LITTLE THINGS WITH DEADLY CONSEQUENCES

MONDAY, 14TH NOVEMBER, 2022.

Topic: LITTLE THINGS WITH DEADLY CONSEQUENCES

MEMORIZE: "Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that me may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?" (Amos 8:5,6).

SCRIPTURE READING: AMOS 8:1-10.

“1 Thus the Lord GOD showed me: Behold, a basket of summer fruit. 2 And He said, "Amos, what do you see?" So I said, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the LORD said to me: "The end has come upon My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore. 3 And the songs of the temple Shall be wailing in that day," Says the Lord GOD-"Many dead bodies everywhere, They shall be thrown out in silence." 4 Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail, 5 Saying: "When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit, 6 That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals-Even sell the bad wheat?" 7 The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: "Surely I will never forget any of their works. 8 Shall the land not tremble for this, And everyone mourn who dwells in it? All of it shall swell like the River, Heave and subside Like the River of Egypt. 9 "And it shall come to pass in that day," says the Lord GOD, "That I will make the sun go down at noon, And I will darken the earth in broad daylight; 10 I will turn your feasts into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist, And baldness on every head; I will make it like mourning for an only son, And its end like a bitter day.”

EXPOSITION: 

1. Little things that many count as smartness and not sins.

a. Taking advantage of the needy and the poor – “Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail,” v4. This can be done in many ways. Cheap labour, buying their wares (goods) at ridiculous rates because they are desperate to sell and survive, demanding gratifications from them when you know they have no choice, asking for gratifications before giving assistance or helping hand etc. The Question here is: In what other ways do people do these and count them as smartness?

b. Half hearted service to God on the altar of economic or other challenges. “Saying: "When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit.” - Amos 8:5.

c. Maximizing incomes, gains or profit using deception or other ungodly (smart?) means v5.

d. Exploitation of the vulnerable - “That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals-Even sell the bad wheat?" v6.

Question: What other evil  "smartness" with great consequences are in the text especially in v6?

2. Lasting and terrifying consequences of "smart sins"

a. Check Amos 8:3, 7,8,9,10 “3 And the songs of the temple Shall be wailing in that day," Says the Lord GOD-"Many dead bodies everywhere, They shall be thrown out in silence." 7 The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: "Surely I will never forget any of their works. 8 Shall the land not tremble for this, And everyone mourn who dwells in it? All of it shall swell like the River, Heave and subside Like the River of Egypt. 9 "And it shall come to pass in that day," says the Lord GOD, "That I will make the sun go down at noon, And I will darken the earth in broad daylight; 10 I will turn your feasts into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist, And baldness on every head; I will make it like mourning for an only son, And its end like a bitter day.” 

Apply those things to our present situations as individuals and nations.

b. Also very serious is v2b: "I will not again pass by them any more" Define abandonment after God is fed up with them. 

PRAYER POINT: 

Lord, I hereby repent of all my half hearted service, worship and sins in the name of smartness. Confess those you can remember.

Promise God that you will do all you can to be helping the vulnerable in the society🙏

Pray that God will show mercy and not abandon or pass by your country. 

Ask the Spirit of repentance to be poured on all.

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DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Acts 15-18.