December 12, Reading Notes

Amos 7-9

Amos 7

Vs. 1-9 God gave Amos three visions.

What do you notice that is the same in the first two visions? The third vision provides a measure or standard of judgment.

God was willing to repent of His actions in the first two visions. That was mercy, and it showed His willingness to listen and to save. Yet He gave them a standard by which to measure the people. That was mercy too. They could have obeyed.

Vs. 10-17 This is an example of why God would judge the northern kingdom and why the plumb line wouldn't work to rescue them. In spite of God's willingness to show mercy, the leaders, as personified in this priest, would not listen. This looks like an example of what God said in Amos 2:11-12. Amos was a little guy compared to Elijah and Elisha, yet even those two great prophets were ignored by the leaders and people.

Often, the only thing that prophesy and miracles do is to show that God's actions of judgment are just.

Amos 8

Vs. 1-2 The vision was a basket of summer fruit, that is, the final fruit of the summer. This signified that the time of the end for the northern kingdom was coming. What is interesting to me, even as Joel told of these visions, there was grace mixed in. The final day of the northern kingdom would not come for another 60 years. For those with faith, they took this to heart, picked up and moved south. For those without faith, they stayed and died. What a God of patience and forgiveness.

The rest of this chapter is a description of God's judgment. I think that the upcoming earthquake from Amos 1:1 was about to happen. I don't know how you would break down the themes in this chapter, but I'd do it like this.

Vs. 3-8 Notice the two mentions of their oppression of the poor. Also, I think verse nine is a reference to the upcoming earthquake. The imagery of this section makes you think of an earthquake.

Vs. 9-10 This might be the physical and the emotional state of things after the earthquake. It will certainly be the emotional mood of the country when it is overrun by the Assyrians.

Vs. 11-14 What is surprising here is the mention of God's silence. After everything that Elijah and Elisha did and said, then came Amos, Jonah and Hosea. The people were fed up with prophets. They would get their wish. God would stop talking. That might sound great for them; but in their need, it would be like turning out a light in a cave. Total darkness and loss of identity.

Amos 9

V. 1 This vision shows God standing beside the altar at Bethel, not Jerusalem. Notice again the earthquake imagery. It appears that God was about to destroy their building of worship in Bethel.

Vs. 2-4 Just as there is no place to hide in an earthquake, there will be no place to hide from God. That is an obvious truth, and scary too.

Vs. 5-6 The God of creation can cause a earthquake. They should have believed in Him.

Vs. 7-8 The people should have been sons to God, but they made themselves foreigners to God.

Vs. 9-10 God would literally shake the house of Israel.

Vs. 11-15 So, Amos ends on a happy future note.

Vs. 11-12 We have seen references to David. Raising up the booth of David is to raise up his lineage and restore his promise. The reference to "nations" gives me the sense that this is for the Millennial Kingdom.

Vs. 13-15 Verse fifteen shows that the fulfillment of this will be when Jesus returns.

Revelation 3:7-22

Rev. 3:7-13 To the church in Philadelphia.

V. 7 Note how Jesus introduces Himself. I wonder why the key of David?

Vs. 8-11 Notice that this was also a suffering church. They acknowledged the name of Christ and stood against the persecution of the synagogue of Satan. Apparently that was a franchise operation. There was also one in Smyrna which is extremely coincidental. You'll see why in a minute.

V. 10 Notice that they kept the Lord's Word. That is a mark of a disciple, as was acknowledging Jesus' name in the face of persecution.

Now there is an aspect of this special church that goes beyond them and the first century. In saying they will be kept from the hour of trial that is coming over the whole world, it is saying they will be kept out of the tribulation. The tribulation didn't happen during the time this church existed. So, this promise must be applied beyond them to believers who are going through similar circumstances.

But I have a couple of questions. First, what is important about this promise, since all believers, even disobedient ones, will be taken at the rapture before the tribulation? Also, even if this promise applied to that generation that lived just before the tribulation, they would never know it because no one knows the hour the tribulation will begin. And, we're not encouraged to guess. So how is this a promise that we can use?

I would say this is an assurance of truth for those who are suffering and enduring. I think this promise means more to those who are pursuing Christ in the harvest and paying the price. We have a lot of truth rattling around in our heads, but it doesn't become assurance for us until it is meaningful and helping us in our lives. In their suffering Jesus tells them that judgment is coming, but they will be saved from it, never to enter into it. It is the reminder that they are the Lord's own.

V. 11 That crown is awarded for endurance in suffering for Christ and His gospel. Again, the "coming soon" could be looked at from the perspective that a thousand years is as a day with God. Or, the word itself means that when the event begins, it happens very quickly. This is an encouragement for this church and its people to hold on to their endurance. The ability to endure in Christ becomes a reward in itself.

V. 12 So what is the reward here? How special would it be to be to receive a special commendation from the Lord? I think of what Gabriel said to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God." Would that be important to us, to be one of those who stands in His presence? David's prayer was, "that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his tabernacle." Would we desire that? Or are we fine with God when He's gone and we can do our thing with relative privacy, not always under His scrutiny. Obviously, in reality, what I just said is impossible, but we do not normally think being in God's presence would be the high point of our lives. For those who suffer, like David did, their desires are so focused on the love and compassion of God that He and His presence is all they want. I'm not sure what the key of David was, but maybe it also had something to do with entering and living in God's presence. When the twelve finally asked Jesus to teach them to pray, they could see that suffering was on the horizon. This time when Jesus told them about asking, seeking and knocking, He said the reward or answer in each of those actions would be the Holy Spirit, that is, the peace, joy and power of His presence. More than a specific answer to prayer, this is what His suffering disciples working in the harvest need.

Like the church in Smyrna, this was a suffering church that faced deadly persecution, that lived out the gospel in the harvest, testifying to the name of Jesus, and like Smyrna, "coincidently" did not receive a rebuke from its Lord.

This is what our heart's desire should be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCjj-DJIb6s&list=PL8F3FC504C539471B&index=90&feature=plpp_video

Vs. 14-22 The church of Laodicea.

This church usually gets most of the attention when people think of the churches in Revelation.

V. 14 In a way this is a very unusual introduction. Jesus is everything this church wasn't.

Vs. 15-20 Notice here, there is no commendation. Like Sardis, they looked alive but were dead. They, and everyone else, thought they could see and were blind. They thought they looked good, but Jesus said they were naked. Many people see this church as representing this age of the church. I don't think that ages are being talked about here, but we do have an abundance of churches who look alive and are neither hot nor cold. Jesus' threat to spit them out of His mouth should be something that makes every church leader very humble and alert. But like these churches, they thought everything was fine. Jesus' opinion is the only one that matters.

V. 18 Jesus actually gives them counsel, to seek Him.

V. 19 To humbly submit to His disciple and repent.

V. 20 To hear His knocking and open to Him. And you notice that this very famous verse is written to Christians. Notice too, that just like at Sardis, although the church is dead, Jesus is appealing here to individuals. So many Christians lament their church, but Jesus doesn't tell them to complain about the church or stage a mutiny. Rather, they are individually supposed to hear His voice and to respond. That's how church renewal begins. People listening to Jesus and doing what He says.

V. 21 Jesus came to the earth and went to a dead people as the only one who was truly alive and heard and followed His Father. Some followed Him. In this respect, everyone who is in a dead place, whether a dead church or among dead, lost people, who hears His voice and follows Him and His Word is like Him.

I find it incredibly interesting that those who respond to Him to renew the church in this context, will receive such an amazing reward. Jesus really loves His church. What a wonder it is to think that we would be conquerors like He was a conqueror, that we would sit on His throne with Him. If I'm in the shop of "Jesus' Rewards," this is the one I'm looking at and putting everything I have on the counter, so that I can receive this from Him.

In all of these church situations, Jesus gave the faithful something to strive after to help that particular church become healthy and re-enter the harvest following Christ.

Psalm 131

In preparation for worship, David wrote this song for those walking up to Jerusalem. The song was for them to prepare their hearts, but what is cool is how God prepared David's heart to write this. Maybe the "key of David" was the hardship that "opened the door" and drove David to love the Lord and desire Him only.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAM-cdGPQHs

Proverbs 29:23

Doesn't this sound like something that could flow right out of Psalm 131? So, how does God make us lowly in spirit? I think it comes from needing Him only.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.