INDICTMENT ON JUDAH

“They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, and pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl, to defile My holy name” (Amos 2:7 NKJV).

Here the prophet Amos issued a severe indictment upon Judah who was not living any better than their ungodly neighbors. Thus, we want to note the conduct and the consequences of their evil deeds.

Conduct of their evil - Both the meanness and the morals of the people of Judah are denounced here. First, meanness: “Pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, and pervert the way of the humble.” This speaks of the oppression of the poor and humble by the rich and powerful. Judah had forsaken God. When God is forsaken, society will become filled with evil, and evil is always mean. Our society has forsaken God and is now filled with mean oppression. Further, this meanness is seen in the persecution of the helpless all over our world today. Second, morals: “A man and his father go in to the same girl.” Unholy morals of unthinkable conduct were practiced in Judah. Our society is no better. The morality of our society has not only become increasingly lower and lower, but this evil conduct is being tolerated more and more.

Consequences of their evil - “To defile My holy name.” The worst consequence of evil is that it dishonors God. When Joseph refused Potiphar’s wife, his response to her was, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9). First and foremost, our motivation for living holy lives should be that God be honored. It is not the fear of being caught that should stop our being evil, but the fear of dishonoring God. It is not the fear of contracting some debilitating disease that should keep us moral, but the fear of dishonoring God.

(Adapted from Butler's Daily Bible Reading 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end of man!”

Oswald Chambers (1874 - 1917)

Scottish Evangelical Bible Teacher and Military Chaplain

Word Study

Enmity

In Rom. 8:7 we read, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be!” (NKJV).

Enmity is the Greek word échthra (ἔχθρα =ekh'-thrah). The word speaks of hostility and hatred, and describe that extreme negative attitude. In classic Greek échthra meant hatred or hostility. In the Septuagint, échthra characterized the relationship of enmity and hostility God decreed between the woman and the serpent (Gen. 3:15). In the New Testament, échthra also carries the idea of hostility and hatred. In its essence, échthra is the opposite of love and friendship. It describes being the enemy of another and in this case of God. The sinner is a rebel against God and in active hostility to Him. If any proof were needed, it is seen most clearly in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the LORD charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed” (1 Chron. 22:13 NKJV).

Did You Know…

In Judges, when the Israelites began to worship other gods, the Lord allowed their enemies to defeated them in battle as punishment (Judges 2:14-15).

Bible Quiz

According to 2 Thessalonians, how will the Lord Jesus be revealed from heaven?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: According to the Book of Revelation how could one gain entrance into the New Jerusalem? Your name had to be in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 21:27).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF FAITH”

"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God!” (Heb. 12:2 NKJV).

1. Meaning – AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF FAITH speaks of the Lord Jesus as the originator and completer of faith.

2. Insights – The word “author” means the source, or cause of anything; or one who makes a beginning. The idea here is that the Lord Jesus is “the beginner of faith,” or “the leader on of faith.” He can be said to be the “Author of faith” in the sense that He is its object, its inspiration, its ground. The word “finisher” means that the Lord Jesus is the completer of faith. He pioneered (author) the path of faith Christians should follow, and He also perfected (finisher) the way of faith since He reached its end successfully. The Lord Jesus is the best example of faith. No one walked the life of faith better than He. He certainly is the pattern we should follow.

Did You Know – Christian History

Emma Whittemore was from a well to do family which shielded her from seeing the shady side of life, while timidity and sickness kept her from rough places. Her place was among personal servants, fancy dinner parties, and glittering dresses in wealthy New York City. However, according to evangelist Wilbur Chapman, Emma Whittemore was a most unlikely heroine that worked among prostitutes and was probably instrumental in saving more fallen women than any other one person.

Whittemore’s transformation from society’s elite to social worker began when a friend persuaded her to attend an evangelistic meeting. Whittemore’s husband Sidney was drawn to the same meeting. Neither knew the other would be there, and both fell under conviction for their shallow lives. Soon afterward, the same friend urged the Whittemores to hear Jerry McAuley, an ex-convict who had opened a mission on Water Street.

“Never can that night be erased from my memory,” wrote Emma Whittemore. “From the time we got off the car at Roosevelt Street, each step opened up some new horror.” Street fights and scenes of prostitution shocked her. Listening to McAuley, Emma and her husband sat ashamed of their neglect of the things of God. Both knelt at the altar with drunks and prostitutes, rising “with a holy determination, born of God Himself, to henceforth live for his glory and praise.”

One evening while “earnestly inquiring” what God would have her do, the prostitutes came to Whittemore’s mind. She knew God was asking her to work with them. “Oh, anything but that!” she pleaded. Shame filled her mind as she realized what she had just said to her Savior. Repentant, Emma agreed to undertake the work.

It was not easy. Whittemore was heckled by the very people she came to help. Again and again, she was shocked by new levels of degradation. Often, she cried out, “Oh, Lord, I cannot, I cannot see these fearful sights again! It simply breaks my heart.” However, in Christ Emma found the strength and love to carry on, and to step onto stages and speak to large audiences about her work.

Whittemore began to see that the girls needed homes to get them away from street life. Here was a better use of her connections and wealth than fancy dinner parties and sparkling dresses. On October 25, 1890, Whittemore opened the first “Door of Hope.” By her death in 1931, there were ninety-seven of these homes in seven countries.

A Little Humor

Desperate for a child, a couple asked their priest to pray for them. “I’m going on sabbatical to Rome,” he replied. “I’ll light a candle in St. Peter’s Basilica for you.” When the priest returned three years later, he found the wife pregnant, tending two sets of twins. Elated, the priest asked to speak to her husband and congratulate him. “He’s gone to Rome to blow out that candle,” came the harried reply.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Service can put a new coat on a man, but salvation puts a new man in the coat!”