This is Daniel Whyte III president of Gospel Light Society International with The Scripture & the Sense Podcast #438, where I read the Word of God and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as the Bible Knowledge Commentary or Matthew Henry Commentary. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.
Today we are reading Amos 4:1.
Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.
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That was Amos 4:1. Now here is the sense of it.
The Matthew Henry Commentary reads:
What is got by extortion is commonly used to provide for the flesh, and to fulfil the lusts thereof. What is got by oppression cannot be enjoyed with satisfaction. How miserable are those whose confidence in unscriptural observances only prove that they believe a lie! Let us see to it that our faith, hope, and worship, are warranted by the Divine word.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary reads:
In the second message Amos declared that God would exile the upper-class women because of their economic exploitation, and judge the nation as a whole for its religious hypocrisy and obstinate refusal to repent, despite His repeated chastisements. The upper-class women were called cows of Bashan. Bashan, in Transjordan east of the Sea of Kinnereth (Galilee), was famous for its lush pastures, and its well-fed cattle. Amos accused the rich women of being equally pampered, insisting that their husbands continually supplied them with intoxicating drinks. The word for “husbands” is not one of the common Hebrew terms for husband, but a rare word meaning “master” or “lord”. Amos scorned those husbands who were supposed to be “masters” but who in reality meekly obeyed like servants. The only way they could support their wives’ expensive tastes was by ruthlessly exploiting the poor and the needy. (Though the women are said in 4:1 to do the oppressing, apparently they did so by domineering their husbands.) The words oppress and crush describe threats and physical harassments used to squeeze money from the helpless.
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Thank you for listening to the Scripture & The Sense Podcast. Remember to read the Word of God each and every day and pray without ceasing to God for wisdom to understand it and apply it to your life. Most importantly, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Please stay tuned for a complete presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can get your soul saved from Hell to that wonderful place called Heaven when you die. May God bless you and keep you is my prayer.
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