National Treasure
“for they have despised the law of YHWH, and they have not kept His statutes. Their lies after which their fathers walked led them astray.” Amos 2:4
Law of YHWH – The prophet Amos lays a charge at the feet of the nation of Israel. It is not simply a declaration of the guilt of individuals. It is a proclamation of the collective guilt of the nation and its history. The people have not followed the torah YHWH. Neither did their fathers follow the torah YHWH. The result is disaster. The kingdom is coming to an end. Israel’s national treasure is its possession of God’s instructions. Violating them is the equivalent of treason.
Amos describes the moral decline of the people in graphic terms. He rails against their unrighteous business practices, their social deceit and their religious hypocrisy. In Amos’ view, torah YHWH certainly isn’t limited to religious ritual. It governs every aspect of life. In spite of the long-suffering patience of the Lord, these people have reached the limit of God’s forbearance. Now He will act with swift judgment. He will bring punishment designed to demonstrate His sovereignty and recall His people to His ways. God’s people are to live according to God’s instructions. When they don’t, it’s only a matter of time before chastisement comes.
The Christian Church has a history of reading these passages as if they apply only to Israel. In this view, Israel loses its place in God’s governance of the world. Because of its disobedience, Israel is usurped by the Church. While this interpretation has been popular for nearly 1800 years, it fails to thoroughly read the text. God does not reject Israel. God punishes Israel with the intention of bringing Israel back into alignment with His instructions. Israel never loses its covenant arrangement with God. It just fails to perform the assignment God gave it. But He doesn’t ever give up on Israel.
However, let’s suppose that the Church does take Israel’s place in a new “dispensation.” If that’s the case, then isn’t the Church called to act as if it were Israel? If Israel is guilty of not following Torah, and the Church replaces Israel, then doesn’t it seem logical that the Church should embrace wholeheartedly the very book of instructions that Israel failed to obey? If the Church replaces Israel, doesn’t it take on the same obligation and the same code of conduct that formerly belonged to Israel? Of course, the Church has argued that it had no obligation to accept the instructions God gave Israel in spite of the fact that it took Israel’s place in God’s government. Now, how is that possible? If you are the vice president of operations and you are fired, and I take your place, what logic allows me to say that I now have your title but I am not required to do your job? Do you suppose that God will overlook the failure of the Church to radically transform the culture according to His instructions simply because the Church wanted the title but didn’t want to do the work as He directed? I wonder if Amos isn’t the prophet for our generation. Do you suppose that we too have been led astray by the lie of our fathers?
Topical Index: church, torah, Israel, Amos 2:4
¡Uyyyyy! Esto sí que dolió, hermano Skip. Gracias por enseñarnos nuestro deber como Iglesia de Cristo. Gracias y bendiciones.
I read this book several days ago and it now strikes me as strange how I once read it(and all the others) completely as a historical account of what will happen to the Church if it doesn’t “act right”. I viewed all this history through the eyes of replacement theology. I dare say that I still somewhat view it this way in terms of our (the engrafted) obedience today, however, i also see the lovingness of a Father PROMISING what will take place in the event of disobedience to what HE said as opposed to what I think I should be corrected for. As a former pentecostalist I was taught the law written on our hearts was a result of the second definite work of grace which removed every trace of sin. Not precisely in those words, it could quite possibly have been one of those private interpretations of mine….a misunderstanding. Nonetheless, this was one of several teachings framing my view of all Scripture. This is just ONE of the cardinal doctrines of the Pentecostal Holiness Church which confounds the atonement of the cross IMHO. It’s a step before the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Strike 2! As a result of that, all I had to do was behave accordingly…”as the Spirit moved me”. After 20+ years of that I have viewed the death of a “church” that could not obey the simple yet difficult teachings of how to display love according to the manner of YHVH’s WORDs. This “church” was all about itself…its 4 and no more. But as attrition took the older saints, the children have, for 2 generations now, abandoned ship and swam for deeper waters or to the shore where they took another road other than the highway of holiness. The truth of the seeds of separatism which was taught and preached took root and now the fruit is being harvested. A dying group of people mistaught, misled and missing the mark but thinking they are on target. WOW….that scares me! Just a personal example of how truth seekers will not accept the teachings of a half-hearted, incongruent message. I am not condemning the people, preachers, evangelists, etc…look around us, the evidence is there, if you are not afraid to be challenged and seek Him while He yet may be found.
If you hear tones of anger, you hear rightly. If you listen deeper, you will hear hurt, almost to the point of despair. BUT for God….but for Jesus, the One who died to set me free, the One who will never leave me or forsake me, but rather has a plan to give me a hope and a future. Praise the Pure and sinless Lamb of God.
Thank you Skip for being bold enough to continue in the face of skeptics and unbelievers. Thank you Father, for you precious Word….all of it!
Mary,
I can identify with your witness. Thanks to God for not letting go of me!
Yes, Sister Gayle…INDEED, He is able to keep us from falling. He is the totality of all we stand in need of. Our Father has birthed us into His Nation of kings and priests, taught, trained, planned for through His own foreknowledge and appointing us to tell of His excellent greatness wherever we are. I will submit that this Kingdom is going strong and the worshippers are breaking out to serve the Almighty King of Glory! Hallelujah!!
Hey King David, can I use your dancing shoes when you finish dancing before the Lord? O, never mind, I just found mine and they are a perfect fit, custom made, no less by the Potter who made them before I was conceived in my mother’s womb! Yes Gayle, He keeps and holds all things together.
Mary… don’t know you, never met you, and yet I have to say.. I love your heart. I can’t quite “place it”, but something within me says.. “this lady knows Jesus!”.. lol!
I can promise dear family, I have been through (and am still going through some radical changes as I “grow in the grace and knowlege of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This “journey”, this “highway of holiness” has been a ride for sure. Thank G-d for His grip on me. We have been through a lot together. I’m covered with knots and scars, but I have to say in all honesty, I’d do it again in half a heart beat because I know He is “for me” and He is “with me.” Above all His word is ever true and trustworthy.
G-d does business with those who mean business. He has promised (and He never lies- does He?), if you seek for me with all your heart, you will find me.
When G-d speaks, it is forever. His words are eternal. His words are not
Remember His words, “I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people”, in Jeremiah 31? I believe that day is upon us. G-d is doing a work among those who belong to Him in preparing them for the trying days ahead.
It is very exciting to know, G-d always has a remnant. And of course it seems, G-d’s people seem to always be a minority number. “Few there be that find it”, the book says. -I wonder why.
Rodney, I am so excited to hear the words- “and they shall know that my name is The LORD.”
This is the name of salvation and this is the name of blessing.
Doesn’t the Ruach Hakodesh seem to say- “fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!” How we need to keep our noses in the book and to “live out” by the demonstrated loving of our hands our faith in the living G-d residing within our hearts.
Our Bible is not the “book of the month”, it is “the book of the ages.” G-d’s words are forever words. (-eternal). “Forever O LORD, your word is settled in the heavens.” (-and forever is a long, long time.) -lol!
The first chapter of the book of Psalms is just as relevant as it ever was and maybe even moreso. “But His delight is in “the law of the LORD” is still very much in force as it was so long ago, and is very much a blessing for us today. We need to know and follow G-d’s blessing book.
G-d will honor our desire to please Him through our obedience to His word and He will always provide what is necessary for us to accomplish what pleases Him. We have His word on it.
When the Savior reached down for me…He reached under the gutter!! I will forever be grateful for that dear Brother and I suspect you could say the same(relative to gratitude…maybe not the gutter). Jesus Christ saved me real good. He does all things decently and in order and although I have been out of order many times, He uses the crook of His Shepherd’s staff to get me back in line. Thank God for the precious Holy Spirit that continues to shine the light on His Word and leading me along the highway of holiness.
I appreciate everyone here who is zealous for His Glory to be revealed!
Bless you richly Brother Carl.
Amen, brother Skip. As it is written, “Jer 16:14-21 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; (15) But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.”
YHVH still intends to regather and restore His people, Israel, and the second exodus will be so great that it will wipe out memory of the first.
“(16) Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. (17) For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.”
He knows where they are, and He will search them out. But there are still consequences to their (our) sin…
“(18) And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.”
And then, the realisation, the dawning of reality, that we have inherited lies from our forefathers, who inherited them from their forefathers…etc.
“(19) O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. (20) Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? (21) Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.”
And this:
“Jer 31:10-14 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. (11) For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. (12) Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. (13) Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. (14) And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.”
And finally;
“Jer 31:31-34 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (32) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: (33) But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (34) And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
How great are the promises of YHVH our God! Amen, come Lord Jesus.
Yes, indeed, we have. Typically, when we hear ‘the Church’ we think of an institution. We don’t think, “Hey, that’s me!”
One of the things that I had to get used to all over again, was embracing the community. My experience was that the ‘church’ community is deaf to God’s Word, but totally into ‘churchianity.’ But, no one else is responsible for my following the instruction and teaching that I am given – not the US government, not my doctor, not my church, and not my husband. I alone will give an account of the treasure that is given to me.
If we do not make it a point to be ‘set apart,’ we might as well be wearing camoflauge.
Very astute Skip. I do not pretend to understand what this means for those who have gone before us. But I do understand that knowledge once gained must be acted upon and not denied.