This is Daniel Whyte III president of Gospel Light Society International with The Scripture & the Sense Podcast #437, 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 3:13-15.
13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord God, the God of hosts,
14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.
15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord.
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That was Amos 3:13-15. Now here is the sense of it.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary reads:
God addressed the Northern Kingdom as the house of Jacob, using the patriarchal name to remind them of His early commitment to their ancestors. In times past God had been a Warrior on their behalf. But now He would lead another army against them to punish them for their sins. God Almighty designates the most awesome Warrior. Throughout these chapters which describe Israel’s violations the Lord is repeatedly presented as a mighty Su-ze-rain who commands vast forces, whose power to punish rebels is both massive and irresistible. In punishing them, God would destroy the altars of Bethel. Bethel was the royal sanctuary of Jeroboam II, the most popular religious center in Israel. As the site of the golden calf erected by Jeroboam I, its altars symbolized Israel’s continued rebellion against God. The horns of these altars were projections on the altars’ corners. Fugitives could grab these horns to claim asylum from their pursuers. Murderers, however, could not receive protection, but were torn by force from the altar. Israel’s sin was similarly so great that God Himself was going to cut off the means of claiming asylum. There would be no sanctuary from the enemy who was coming against them. God would not only destroy their religious center; He would also tear down the luxurious mansions which resulted from their commercial exploitation. Once only kings could afford both a winter house and a summer house. For example, in the ninth century Ahab had a winter palace in the warmer plains of Jez-reel besides his Samaria residence. Luxury houses adorned with ivory inlay or furnishings were likewise the province of royalty. Yet the ill-gotten prosperity of Israel’s upper classes had enabled them to build such dwellings. All these, however, would be demolished on the day God would punish Israel.
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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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