History

Bible Study June 2

Amos 6:1-7 ESV

I love old family stories because they give me a connection to my past. I love stories of courage and adventure. In the early 1900’s my Great-Grandmother, my Great-Grandfather and their young son purchased and loaded a covered wagon and made the long trek from the Midwest to Montana. They settled there, but then when my Great-Grandfather “took ill” and died they eventually made their way back to the Midwest. I knew my Great-Grandmother well. When I was old enough to notice I saw her look far away often. At the time I was too young to know she was remembering Montana where her first husband is buried. She did eventually re-marry but I was told it was because she had a son who needed a father and a Judge in the area had a daughter who needed a mother.

We know from scripture that Israel has a rich history. Moses met God on the mountain. King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, his son, King Solomon was known for his great wisdom. Israel remembered those achievements as well as the achievements of those who came after.

Yet by 760 B.C. The Prophet wrote in Amos 6:1-7, “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines.Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory,O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall,who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”

In the first part of Amos 6 we get a picture of a lazy slothful people who presume all will be well in Israel because it was well for their ancestors. They are thinking they can ride to heaven on their coattails. All the while they do not seek God and the love of God is far away from their daily thoughts. They live a life of luxury and wallow in the might of Israel’s past at Mount Samaria.

The Israel we see in verse 3 puts off the importance of their relationship with God. They tell themselves the stories of long past ancestors who followed and sought God’s plan for their lives.

They do not make plans to fight for the future of Israel because they are too busy drinking lying on their beds made of ivory.

They eat the best cut of the lambs and the calves.

They sing silly songs as they drink of the best wines in the vineyard until they fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon. They anoint themselves with fine oil but they do not think of Yahweh God.

They talk about Israel’s heroes and heroines who honored God but they do not makes plans for their future with God.

What is God to do with His beloved Israel who refuses to grow up and return His love?

What would you do to children who refuse to love and be loved?

Deborah @ acrazyjourney.com