorable circumstances. In the Prophet’s warnings, he described the awesomeness of God by telling of His attributes.

Amos 4:13 “For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.”

The sentence of God was a proclamation of defeat over the nation in battle, Amos5:3. This sentence says that only ten percent of those who go to war shall return, not as victors but as escapees. This is absolutely contrary to what God promised them in the time of Moses;

Leviticus 26:7-8 “And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.”

This is an indication that transgression against God’s command will incur a repercussion opposite the benefits to obedience. The solution for the Israelites not experience this shame was for them to come back to Him with a genuine heart, Amos5:4; “Seek Me and live”. They were seeking the Lord where He never approved, i.e. Bethel.

In 1 Kings11, King Solomon’s heart was turned against the Lord and God declared His judgment of splitting the kingdom and give one part to his servant and the other to his son because of David.

1 Kings 11:11 “Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.”

1 Kings 11:13 “Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.”

Jeroboam was the servant of Solomon who eventually was made King.

1 Kings 11:28 “And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:”

1 Kings 11:31 “And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:”

We need to note very well that God specifically chose Jerusalem as the place of worship and not any other place.

1 Kings 11:32 “(But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)”

This simply means that any other place chosen was an abomination and it was regarded as sin. There is no amount of rituals made in such places, they shall be in vain. For fear of the kingdom given to Jeroboam being returned to the house of David, Jeroboam built altars in Bethel and in Dan, ordained priests and psyched the people to begin to worship idols (1Kings12:26-33). This became serious sin against God.

1 Kings 12:26-27 “And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

Saul, David and King Solomon did not build any shrine for idols, Jeroboam started it as a king. These shrines were the places of worship the rich made sacrifices which God is against in Amos5. God rejected whatever was done there, Amos5:21-23, even their music.

In the Old Testament, it is only the place appointed by God to worship Him that is accepted to Him; any other places were not accepted. Jesus came to change the rule from building to gathering of the saints in His name. And if the Spirit of Christ is not present there, there is no worship.

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are assembled in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

The building no longer played a significant role in the worship of God; no matter how beautiful it is. It is a matter of the heart, i.e. the spirit of man.

John 4:23 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are assembled in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Our gathering should not be in the flesh. Establishment of churches should not be of the flesh. Our preaching and teaching should not be of the flesh. Nothing should involve the flesh in the things of God

Jeroboam acted on the dictates of the flesh and anything that originates from the flesh is an abomination to God as the flesh profits nothing in the things of God.

God no longer demands worship in the flesh but in spirit and in truth. Any church built or installed out of bitterness of heart has become the rejected Bethel altar. We must be led by the Spirit of God for our services to be accepted by God.

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is Amos7-9. Keep the fire of burning and alive.

Pastor Supo Abayode

+1-302-230-6792

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Delaware, USA