June 20, 2013 / Every Day God: Fire, Fire, and More Fire
Amos 1-3:2
Amplified Bible (AMP)
1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen and
sheep masters of Tekoa, which he saw [in divine revelation] concerning
Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam
the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
2 And
he said, The Lord roars out of Zion and utters His voice from
Jerusalem; then the pastures of the shepherds mourn and the top of
[Mount] Carmel dries up.
3 Thus
says the Lord: For three transgressions of Damascus [the capital of
Syria] and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse
the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because they have threshed Gilead [east of the Jordan River] with iron sledges.
4 So
I will send a fire [of war, conquest, and destruction] upon the house
of Hazael [who killed and succeeded King Ben-hadad] which shall devour
the palaces and strongholds of Ben-hadad.
5 I will break also the bar [of the gate] of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven or
On, and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of
Syria [conquered by the Assyrians] shall go into exile to Kir, says the
Lord.
6 Thus
says the Lord: For three transgressions of Gaza [a city in Philistia]
and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the
punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because [as
slave traders] they carried away captive the whole [Jewish] population
[of defenseless Judean border villages, of which none was spared, none
left behind] and delivered them up to Edom [for the slave trade].
7 So I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza which shall devour its strongholds.
8 And
I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod and him who holds the
scepter from Ashkelon, and I will turn My hand against Ekron; and the
rest of the Philistines [in Gath and the towns dependent on these four
Philistine cities] shall perish, says the Lord God.
9 Thus
says the Lord: For three transgressions of Tyre and for four [for
multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or
revoke My word concerning it, because they [as middlemen] delivered up a
whole [Jewish] population to Edom and did not [seriously] remember
their brotherly covenant.
10 So I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre which shall devour its strongholds.
11 Thus
says the Lord: For three transgressions of Edom [descendants of Esau]
and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the
punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because he pursued his brother Jacob (Israel) with the sword, corrupting his compassions and casting off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually and his wrath he kept and heeded forever.
12 So I will send a fire upon Teman which shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah [in Edom].
13 Thus
says the Lord: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon
[descendants of Lot] and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will
not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning
it, because [the Ammonites] have ripped up women with child in Gilead,
that they might enlarge their border.
14 So
I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah [in Ammon] and it shall
devour the strongholds of it, with shouting in the day of battle, with a
tempest in the day of the whirlwind;
15 And their king shall go into exile, he and his princes together, says the Lord.
2 Thus
says the Lord: For three transgressions of Moab [descendants of Lot]
and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the
punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom [Esau’s descendant] into lime.
2 So
I will send a fire upon Moab and it shall devour the strongholds of
Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, shouting, and the sound of the
trumpet.
3 And I will cut off the ruler from its midst and will slay all its princes with him, says the Lord.
4 Thus
says the Lord: For three transgressions of Judah and for four [for
multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because they have despised and
rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept His commandments, but
their lies, after which their fathers have walked, caused them to err and go astray.
5 So I will send a fire upon Judah and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.
6 Thus
says the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel and for four [for
multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because they have sold the [strictly] just and uncompromisingly righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals;
7 They
pant after [the sight of] the poor [reduced to such misery that they
will be throwing] dust of the earth on their heads [in token of their
grief]; they defraud and turn aside the humble [who are too meek
to defend themselves]; and a man and his father will have sexual
relations with the same maiden, so that My holy name is profaned.
8 And
they lay themselves down beside every [pagan] altar upon clothes they
have taken in pledge [for indebtedness], and in the house of their God
[in daring contempt of Him] they frivolously drink the wine which has
been exacted from those [unjustly] fined.
9 Yet
I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height
of the cedars and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit
from above and his roots from beneath.
10 Also
I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years
through the wilderness to possess the land of the Amorite.
11 And
I raised up some of your sons for prophets and some of your young men
for dedicated ones [Nazirites]. Is this not true, O you children of
Israel? says the Lord.
12 But you gave the dedicated ones [the Nazirites] wine to drink and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
13 Behold, I am pressed under you and I will press you down in your place as a cart presses that is full of sheaves.
14 And flight shall be lost to the swift and refuge shall fail him; the strong shall not retain and confirm his strength, neither shall the mighty deliver himself.
15 Neither
shall he stand who handles the bow, and he who is swift of foot shall
not deliver himself; neither shall he who rides the horse deliver his
life.
16 And he who is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked on that day, says the Lord.
3 Hear
this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel,
against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt:
2 You
only have I known (chosen, sympathized with, and loved) of all the
families of the earth; therefore I will visit upon you all your
wickedness and punish you for all your iniquities.
Yeah, so anyway... yeah. I have read this portion of scripture numerous times for the past three days. Seriously. Hoping for inspiration. Because, well, to be honest, I like happy stuff. You know??? So yeah.
Do you ever wonder how some people can go on and on explaining something awful in minute detail? And you sit there hoping they will stop already? And have you noticed parents who go on endlessly lecturing a disobedient child? So the poor kid knows, beyond the shadow of a doubt, in many different ways, exactly what he did wrong? And exactly what the punishment is going to be? And exactly what will happen if he ever disobeys again?
And after the seemingly never ending lecture, the parent says that the only reason he's punishing the poor kid is because he loves him so much.
After reading today's selection, all I can say is that these people obviously get this talent from God Almighty!
Seriously, folks, God doesn't leave any room for doubt. If you wander around saying You don't really know what will happen if you don't obey His word, well then you must be blind, senseless, slow, thick headed, stubborn, or maybe you are permanently out to lunch. Maybe you are simply squeezing your eyes shut, putting your fingers in your ears, and singing lalalalalala at the top of your lungs.
So anyway, the thought of being punished by God's fire leaves me shaking and trembling with fear. So I have decided that I'd rather be purged. By His cleansing fire.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15
Amplified Bible (AMP)
13 The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done.
14 If
the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of
his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward.
15 But
if any person’s work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the
loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved,
but only as [one who has passed] through fire.1 Peter 1:7
Amplified Bible (AMP)
7 So
that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which
is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and
purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound
to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the
Anointed One) is revealed.
Zechariah 13:9
Amplified Bible (AMP)
9 And
I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as
silver is refined and will test them as gold is tested. They will call
on My name, and I will hear and answer them. I will say, It is My people; and they will say, The Lord is my God.
1 Peter 1:7
Amplified Bible (AMP)
7 So
that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which
is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and
purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound
to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the
Anointed One) is revealed.
Isaiah 48:10
Amplified Bible (AMP)
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried and chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
Proverbs 17:3
Amplified Bible (AMP)
"Jesus, please try me in the fire. Groan!!! I don't like to pray this. But what's my option? If I'm not tried in the fire, I will be cast away to be burned. Plain and simple. So try me! Test me! I want to come out as pure gold. My present comfort is NOT a concern when I compare it with the end result. Do I want the junk to be burned out of my life? Yes! Do I like it? No! Is it worth it? Yes!!! Not my will, but Thine be done. Hard to pray, but oh, so worth it in the end. And, to be honest, Jesus, I have found that although the pain hurts, I feel Your sweet presence soooo near. And when I look back, I am NOT impressed with the person I USED to be before the pain happened. Seriously. So go ahead. Have at it. Ouch! How I love You. How I adore You. AMEN."
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