June 21st
Today's Bible Reading
Five Times
Amos 4:11
I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning, yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD.
God’s people are constantly straying from their steadfast commitment to Him. They are continually “drawn away and enticed by their own desires” (James 1: 14). They are repeatedly pulled off God’s path and plunged into temptation. This is not unknown to the Lord, as He told Peter, “you will deny me” (Matt 26:75), and had James write, not “if” we are tempted, but “when he is tempted”. The problem is not that we will be tempted, or even fall into sin, but whether or not we will turn back to the Lord after we have fallen.
The book of Amos is an indictment upon the wayward children of Israel and Judah. The had fallen into scandalous sin. Amos chapter two lists multiple infractions against God’s law. He says to Judah, “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have despised the Law of God, and have not kept His commandments.” (Amos 2:4). Their deliberate disregard the directives of God and incurred God’s divine discipline. Israel did not fare any better. The Scriptures say, “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four I will not turn away its punishment because . . . “ (Amos 2: 6). The litany of their offenses include: corrupt judges, (2:6), oppressing the poor (2:7), rejecting the afflicted (2:7), licentious, idolatrous and impure behavior by a son and his father (2:7) and defiling God’s holy name (2:7). This also brought about God's righteous judgement upon those who claimed to be His “righteous” people.
But God’s heart was not set on the destruction of His people, but their deliverance. He challenges them to, “Seek Me and live” (Amos 5:4). He calls them to realize their sin, repent and return to Him. It is important to understand He is not addressing those who don’t “know” Him, but His chosen covenant people. They had traded following Him for following the world. His love for them was so great that He goes to great extremes to catch their attention and call them to repentance. He brings seven disastrous events upon them in hopes that He will lead them to cry out to Him and eventually come back to Him. He brought upon them famine (Amos 4:6), drought, (Amos 4:7-8), plant diseases (Amos 4:9), insects (Amos 4:9), plague (Amos 4:10), warfare (Amos 4:10), and military defeat (Amos 4:11). But even with all these things befalling them they didn’t change their course. They remain resolute in their rebellion.
Five times in Amos chapter four we find the phrase. "Yet you have no returned to Me." (Amos 4:6-11). Five times God attempted to draw them out of their depravity to no avail. Five times God had to ask Himself, "Maybe if I do this they will return to me ?" Five times over countless days the Almighty agonized to gain the attention of His alienated people. Five times He hoped to thwart His judgement by turning His people back . Five times He patiently watched and waited for His lost sheep to return to the fold. Five times His tough love was displayed only to be disappointed in their response. They did not return.
Oh, look carefully at this text. Are we not just like these wayward saints? God sees us take a detour from or devotion to Him. He sees us stumble into sin. But rather then reject us, He longs for our return. He launches a rescue plan to bring us back. It might involve a tender nudge or a traumatic event. In either case His love for us will not let us linger in sin. As He did in our text, He will go to great lengths to get our attention and get us to return to Him. He will "leave the ninety-nine . . . and go after the one that is lost, until He finds it." Cause that's what He does.
Today thank God for us love for us. Thank Him that His love went to great lengths to provide Jesus to deliver us from our sin. Thank Him that His great love for us seeks us out when we go astray. Praise Him that His love for you will do whatever it takes to bring you back. Thank Him that whether it is five times or more He will patiently work, watch and wait for you to return to Him.
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