(REFLECTIONS ON Amos 4:1-13) No matter what the Lord did to Israel they would not return to Him. That is the clear theme from today’s Scripture. Five times we read, “Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord. Even when Israel was carried away from the land of their ancestors, the land where the […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Amos 3:1-15) 1 Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt: The Lord does not just have words for those outside His covenant, but also for those in covenant with Him. That is because Israel has […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Amos 2:1-16) Amos now turns to Judah and Israel. For three transgressions of Judah/Israel and four, the Lord says, “I will not revoke its punishment.” If Judah and Israel got any satisfaction from the judgment of the nations, they quickly discovered that the same pattern of wickedness in the nations, was also in their […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Amos 1:1-15) In today’s Scripture, we see a pattern of God’s judgment for the transgressions of the nations surrounding Israel. There is also a repeated phrase used, “For three transgressions of [nation], and for four…” What does this mean? No, it isn’t saying that they did three evil things and it is because of […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Joel 3:1-21) The Lord brought judgment upon Israel through the hand of surrounding nations. However, let’s not mistake this to mean that Israel is now “owned” by these nations. God used these nations to teach His people a lesson, but this was never a “forever” judgment. The lesson for Israel was to learn through […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Joel 2:1-32) As we read the words of the prophets, we really need to go beyond the words and visualize what the prophet is seeing. Words cannot describe fully the overwhelming physical and spiritual vision that a prophet sees. In today’s Scripture, we can visualize a powerful army coming towards Jerusalem. This powerful army […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Joel 1:1-20) In today’s Scripture, the prophet Joel speaks to God’s people regarding the destruction to their land and the resources to sustain life. Interestingly we read over and over again a reference to those things that are dried up. v.10 The new wine dries upv.12 All the trees of the field dry upv.12 […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Hosea 14:1-9) 9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them. The words of Hosea are to serve as God’s wisdom for those that understand and […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Hosea 13:1-16) 6 As they had their pasture, they became satisfied,And being satisfied, their heart became proud;Therefore they forgot Me. 9 It is your destruction, O Israel, That you are against Me, against your help. Are we for the Lord or against Him? Have we forgotten our God? Perhaps our initial reaction is “of […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Hosea 12:1-14) 1 Ephraim feeds on wind,And pursues the east wind continually; What happens when we feed on wind? Aren’t we just filled with a lot of hot air with no actual substance? That is what Ephraim or Israel experiences when they pursue the east wind continually, that is trying to depend on Assyria […]