WEEKLY SUNDAY
SCHOOL LESSON
An international
Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday June 28, 2015
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readers worldwide
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GOD
WILL NEVER FORGET
(GOD
judges our unholy priorities, practices, and activities)
(Amos
8)
In Amos chapter 8 we find the
prophet’s, now famous, “Vision of the ripe fruit”. Here GOD describes to Amos,
in very grim details, of how HIS once beloved Israel was now “ripe for
judgment” because of her many continued miscarriages of justice against the
poor and down-trodden people in her community. Yes, Israel’s social injustices
and economic disparity against the weak, had severely stretched, even the
patience of GOD, to dangerous and, perhaps unchartered limits.
In this passage GOD
paints a picture of a terrible irony where worshipers are singing songs of
praise in the temple (entertaining themselves by playing church) while the poor
and needy of the community (the real church work) were suffering greatly just
outside the church house doors. Here GOD says that such insincere worship in
the temple will be turned to wailing as, in that day, we will see dead bodies
scattered everywhere, even within, and outside the church house doors (Vs.1-3).
In verses 4-6 the LORD
says that the church worshipers so enjoyed robbing the poor and trampling over
the needy that they actually couldn’t wait until the Sabbath days, and the religious
festivals were over, so that they could get back to their dishonest activities
and dealings. They even went as far as to, in many instances, enslave poor
people who owed them as little as a piece of silver, or a pair of sandals.
To be GOD’s elect does
not give one a license to sin and mistreat others. The Israelites assumed that
since they were the “descendants of Abraham” they were guaranteed GOD’s
blessings no matter how deep their sin ran from generation to generation. In verse
7 GOD calls such an attitude “the pride of Israel”. Here the LORD swears an
oath that HE will not forget the wicked things that they had done, and that the
whole earth (even their enemies) would tremble and mourn in the wake of the
punishment that HE would hang on HIS chosen people. All of their joyful celebrations
would turn into mourning, and all of their joyous songs would be reduced to
dirges (funeral songs), and the intensity of their grief would rival that of
one who had lost their only begotten son, and all of their hope had been cut
off for the family’s future (Vs. 8-10).
In verses 11-14 GOD
said that HE would bring a famine on the land, not from “a lack of bread and
water”, but rather, from “the hearing of HIS Word”. Since Israel had refused to
hear HIS Words any longer, GOD would fall silent for an undisclosed period of
time. And in those days, while under duress from GOD’s punishment, the people
would, to no avail, begin to inquire desperately for HIS help, hope, and
explanation. However, GOD will refuse
them, just as they refused HIM, by rejecting the messages of HIS prophets, until
after the time when the consequences of their sins have run its course.
Furthermore, GOD says
that even the young and strong in those days, who, are physically able to
endure and persist the longest, will grow weary in their search to hear the
Word of GOD, and not find satisfaction in their search. And all those who have
made idols of their possessions, and worship and swear by their wealth, will
lose their lives to eternal damnation, just as they had lost their hearts to
the people and things of this world.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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