Reflections
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
'Reflections' on the Writing Prophets 13
H O S E A
Hosea is burdened by the role the priests took in bringing about the demise of the northern kingdom. “Take heed, O house of Israel! Give ear, O house of the king! For yours is the judgment, because you have been a snare to Mizpah and a net to Tabor”. Both Mizpah and Tabor were most likely places of idol worship. The plea is for the people of the house of Israel to take note, because they are the ones who are about to bear the consequence of following the false teaching of the priests. And I find a salutary lesson for today right there. When the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the ditch (Matthew 15:14). There are plenty of “blind” Scripture pedlars (posing as priests) alive and well today. Anyone displaying a strong focus on (your) money should be viewed with caution. In any event it behoves each person to be diligent in their response to things taught by others. (YES, that does include what is written here. You are urged to diligently check the Scriptures for yourself.) In the case before us, Torah observance, which was the major issue, was clearly being wantonly disregarded. Idol worship, in a number of forms, being substituted. Today, we have even less excuse than did they, because we are privileged to have the word of God in printed form readily available. There is no excuse for our lack of discernment of false teaching, other than laziness. Not checking Scriptural truth for oneself is both unacceptable and dangerous. Beware of the ditch ahead.
“They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is in their midst, and they do not know the LORD”. The LORD had commanded Hosea to marry a harlot so that he would understand what it was like to be joined to an unfaithful wife. But now we are introduced to these people being consumed with a “spirit of harlotry”. That really speaks of a compulsion to unfaithfulness. An addiction. Can’t get way from it. I have discussed addiction with people who are gripped by substance abuse. In many cases there is a genuine desire to be rid of the addiction, but its power is too strong to be cast aside. It has become habitual. Wrong has gained a victory over right. That is the picture we are given here. That is why God’s judgement was to allow them to go their own way, even though it meant them walking away from His presence. The phrase in bold letters above might be put that “they no longer know the LORD”. Because we know that they once did. It is possible to find ourselves in the same situation. Think back to the time you first made a covenant of faith with God. (A Welsh evangelist I knew many years ago used to say that our relationship with God was like riding a bicycle. You have to make progress, because if you stop you’ll fall off.) It is a description that appears to fit these Israelites doesn’t it? Make progress or fall off. They fell off. We should learn a lesson from that too.
“Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up”. This is an appeal to the people that they repent. The prophet Isaiah put it similarly. “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool”. These words sound like they belong in the Apostolic Scriptures don’t they? But God is speaking in prophetic terms about a day far ahead for them. “After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight”. God had His eye on His own people, even when they had so disappointed Him that He had to let them walk away.
The pleas of God echo around the world. Their world. “O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away”. Do you feel the agony in those words? The disappointment expressed here is palpable. The people God described as His “special treasure”, and “the apple of My eye”, filled with so much promise, and now so utterly disappointing. And yet the words He uses are so comforting at the same time. The Apostle Paul, writing to the mixed “ekklesia” in Rome, said “have they stumbled that they should fall ? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness (restoration).” As God continued to express His sorrow at their behaviour, He also began to show His understanding. “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more that burnt offerings”. King David had expressed the heart of God in his Psalm of contrition many years earlier. “For you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise”. It is the contrite heart. The understanding and knowledge of God, which allows us to know what pleases Him. We noted earlier that the people of the northern kingdom were charged with the fact that “they do not know the LORD”.
“But like men (Heb. Adam .. mankind) they transgressed the covenant, there they dealt treacherously with Me”. God knows the heart of mankind. He knows my heart, and yours. And with that knowledge He still sent Yeshua to this earth so that we could enjoy fellowship with Himself. His perfect plan for those who are His is that one day “All Israel will be saved”. (Romans 11:26) Those who join them in faith, that is faith in the One who is their anointed Saviour, Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, will face Him who sits on that Great White Throne, and hear the words “well done good and faithful servant”.
It behoves all of us that ‘we get to know the LORD’.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 12
H O S E A
We encounter a bit of a logistic problem at the beginning of our reading today. “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans”. Is this the same woman taken as a wife by Hosea at the beginning of this book? Or a different one. On this occasion we are told that Hosea paid a “bride price” for this marriage, and that he made a few stipulations about how his new wife should behave. We need to use a bit of logic here. It would appear that this particular section of Hosea’s prophecy provides something of a “bookend” to the beginning, as God sought to provide a simile between Israel’s behaviour and that of the idolatrous, wayward woman in question. The women are one and the same.
(Daniel Lancaster, in his Torah Club commentary “The Voice of the Prophets” makes an interesting observation (Hosea 2:16) on the use of the two different words for ‘husband’ in Biblical Hebrew. “Baali”, a common name for ‘husband’, literally means “master”. “Ish”, also commonly used for ‘husband’, literally means ‘man’. Hosea tells his wife to call him ‘Ish’ (man) and no longer ‘Baali’ (master). In the same way, God tells the Israelites of that northern kingdom that they were to no longer to consider, or even mention, Him in any way as ‘Baali’ (master). It was a significant downgrading of that relationship.)
Chapter 3 of our text has a prophetic message of despair and then some hope. “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or scared pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward they shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days”. The phrase “ephod or teraphim” is reference to ‘totally godless’ in a broad sense. “Ephod” speaks of the Jewish priesthood, with which they were well familiar, and “teraphim” refers to the idol worship which was the cause of their demise. So in a ‘worship’ sense they would be left with nothing. But it would have been better without the ‘teraphim’ in the first place. Never-the-less, it was God’s purpose to punish their idolatry, but not to abandon them for ever. The reconciliation of which the prophet spoke would come when they sought the LORD in humility and truth. I believe that will take place when Messiah returns to this earth the second time. During Yeshua’s first time on this earth, the “Samaritans” were still pagan, not counted with the Jews.
Chapter 4 provides an opportunity for lesson learning for any who wish to learn. It continues in the vein of cataloguing the charges against the people. It is relentless. As we consider these charges, it may be profitable to measure ourselves, our nation, as we stand along-side these ancient people, in order to judge for ourselves what God might say of us as He documents the behaviour which He found so distressing in them. Remember God is consistent and unchanging. “There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed.” What does God see in our nation? Well, this is what He said He would do. “The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of My people; (this is specific to that generation in that they were eating the sin offerings of the people who individually sought forgiveness in such sacrifice) They set their heart on iniquity, and it shall be; like people like priest. (The ones who should have been crying out against such, the priests, were delinquent in that task) So I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their deeds”. This is quite alarming. God expected the priestly class to speak out against such profanity. He considered silence to amount to complicity. Didn’t the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 2:5) tell us that all believers are ‘priests’? Now there’s a thought!
The prophet is directed to shine a light on the southern kingdom of Judah in the manner of a warning to them. It is evident that God had provided His final warning to Israel, but Judah still had a chance because they had not yet gone down the same path of idolatrous ‘harlotry’ as Israel. “Though you, Israel, play the harlot, let Judah not offend. Do not come up to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth Aven, nor swear an oath ..”. Both Gilgal, in northern Samaria, and Beth Aven (‘house of deceipt’), a deliberate substitution of the name Bethel in the south of the country, were once places of Godly worship, they had now been given over to idolatry. The Judeans knew these places as they once were. In their former state of reverence before God. Whilst the injunction of God is not to even visit those places, it is further meant as a general warning not to go down that same path of idolatrous worship. Among the reasons God gave was that it was a path of separation from Himself. “For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn calf; now the LORD willed them forage like a lamb in open country”. That separation meant that they were easy prey for whatever might befall them. The Apostle Jude has an interesting piece of advice for believers. The original Living Bible paraphrase puts it well. “Stay always within the boundaries where God’s love can reach and bless you”. (Jude 21)
We may not be able to readily identify the exact situation our text uses to illustrate the message. “Harlotry” may seem to be extreme. But it is how God saw that situation. It was the rejection of Himself, the deliberate act of disobedience to His commands and statutes, the failure to honour covenant promises, the rejection of multiple warnings. That is what the message of Hosea is all about. And there is more to come. We would be wise to ask God to mercifully shine His light on us … while there is still time.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 11
H O S E A
The name “Hosea” comes from the same Hebrew root word as Joshua and Yeshua. Its meaning is ‘salvation’, but the last two names carry the further meaning of “YHWH is salvation”. Hosea was called to deliver the message of God to the idolatrous northern kingdom when Jereboam 2 was king. Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were kings of Judah at the time of this ministry. A period from about 755 BCE to 722 BCE., when Jonah, Amos, Isaiah and Micah were also active. It seems that the LORD took time to convey His message to Hosea, because we are told that when the LORD began to speak to him He gave Hosea a most unusual command. “Go take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry”. Gomer was a ‘shrine’ prostitute in their mixed up world of Baal worship (which Jezebel had introduced). She would produce childen by Hosea who would also commit harlotry! (idol worship) But then God also gave him the reason for such a command. “For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD”.
It is obvious that the Israelites of the northern kingdom were viewed by God in that light, (prostituting themselves with Baal worship) and in order for Hosea to accurately and passionately convey that message, God wanted Hosea to have real life experience of what that felt like. Poor Hosea! It is a measure of Hosea’s commitment that he did exactly what the LORD commanded. He married Gomer. In the fulness of time, and in quick succession, Gomer bore three children to Hosea. Each were given a name which was full of meaning. A boy, Jezreel (God will scatter), a girl, Lo-Ruhamah (not loved), and another boy, Lo-Ammi ( not My people).
The words of Scripture are more eloquent than any commentary.
About the first child God said “Call his name Jezreel, for in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu (2 Kings 9,10) and bring an end (722 BCE) to the kingdom of the house of Israel. It shall come to pass in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel (2 Kings 15:29).” Prophetic words which the people of that day were to experience for themselves.
About the second child God said “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, but I will utterly take them away. Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, will save them by the LORD their God”. But that salvation would not be on a battlefield. Jerusalem was besieged by the Assyrians in the days of king Hezekiah (701 BCE) and God preserved them from that siege.
About the third child God said “Call his name Lo-Ammi, for you are not My people, and I will not be your God”. A sad indictment. But in spite of that God said that they would continue to grow in numbers. This is consistent with the covenant promise God made to Abraham regarding their growth in numbers. “as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered”. However, God said that other nations would not understand the wrath of God on them and would continue to consider them to be His people.
Then in amazing prophetic insight (verse 11) God said “Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head.” This will be when the LORD makes ‘a new covenant’ with them (Jeremiah 31:31). The “One head” will be Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, in whose blood that ‘new covenant’ is guaranteed. And the “day of Jezreel” is a reference to the battle which ends all battles, which is to be fought in the valley of Jezreel in Samaria, just below Mount Carmel, close to Meggido.
As chapter 2 opens, Hosea uses the metaphor of a courtroom, as did Micah. God, ‘the plaintiff’, brings charges of harlotry against Israel. Charges which are plainly indefensible. The record of their syncretism is long standing, going back to the time when the first king Jereboam set up the golden calves in Bethel and Dan. To that had been added the worship of Baal when Ahab was king. (Elijah famously challenged them to make a choice on Mount Carmel). The charge goes on, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, I will also reject you from being a priest before Me; Because you have forgotten the Torah of your God, I will also forget your children”. This is the most serious charge against them. The idolatry they practised had distorted the very lifestyle they were supposed to uphold. Their priestly duty was to teach their children. They had not. Their covenant promise was to observe and obey the Torah. They did not. “The plaintiff” was also both the jury and the judge. He still is. And here is a lesson for us to remember.
The judgement of God was not without warning. Read again Deuteronomy 28 and 29 if any doubt remains about that. If anyone thinks Torah to be obsolete, which it isn’t, look again at Matthew 7:21-23, Hebrews 9:27, and Revelation 20:12. No-one is without warning, and the Judge has already pronounced His judgment, and has provided the means by which the penalty of His judgement may be forgiven. In the case of the northern kingdom He said “For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn calf; now the LORD will let them forage like a lamb in open country”. No longer under the protection of His love and care. But free to go about their own devices, and then, alone, to bear the consequences of the stubbornness of which they had been warned.
Hosea took the message of God to Israel. They acted like the ‘unfaithful wife’, the hurt and disappointment of which Hosea was only too painfully aware. The question that poses is; What sort of a ‘wife’ am I?
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 10
M I C A H
This third ‘reflection’ in Micah’s prophecy appears as though the scene is set in a courtroom. God is the plaintiff, uncertain as to the exact nature of the complaint against Him, the people appear as defendants. God wants to hear the details of their complaint before a jury. The jury is comprised of the mountains, the hills, the foundations of the earth, who were witnesses to the covenant God had made with the people centuries earlier. The covenant was wilfully broken by the people. What had God done to bring about such a situation? His own character and reputation was at stake. At least that is how it appears to me!
“O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me” said the LORD. Then, by way of preamble He reminded them briefly of details of the journey He had safely brought them on to get where they now were. From bondage as slaves in Egypt. From the curse that Balaam of Moab had attempted to place upon them. His guiding influence on Balak in preventing him from uttering any such curse. His care of them, in food, water and protection during the long journey in bringing them into the land in which they now lived as free men. Then He posed some rhetorical questions. The sort of questions that a person might have asked of such a benefactor. They may be summarised as “How can we show our gratitude? What can we do to express our appreciation?”. The answer is simply and eloquently put. Words my late wife claimed to be her favourite Scripture text. (and on a quite personal note, in a more than six decade long marriage, I can testify, that is how she lived her life)
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD requires of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Of course, the whole prophecy of Micah, as with other prophets, was because that was NOT how people were living their lives. God reminded them of the injustices which had become engrained in their lifestyle. On account of which the judgement of the LORD was about to be delivered to them. They took advantage of the weak in their society, “wicked scales and deceitful weights” was the description. It was in stark contrast to their covenant agreement to care for and support such people. Micah knew the Scriptures. As did they. He reminded them of God’s warning to bring desolation, sickness and hunger upon them (Leviticus 26: 14 - 16) as a direct result of their disobedience. But the people had grown sceptical. “Nah! God wouldn’t do that to us!” They and their ancestors had been living in the land hundreds of years. Yes, they had seen the correction of the LORD. Yes, they had seen battles lost from time to time. And in very recent times they had seen the northern kingdom attacked by the Assyrians. But they had not seen “the arm of the LORD bared”. Big mistake. There is a loud and clear lesson for us in this if we are willing to learn it. Do not take God for granted. “What does the LORD require of you”. It is printed in bold above. Read it again. Micah is addressing people who seemed arrogantly contemptuous of God’s requirement of those who are His. He really does expect that we live righteously.
Micah likens it to the owner of a vineyard, going late in the harvest time to see what had been left for the ‘gleaners’. The poor, the widow, the orphan, the stranger in their gates, the disadvantaged. NOTHING. Cleaned out by the greed of the owner. God describes it as an evil. Gifts for the ‘influential’ in the land, yes. Bribes for the lawmakers, yes. All scheming together at the expense of those who have nothing. “Son dishonours father, daughter rises against her mother … a man’s enemies are the men of his own household”. The greed and animosity even within families. It seems endemic in society, even today. When Yeshua commissioned His disciples (Matthew 10:35) it was this very Scripture that He used to describe what they would encounter as they went about their task of spreading the good news about Himself. But Micah, as he spoke for the person wronged, said “Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me”. This is the hope of those wronged and neglected by fellow man. Not looking to sinful man for assistance. Rather “I will bear the indignation of the LORD, (not you) because I have sinned against Him (not you) until He pleads my case and executes justice for me (which you have not). He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness”. (Because there is no righteousness to be seen in you, my neighbour.) What an indictment.
But even that is not the end. At the end of this sad lament, as the prophet laid bare the iniquity of that generation, and the inevitable judgment of God about to fall on them, there is hope. The Israelites of the northern kingdom, and the Judeans of the southern kingdom later, in their time, witnessed the judgment of the LORD on them. Our generation will also face the judgment of the LORD. But here is the good news. He provided a pardon.
“Who is a God like You. Pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger for ever. Because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which YOU have sworn to our fathers from days of old”.
In His love, mercy, and grace, He sent Yeshua to settle our debt. Trust Him.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 09
M I C A H
The message of Micah suddenly changed. From issuing warnings and appeals to this wayward people, he spoke of days of triumph and glory ahead. “The mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains.” Mount Zion will be elevated both physically and spiritually to become the centre of worship once again. This time, still future our present generation, speaks of the millennial kingdom of Yeshua. And it is not for the house of Israel and the house of Judah alone. “Many nations shall come and say ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths’.” This identical prophetic announcement was given to the prophet Isaiah, with the slight difference that Isaiah said “all nations” (Isaiah 2:2). It will be a time of complete peace “Swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks.” The Torah of the LORD will be the ‘law of the land’. Here’s the ‘rub’. It was available to the people who comprised Micah’s audience. They wilfully rejected it!! It was, and remains, God’s intent for those who are called by His name.
But then, Micah returns to the reality of his day. For the inhabitants of Judah, he saw their pain, and he saw their future. Prophesying an event which was still over 100 years into the future, he saw that they would be driven from the city (Jerusalem) and would dwell in fields. Not in their own land, but in Chaldea (now Iraq), Babylon the land of their enemy. Beyond that, Micah had a word much further into the future. “Now many nations have gathered against you, who said ‘Let her be defiled, and let your eye look upon Zion’.” Have you noticed how Israel’s enemies today rarely refer to ‘Israel', choosing rather to refer to ‘Zion’? “But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, nor do they understand His counsel; For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor”.
It’s an unfair match isn’t it? Almighty God, Creator of the Universe on the one hand. And on the other hand mankind, made by Him, known intimately by Him. The first, steadfast, sure, unchanging, omnipotent, omnipresent, all-knowing. The other, pumped up with self-importance, proud, intelligent, limited, driven by greed and hate. In the modern idiom, ‘it’s a one horse race’, one certain outcome. And yet, in this day and age, millions of people are prepared to ignore, or outrightly reject, the option of salvation and hope offered by our Creator, through the sacrificial death and resurrection of the only One able to make such offer. And that is exactly what the prophet Micah turned to next.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting”. There is no way that can be misunderstood. It clearly prophesies the place of birth of Messiah Yeshua. One of the 7 ’I am’s’ in John’s gospel is “I am the bread of life”. Did you know that Bethlehem (Heb. ‘Beit Lechem’) means ‘house of bread’? Micah is privileged by God to announce the birth place of Messiah Yeshua. It is this knowledge which the ‘chief priests and scribes’ used to tell Herod, who was intent on ‘killing off’ the One he presumed came to usurp his authority, where the newborn Messiah was born. As we proceed in our ‘reflection’ of understanding this prophecy we need to keep a close eye on the text because the prophet continued with some statements (Micah 5: 3,4) which have a quite wide perspective, covering a time span up to the establishment of the coming Millennial Kingdom, ruled in peace by the One who was born in Bethlehem. Before then returning (Micah 5: 5-8) to the period in which we can identify as the period in which we live today. And finally, in our text this week, (Micah 5: 10-15) covering the time of the last days immediately before the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom.
Now we need to understand that the prophet himself could not possibly have had any idea of the totality of things God revealed to him. But, because he lived in the time of the demise of the northern kingdom, he could envisage elements of his message being replicated in his day. Idolatry and disobedience to commands of Torah were evident. So for him, it was a message of urgency. His motive was twofold. Principally that he himself be obedient to a command of God of which he had no doubt. And in so doing, to urge the people to repent in order to avoid the devastation which that message proclaimed was about to fall on them. It was clearly a message for his time. But the mystery and power of the word of God is its ageless relevance. For that reason we may identify lessons for ourselves in this text.
The evidence that this prophecy is of God, is in the appearance of Yeshua, born in Bethlehem. The demise of the northern kingdom in 722 BCE. and the southern kingdom in 586 BCE. The dispersion of the Israelites from the land in 135 CE. All history for us. We may be assured then, that the prophecy of Micah 5: 3,4 about the Millenial Kingdom is also of Him. The events we see taking place in the world today are evidential of the signs we are told would occur in the last days. God has provided 16 writing prophets, 4 gospel writers and 5 Apostolic writers to ‘warn’ us to get right with Him. What more, I ask myself, could He possibly do to convince people, His own people, you and me, to be obedient to His commands?
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 08
M I C A H
Micah lived in Moresheth, in a fertile agricultural region about 40 Km south west of Jerusalem. Somewhat like Amos, (who was called by God to take a message to the northern kingdom of Israel) he was called from his ‘day job’ to take the message of the LORD to the southern kingdom of Judah. God also raised up other prophets about this time, notably Amos, Hosea and Isaiah, Micah’s mention only of the kings of Judah, which is where he lived, span a time of between 750 and 686 BCE. This embraces the time of the captivity of Israel in the north, 722 BCE, by the Assyrians. It is probable that this event had already occurred, or was just about to, when this prophecy was given to him. Right at the beginning, however, we see that the message is a universal one. “Hear all you peoples! Listen, O earth, and all that is in it!”. The judgement of God will not be withheld. The first chapter of our text concerns the denouncement of sin against God Himself.
The broad message to all nations is that the judgment with which Israel and Judah are judged will be applied in like manner to all who transgress the laws of God. Idolatrous worship is the principal sin. That is what God will not overlook under any circumstance. The very first commandment God gave to Moses on the mountain was “You shall have NO other gods before Me”. Carved images of wood and stone are the most obvious. But there are many other gods worshipped too. The list is almost endless. “For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.” That is, the places of idol worship. And horror of horrors, Micah 1:9, “the wounds of idolatry are incurable. For it has come to Judah; it has come to the gate of My people - Jerusalem.” Sense the anguish in the words of the prophet. This idolatry had come to the very central place of worship of God Himself. A salutary lesson here. In our day, the hierarchical structures within the modern day denominational church, supposedly designed for the worship of God, consists largely of a social, business model framework, which has largely lost focus on their main purpose. The worship and adoration of our Holy God. In many cases even denying the authenticity of the Word of God. LORD, have mercy on us!
The second chapter of our text concerns the corrupt practices of man against his fellow man. “Devising iniquity” is the phrase used. That is premeditated evil. Opportunistic crime is evil, but to me, premeditated crime seems worse. The victims of this greed and avarice are the poor, the needy, the widow, the orphan, those disadvantaged by circumstance. The most vulnerable. The very ones whom the Torah commands are to be looked after and cared for. And the response of the perpetrator? “Do not prattle”. A dismissive rebuke to those seeking to bring correction. No longer listened to. But the word of the LORD is “Do not My words do good to him that walks uprightly?” Yes they do. As we ‘reflect’ on these ancient prophetic words we take careful note of them as we seek to walk uprightly before the LORD and our fellow man. They are words of eternal consequence and promise. This is perhaps exemplified when the prophet talks of a time we might recognise today (Micah 2:12,13). The re-gathering of both Israel and Judah together, one nation again. As it was in the time of King David. Now preparing for the return of their Messiah Yeshua.
The third chapter of our text is reminder that when God saw the evil of their deeds, which are graphically portrayed in the narrative, they refused to repent of that behaviour. But then, even as some say accusatively even today, God did not intervene when the oppressor came and took them captive. We need to understand that God abounds in love and mercy. That is why He sent his word by the prophets. To warn, to teach, to invite, to implore, transgressors to repent. And this message is sent to those who are His own. Those already living (albeit disobediently) under His protection and care. (as a young christian I was taught, as were countless others, that ‘once saved, always saved”. A done deal. Can’t be lost. It is dangerous theology. It often leads to ‘slackness’ and complacency. All of God’s warnings are to His own people, those He saved when He brought them out of Egypt. The prophets declare that they could be, and were, by disobedient choices as individuals, excluded from the family. The Apostle Paul affirms this (Romans 11:11-22). We should seek truth in the Scriptures, not be reliant on what we were errantly told by others. If the blind lead the blind, they both end up in the ditch!) Now our text turns to the issue of false prophets. They were alive and well then, just as they are today. There is a good description of how to detect false prophets in Deuteronomy 13, and what to do with them. That may well be the reason why many of them teach that the Torah is obsolete!! Another falsehood.
False prophets are a scourge in the earth. The failure of believers to both detect them, and call them out, has given satan an enormous weapon to sow discord, division, and heresy into the body of Messiah. Micah was directed by the Spirit of God to speak unequivocally in opposition to such. “For truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin (the whole kingdom together).” The true prophet speaks both warning (when required) and encouragement. It is often the case that the false prophet “speaks peace when there is no peace”. Many times saying what people WANT to hear. Masquerading as “the Lord’s anointed”, and operating without a modicum of restraint or accountability, they are free to ‘peddle’ false doctrine. The answer? Do not fear to ask questions of them to determine the authority from which the message comes.”Is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us”, said the false prophet, just before the unquestioning people were taken into captivity!!
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 07
A M O S
We get an amazing insight into the role of the prophet in this week’s reading. Amos heard from God, and faithfully delivered the message he had been given. In some way, perhaps a vision, a dream, a flash of great insight, Amos saw the result of his prophetic message. He understood the reaction of the people to that message. It may be that he gauged their response as being too dismissive. Whatever it was, he saw the result of the LORD’s judgment. Devastating. Famine caused by locusts eating the crops. Fire consuming all in its path. So he prayed. Those prayers became a two way conversation with the LORD. He prayed that the LORD would stay His hand in these judgements. And the LORD ‘relented’ and did so. A true prophet hears from God, and God hears from the prophet. A bit of a lesson for us here perhaps. Do we ‘wait’ on the LORD when we pray? Are we merely presenting before God our daily (or weekly) ‘shopping’ list? Do we present ourselves, with an open mind and an open Bible before the LORD when we pray? Selah!
“The plumb line” is a metaphor for gauging the ‘true state’ of something. To see if that something is out of line. This is about the LORD’s final warning. The people knew what was expected. Amos’ message was the last warning, and now it was entirely up to the people to heed that warning and repent and turn back to their God. But then came the ‘false prophet’. Amaziah was the priest at Bethel, perpetuating the idolatry of the nation of the north. He sent word to the king, Jereboam 2, mocking and dismissing the words of Amos. And then he turned on Amos himself. “Go you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, and there prophesy. But never again prophesy at Bethel. For it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the royal residence.”
In response to this outburst, Amos humbly declared his credentials. I paraphrase here. ‘I was just an ordinary farmer breeding sheep, just like my father, with no thought of being a prophet. One day as I was going about my business, the LORD took hold of me and gave me a task to do. You are offended by it, but that is what the LORD told me to do. And now there is a bit more for you to hear. “Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; Your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by the survey line (the truth of this prophecy); You shall die in a defiled land; And Israel (the northern kingdom) shall surely be led away captive from his own land”.’ Amos had completed the task the LORD had set him to accomplish. He could do no more to assist the people of the north. But it was not the end of his encounter with the LORD. He told Amos more about His aggravation with the behaviour of the people and why His judgment would soon fall on them. Take heed here. There are lessons galore for those who wish to learn them.
Amos had a vision of a “basket of summer fruit”. It indicates a time of harvest. The LORD’s harvest for this people. “The end has come for My people Israel (the northern kingdom); I will not pass by them anymore.” Then follows a series of instances where the people had shown greed for themselves and disregard for others. Looking forward to the end of the New Moon festival (a day of holiday) so that they could get back to trading “making the ephah small and the shekel large”. Falsifying the scales and thereby cheating the poor and the needy. “Surely I will never forget any off their works” said the LORD. There is the reference to the day becoming dark at noon. Some commentators consider this might have been during the solar eclipse of 763 BCE, but there is another day coming when this will also occur “in the last days”. Certainly, other events, due to the invasion and capture at the hands of then Assyrians were much closer to hand. “I will send famine on the land” is an interesting one”. It is a famine of being ‘cut off’ from the words of the LORD. No more access to the prophetic messengers where they would be exiled to. And more broadly, there was a day ahead, after the prophet Joel, when there was “biblical silence” for about 400 years.
However, the LORD’s message to Amos ended on a note of great sadness, followed by triumph. Amos “saw the LORD standing by the altar”. That was normally the place where the people, through their offering of sacrifices, “drew near to God”. But this was the altar at Bethel. “Strike the doorposts, that the thresholds may shake.” As people sought to flee, there was nowhere for them to hide. No escape from the wrath of God. The picture we are given is graphic, and in the middle of that horror God reminds them who He is (Amos 9:5,6) “The LORD is His name” is the conclusion. “Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on a sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob”. A glimpse of hope.
Amos 9:11-15 is prophetic of multiple events which have, and still will, be fulfilled. “The tabernacle of David” at that time was the Temple that Solomon built in 966 BCE. It was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, restored by Nehemiah in 515 BCE and later reconstructed by Herod, and destroyed again by Titus in 70 CE. It will be built yet again, and that will herald the imminent end of this age. “I will bring back the captives of my people Israel”. That started when king Cyrus facilitated the return of Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. BUT, the “main event” is taking place in our lifetime. “I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them says the LORD your God.” We are privileged to witness this happening. It is another ‘warning’ from God. And Amos shared God’s message with me, and you. Be blessed in heeding God’s warning.
Shabbat Shalom.
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 06
A M O S
There is a degree of repetition in the warnings Amos brought to the northern kingdom. That has to be seen as ‘urgency’ of the message. There was but little time left for them to turn around and seek the forgiveness of the LORD. But isn’t that always the way? “He it is who opens, and no-one shuts, and who shuts, and no-one opens”. And the time is in God’s hands alone.
Our text today opens as though a funeral is taking place, and the deceased is a young woman who has not been able to enjoy the fulfilment of the life that she might have expected. Because we know how the story unfolds, which the people of that day did not, the prospect of seeing thousands die in the calamity which Amos warned would come upon them. And was scoffed at. In our own piety we may ask “why didn’t they just listen to the message?” And the answer is “because they were just like millions of people today”. Even many who claim to be believers, yet treat the word of God lightly.
“Seek Me and live” is the call of the LORD the prophet exclaimed. Then listed places which had historical meaning to them. Bethel of course, rich in history but now a centre of idolatry. Gilgal, where those who were born during the wilderness journey were circumcised to the LORD. Beersheva, where some from the north were known to visit to worship there, even though Jerusalem was God’s appointed place. The house of Joseph is a way of describing the whole northern kingdom because the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (sons of Joseph) were a major force there. Pieades and Orion speak of the might of God who ‘breathed the stars into being’, Creator of the Universe. It all speaks of the waywardness of these people in comparison to the might and steadfastness of God who was calling them to repent and turn again to Him.
The message would have been hard to listen to. Imagine, if you can, God sending a messenger to me. I am hearing a list of my faults and failures, some of which I may not even remember! And then realising that God keeps account. There is nothing hidden from Him. Then being told that things I thought important, or valuable, are going to crumble away. How many chances did God give them? This message was given to them at the time of Jereboam 2. He had authority. He it was who set the tone for the nation. He was their 13th king, and just like the twelve who preceded him, he was another “bad” king. He did ‘evil in the sight of the LORD”. We have the advantage of knowing the end of the story as far as this northern kingdom was concerned. That tells us that God withheld His judgment on the northern kingdom through the reigns of SIX more “bad” kings before He brought upon them the judgment of that warning. But don’t count on that as a pattern. God is the only One who decides timing of His judgement. And we have ample evidence in the Scriptures of His judgment being executed very quickly. (think about Nadab and Abihu, or Ananias and Sapphira) In this case though, God even told them where they would end up! “Therefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus.” That is where Assyria was.
The prophet Amos then turned his attention to Judah, the southern kingdom, at that time under the kingship of Uzziah. He was one of only 8 kings of Judah described as “good” kings. He was 16 years old when he became king and reigned for 52 years. Jerusalem was their capital. Solomon had built the Temple there. It was the place God had appointed David to establish as the nation’s place of worship. But they too had appointed 4 “bad” kings in their past, and would have another 7 “bad” kings in their future. Evidently, there was a perception of complacency on their part. Perhaps, partly, because of the reign of the good king Uzziah. “Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, and trust in Mount Samaria, notable persons in the chief nation to whom the house of Israel comes!” The prophet Isaiah, writing about the same time as Amos, had a similar message (Isaiah 10: 5-11). Look around you was the message. Calneh (a city of Nimrod), Hamath (Syria) and Gath (Philistia) had all suffered the judgment of the LORD. “Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?” Ouch!! And this, as it later transpired was a very early warning for Judah. God’s judgement is fair and uniform. The same for everyone. It is only the timing which differs. And God’s timing is God’s timing. The lesson for us is to guard against complacency in our service and devotion to our calling, especially when things seem to be ‘easy’.
“The LORD God of hosts says: ‘I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces; therefore I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.’” And for any who do not know, that’s exactly what happened to Jerusalem in the year 586 BCE at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. But we need to understand that God did not act in any sense of vengeance. Yes, He was angry with them. Yes, He did raise up the enemies of Israel to accomplish His promises. And yes, He did give them plenty of warnings. BUT, the catalyst for these actions was the wanton refusal of the people, “called by His name” to abide by their assent to keep the covenant God had made with them. The lesson. How many times do we need to hear it? God is a covenant keeping God. He was for the people of that day, and He is for people today. God has clearly set out in His word, as is quite evident from our ‘reflection’ today., He expects those who make covenant with Him to keep that covenant.
Take time to reflect on promises made to God. Consider what it is that He requires of those who belong to Him. And be blessed.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 05
A M O S
Having already spoken separately to the northern and southern kingdoms, on God’s instruction, Amos now addressed them together. “The whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt”. The whole company had, to different degree, been neglectful and/or disobedient regarding their attention to keep the covenant they (or at least their forefathers initially) had made in the very early days of their journey from Egypt. The ones who had been alive when they entered the land had confirmed that covenant, and every seven years since then they had heard the Torah publicly read to them at the Feast of Tabernacles in “Shmita” years. No-one could plead ignorance of the Torah.
“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” That is an interesting question. The premise is that since they were all aware of what God required of them, no-one could behave in a manner of disobedience without others being aware, and by default, if not corrected, become complicit in the disobedience. (A personal note here. In the ‘about the author’ page of these reflections, I mentioned an old Sunday school teacher’s advice to ‘nail your colours to the mast’. Firstly as a schoolboy, and later in my military service, I heeded that advice in declaring myself “a christian”. From that moment, both at school and in the Air Force, I didn’t need to remind myself about the behavioural expectations that confession entailed. I was surrounded by people who took every opportunity to let me know what was expected of me because of that confession of faith.) The series of questions which follow indicate that while things happen, or do not happen, in nature, there is nothing that happens in Israel outside the sovereignty of God. “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets”. God has (present tense) His hand on Israel for good. That is His desire and purpose in His dealings with them. But they still have to make personal choices, as do we, by heeding or ignoring His commands, His statutes, and the many warnings delivered by the prophets.
The end of chapter 3 of the text, is prophetic of an event which occurred just 35 years after this warning was given. It begins “As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion two legs or a piece of an ear”. It is a graphic picture of a time following such a calamitous event. It speaks directly to the inhabitants of Samaria, the region of the northern kingdom which would be taken captive by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. It is like ‘picking up the pieces’. But there is more to this. “I will visit destruction on the altars of Bethel.” That is a place of great significance to Jews up to this very day. Abram set up an altar there. Jacob had his dream about the ladder there. That is where the ark of the covenant was originally set up. Bethel served the first generation of Israelites as an early point of communication with God upon their entry into the Holy Land. It was the focal point of their worship. But as the religious, cultural, and political life of the Israelites increasingly centred on Jerusalem, Bethel faded in importance to them. However, after Solomon’s death, the northern kingdom of Israel was established under king Jereboam. He established two centres of worship. He erected a golden calf in each. Bethel was one of them in the south of the kingdom and Dan the other in the north. This idolatrous corruption sealed its fate. By the time of Yeshua’s birth, Bethel had completely faded away as a place of importance. It is not mentioned anywhere in the Apostolic Scriptures.
Who, or what, are the “cows of Bashan”? It is uncomplimentary to say the least. “Bashan” is the easy part. It was an area to the north west of the country near Mount Hermon. It was fertile land and the source of significant wealth and prosperity. It speaks of a life of luxury. “Bring wine, and let us drink” is the clue to that. Words spoken by the wives of the landowners. It was the women living selfishly in their opulence who are the subject of this criticism. They are charged with “oppression of the poor and crushing the needy”. Taking advantage of their position. Lauding it over the disadvantaged. Very different to the behaviour commanded in the Torah, which specifies the way of righteous living, and to which they had willingly agreed.
There is a strong note of sarcasm from the prophet here. “Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes very three days (the commandment specifies three years!). . Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven .. for this you love, you children of Israel”. The note of anger at their behaviour is palpable. What more could be said to get their attention? There had been mixed seasons of harvest says the LORD. Rain in one place and not the other. They had gone hungry. They had wandered from city to city to get food and water. “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities and lack of bread in all your places.”. No meat. No bread. “Yet you have not returned to Me” says the LORD. It was a recurring theme as the prophet spelled out the warning.
It goes on. But there is already enough said to give us a monumental lesson. They had been promised that in response to obedience to live righteously, to which they had agreed, they would be abundantly blessed. I believe we can gain insight into God’s ways here, even for ourselves today. The ultimate blessing of course is eternal life, but there is a life to be lived on earth too. And that should be where our relationship with God is evident. God is slow to anger, and abounds in mercy. BUT He expects us, as He did them, to turn to Him and seek His forgiveness as we repent of our sin. That is what He wanted of them. He wants no less of us.
The prophet speaks the word that God has sent. It is sent for a purpose. It will achieve that purpose. God said so. Selah.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets. 04
A M O S
About the same time that God called Jonah to go to preach to the inhabitants of Nineveh in far away Assyria, He raised up Amos, a sheep breeder from Tekoa, not far from Bethlehem. His mission was to speak out against widespread abominations in surrounding territories and to both Judah in the south, where he lived, and Israel in the north. He was not to know that a mere 35 years later, that northern kingdom would be invaded by the Assyrians and the principal citizens taken away captive. To that extent, his calling was both timely and urgent. It was “two years before the earthquake”. The Jewish historian Josephus (Antiquities IX 10:4) tells us that a significant earthquake happened in about 755 BCE. (also mentioned by the prophet in Zechariah 14:5), when king Uzziah usurped the priest’s office and went into the sanctuary to burn incense.
“Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions, and for four, (of ‘Name’) I will not turn away its punishment, BECAUSE ..…” That was the message Amos took to the various places named, which God had told him to proclaim. EIGHT regions in and around the land with whom God was offended because of their unacceptable behaviour. The same type of language is used in Proverbs 30: 18,21,29. Opportunities for them to change, a number of times, had been ignored. Warnings remained unheeded. The metaphor used here is that three times fills the cup of iniquitous behaviours to the brim and four makes the cup overflow! There is a moment when enough is enough. The consequences can no longer be withheld. Didn’t we read, right in the beginning of our Bible “My Spirit will not always strive with man.” (Genesis 6:3) just before Noah was told to build a big box that floated on water!! “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” we are told (Hebrews 10:31). The task God assigned to Amos was to declare the consequences.
Damascus had “threshed” Gilead. A threshing sledge dragged over any ground is undiscerning. Chops up everything over which it is dragged. So had the Syrians, people of Damascus, treated the inhabitants of Gilead (Golan Heights). The gate bar of their great city would be broken and the inhabitants taken captive to Kir by the Assyrians. That happened just 25 years later.
Gaza was a city of the Philistines. As were Ashdod, Ashkelon and Ekron. They had taken captive many Israelites and sold them into slavery to the Edomites. In Zephaniah 2:4 we also read of this judgement. God declared that He would send fire to destroy its palaces. And He did. During the reign of Hezekiah, about 50 years later.
Tyre also took Israelites captive and sold them into Edom contrary to a covenant of “brotherhood” (which they broke) made earlier between the king of Tyre and Solomon, when he was buying timber for the construction of the Temple. Their punishment was the same as Gaza. That happened at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
Edom is destined for perpetual desolation for turning against the Israelites on their journey to the Land of Promise. This is also prophesied to happen when Yeshua returns, at the time of the great battles of Armageddon.
Ammon. Guilty of horrendous behaviour as they fought with the Israelites to ‘enlarge their territory’ at the expense of the tribe of Gad. Their main city Rabbah would be attacked, even through dissent from within (“kindle a fire”) and its palaces would be destroyed. It has been suggested that this actually took place at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar as he took Judah captive.
Moab. Descendant of Lot. There is no other reference to this burning of bones, but the LORD knew. We do know that Moab had a major role in corrupting the Israelites on the counsel of Balaam. But God only forgets what He chooses to forget.
Judah, the southern kingdom. Charged with laxity and disobedience in regard to Torah. This prophecy was fulfilled at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. The Temple was burned together with the whole of Jerusalem.
Israel, the northern kingdom. A list of misdemeanours as long as your arm! This was one of the first places to feel the wrath of God. Just 35 years after Amos delivered his message, Shalamanezer 5th, came, in 722 BCE., and took captive the whole kingdom. Now often referred to as the “lost tribes”.
So it was that the faithful, and unlikely, prophet Amos delivered the message of God. As we read the list above, we should get a clear lesson ourselves. God is not to be trifled with. What He says, He does. But not without adequate and timely warning. The writer to the Hebrews said “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after death, the judgement.” (Hebrews 9:27) Our Bible contains the record of God’s dealings with his people, and those who opposed them. The record is clear and unambiguous. Yeshua said “If you love me, you will keep My commandments”. (John 14:15) The Israelites confirmed their agreement in covenant with God, and broke it. God’s judgement is there for us to see as proclaimed by Amos.
We should very carefully remember who God is.
Shabbat Shalom
RS