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Amos Reveals the Prudent Keep Silent
October 24, 2015

Last week we continued our study of the Book of Amos by seeing that God will punish those who oppress the poor and needy. Today as we continue in chapter five, we will see that from time to time, situations can be so evil, the prudent keep silent.

Amos 5:1-3
Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel. The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up. For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.

God shows the fate of Israel; a nation diminished in might and power by ninety percent. The lives and strength of one thousand would become one hundred, and the lives and strength of one hundred would become ten.

Amos 5:4-15
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. Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name: That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. 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.

God encourages those who want to live, to seek only him and not seek any other god, location, or city of refuge. Only God has the power to bring life out of nothing and only God can save. Those who trust in wealth, and amass financial wonders and build huge homes, will not enjoy these. Those who have planted vineyards, will not drink the wine. Though these people appear righteous, they bring harm to those who do good, will take a bribe for quick money, and ignore the poor. The prudent keep silent at this evil time and are advised to seek good so that they might live. Furthermore, they are told to hate the evil and love the good so that God may bestow his blessings.

Amos 5:16-27
Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing. And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD. 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. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.

God concludes by giving a warning to those who desire the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord will be a time of darkness, and not light. Those who desire the day of the Lord will have their feast days and solemn assemblies despised by God. Judgment will be pronounced on these people and they will go into captivity.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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