Revelation of the Word:

THEME: GREAT EARTHQUAKE

Amos 1:1 NKJV

“The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders 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.”

INSIGHT

–Prophet Amos warned about the historic earthquake during the reign of King Uzziah. From Amos 1 to Amos 9, Israel is warned of a looming earthquake set to happen 2 years later. Prophet Amos had given the warning despite Israel’s “Golden Age”. As this was the season where they had won tremendous victories and vast wealth under the reign of King Jeroboam and King Uzziah. However, there emerged a wealthy elite class that greatly exploited the poor in various ways such as; human trafficking for petty debt (Amos 2:6); they deliberately embraced fake scales. They would shrink the grain portions, raise the prices, and even swept up the dirt on the floor to sell it as “the refuse of the wheat” to starving people (Amos 8:6). Powerful landlords imposed heavy, unfair taxes on the grain yields of poor farmers, effectively keeping them in a cycle of permanent poverty while using the stolen grain to build their own “houses of hewn stone” (Amos 5:11). Prophet Amos had also condemned them for taking a bribe, and turning aside the needy in the gate” (Amos 5:12) hence their courts were also corrupt. God’s law strictly forbade keeping a poor person’s cloak overnight, as it was their only blanket (Exodus 22:26-27). Yet, the elites took these cloaks as collateral for debts and callously lounged on them next to pagan altars, drinking wine they bought with money stolen through unjust fines (Amos 2:8). By shaking violently, the physical earth was staging a rebellion against the wealthy class who had corrupted it through systemic injustice, fake market scales, and the exploitation of human beings. Prophet Amos judged the 4 surrounding neighbours of Israel and finally judged Israel as well as he had said that Israel was put far much worse because they knew the law but broke the law unlike the pagans who sinned out of ignorance. Prophet Amos had prophesied of an earthquake that would come to shake the luxury houses and the seizure by the Assyrians. The earthquake took place first. This was a physical sign of God’s judgement upon the Israelites. It was also a massive wake-up call giving Israel one last chance to repent before the final geopolitical judgment fell, that was, the seizure by the Assyrians that happened three decades later. Leviticus 18:28 warns that the land will “vomit you out” if you defile it. The earthquake also acted like the litmus paper of true prophecy as in Deuteronomy 18:22, the Bible states that a true prophet is proven if their words actually happen. Because Amos accurately predicted a natural disaster of this scale two years before it occurred, his scroll was immediately validated as the undisputed word of God. Finally, imagery from the earthquake that took place during the reign of Uzziah is always referred to by many prophets when they describe the symbol of the day of the Lord and the end of days – mountains splitting, the ground rolling like waves, and people running in naked terror to hide in caves.

PRAYER

Dear Abba Father, we come before Your throne of mercy today to obtain mercy and grace to help us during our time of need. Oh lord we humbly ask that You may show us mercy for the times we have walked in ways that do not please You. Where we have oppressed the poor and not headed to Your commandments, may You forgive us dear Jesus. May You cleanse us with Your precious blood and surround us with Your hedge of fire. We pray that You will go before us in all matters of our lives and release Your mercy upon us. Dear Lord, may Your continued protection reign over us and may You release Your wisdom to us to guide us on every matter of our lives. May You bless the works of our hands and make us to be a blessing to many. We thank You and honor You for You are great and worthy of all praise and honor. We exalt You and surrender all to You. May You come and have Your way in our lives. We thank You for You are always faithful to us and You hear us when we call and answer us. You are good God and Your mercies endure forever. We pray this believing and trusting in Jesus mighty name, Amen.

Further reading: Zechariah 14:4-5

Blessed Tuesday

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