LORD God of Hosts Is His Name – I'm Following Jesus

King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

Date: Tuesday, July 09, 2019
Chapters: Amos 1-5
Message: LORD, God of Hosts Is His Name

Hello My Friend,

It occurred to me as I was reading the chapters for today of just how brokenhearted God must be. Not only does the world reject Him, but His very own people do, not to mention those who are saved that are tearing His Word apart so that they can convince themselves and their followers that they are justified in the way they are living. If it is heartbreaking to us to watch someone we love suffering in their sin with no hope of their turning to Christ, just imagine how God feels to have the majority of His creation suffering in their sin. And here is the thing, they know not what they do. It reminds me of what Jesus said as He was being crucified, “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.” – Luke 23:33-35.

“if he be Christ, the chosen of God.” The chosen of God, now, that is an understatement. You see, these are people that read the Scriptures, and knew exactly what the prophecies foretold, yet they knew not what they were doing. While Jesus has compassion on all, He will not be tempted, and He did not have to prove to them who He is, even if He did jump off that cross they would not have believed Him. How do I know that? If they did not believe in the miracles, and did not believe the Scriptures, they were not going to believe in Him by saving himself. Besides, He did not come here to save himself, He came here to save those who believe in Him. God created hell for Satan, his demons, and unbelievers, and this includes those who know not what they do. He still tries with all His might to get them to understand that His judgment stands, but there is hope for them. The Book of Amos contains nine chapters, and was written by Amos, who was Isaiah’s father. The timeline is about 776-763 BC. The purpose of the book was to call all of Israel back to God. What we are to learn from the book is that God calls all nations to prepare for the day they will meet Him for judgment. Now, interestingly, Amos, was a shepherd, and God sent, him not only to Judah and Israel to warn them of His judgment, but all nations.

“The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw 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. And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither. Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant: But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof. Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:” – Amos 1:1-2,9-11.

“two years before the earthquake.” God always gives ample warnings of His judgments so that the people do have an opportunity to repent, He does not just want to see just Israel saved, He wants to see all saved. Sadly, not all will be saved, and regardless if they know what they are doing or know not what they are doing, the same judgment applies to all. I saw someone try to explain that those who live in the sin of homosexuality receive a harsher punishment than any other sin, but this is incorrect, all sin receives the same punishment. However, it is the sins of the flesh, also known as fornication (immorality, adultery, homosexuality, substance abuse), that do cause one to sin against their own body, and therefore, it may seem like a harsher punishment because they are suffering for it. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” – Galatians 5:19-21.

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest,” We have to understand that God is not speaking to just those of the world here, He is speaking to all, those who are saved and living in sin, those who are depending on their religion to save them, those who make up their own version of Him, and those who down right reject His Word. Now, God sends Amos to Israel (Samaria) and Judah to tell them of the judgments placed upon them.

“Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked: But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem. Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name: And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.” – Amos 2:4-8,14-16.

“And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day,” Why did God have me point out this part of Scripture? There are way too many, Jew and Gentile alike, who think they are saved because believe they are God’s people. They walk around in their arrogant pride as though they know God or are God, oblivious to the fact that they know not what they do. And no matter what God does to show them that He is true, and serious about His judgment, they continue to reject the warnings, and choose their false gods over Him. The day will come when they will cower and run for they will see the judgment of God, but will not be able to escape. Through Amos, God tells Israel, no matter what He has done to get them to repent, whether it was helping them prosper or chastening them, they have not returned and therefore, the judgment stands.

“And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.” – Amos 4:6,10-13.

“I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,” Do you see who is speaking here? The LORD Jesus Christ, the God of hosts, is His name. Hosts; An army; a number of men embodied for war; Any great number or multitude. Not to mention that Jesus is God Himself, He is also God of an army, a great multitude of believers, who have not forsaken His warning, who were not cast into the fire, but faithfully turned to Him, and were saved. Amen! Religion does not save you, ignorance does not save you, rejection does not save you, and creating your own version of God does not save you, only Jesus does, and many will be overthrown. “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.” – Luke 13:28-29.

“and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.” Do you think God wants to see one soul in hell? While judgment of this world is not avoidable, God does make a way for a person to escape it or find peace through it. Through Amos, God pleads with Israel to repent, and if they seek Him, they will live.

“Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel. For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.” – Amos 5:1,4-6,12-15,18.

“Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD!” This is proof that God does not want to see one soul in hell. And He certainly does not want to destroy everything He created. However, there will come a time when that will happen. Why? Sin. Sin destroys everything good that God has created. One can blame God or even Satan for all they want for the evils in this world, but man has done that all by themselves. God gives us everything we could ever desire for our flesh to enjoy without sin, and yet, that is never enough. Women conceiving babies in their lusts, then aborting them, people unprotected, spreading disease like wildfire, people turning to drugs or alcohol to fix their problems, people marrying those of the same sex, people using cosmetic surgery to alter their appearance to be a gender they are not, people proclaiming Christ, and yet do all of these things. These are all sins of the flesh that destroy the body by the way, and we all have a choice. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” – I Corinthians 6:9-11.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.” – Amos 4:13.

Today’s Prayer: Jesus, You are the LORD, the God of hosts, that is Your name. The Almighty and only living God, who has an abundance of mercy on all who call upon You. Thank You for loving us so much to warn us repeatedly of Your judgment so that all have a chance to seek You, and live, and thank You for showing us the right path of life. Lord, keep us faithful and growing as we await Your return, and the we ourselves can escape Judgment Day. Give us Your power and strength to reach whomever You place before us with the Gospel, and let us be the godly example You need us to be in this world that knows not what they do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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