This is Daniel Whyte III president of Gospel Light Society International with The Scripture & the Sense Podcast #453, 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 5:7.
7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
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That was Amos 5:7. Now here is the sense of it.
The Matthew Henry Commentary reads:
The same almighty power can, for repenting sinners, easily turn affliction and sorrow into prosperity and joy, and as easily turn the prosperity of daring sinners into utter darkness. Evil times will not bear plain dealing; that is, evil men will not. And these men were evil men indeed, when wise and good men thought it in vain even to speak to them. Those who will seek and love that which is good, may help to save the land from ruin. It behoves us to plead God’s spiritual promises, to beseech him to create in us a clean heart, and to renew a right spirit within us. The Lord is ever ready to be gracious to the souls that seek him; and then piety and every duty will be attended to. But as for sinful Israel, God’s judgments had often passed by them, now they shall pass through them.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary reads:
One reason for God’s judgment was the corruption that permeated the courts. Court officials had turned justice into bitterness and had cast righteousness to the ground.“Justice” was the proper functioning of judicial procedures that enabled a court to declare who or what was right in a given case. “Righteousness” was the behavior of one who sought this end, who did “right” to those involved in the case. A righteous man was willing to speak in defense of an innocent person who had been wrongly accused. Righteousness was the action; justice was the end result. To do what was “right” and “just” on behalf of the needy was a crowning gem of human behavior and proved a special relationship with God. Justice and righteousness were more than essential sacrifice and ceremony. And nowhere were righteousness and justice more crucial than in the courts. Here the weaker members of society, those without money or influence, could receive protection from their oppressors and find fairness under the Law. But Israel, through the alchemy of greed, had turned justice into “bitterness”—literally, “wormwood,” a small plant known for its bitter pulp, usually associated with poison. The judicial system, instead of being like a medicinal herb to heal wrongs and restore the oppressed, had itself become a fatal poison within the nation. The description of the poison’s spread is continued in 5:10–13.
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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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