AMOS 3, 4 AND 5 (SUBSTANCE OF A READING)

AMOS 3, 4 AND 5 (SUBSTANCE OF A READING)

Amos 3: 1 - 12; Amos 4:4,5; Amos 5:4-6; Amos 5:14,15

All through the prophets a remnant is spoken of. The end God always has in view is to secure a remnant — very small perhaps — for His pleasure; and in chapter 3: 12, there is a remnant in Judah to hear His speaking and to walk in His ways. God sets great value on the remnant. He is always adverse to us when our ways displease Him; it is essential to His character. “With the perverse thou dost show thyself contrary”; that is, the lion roars. “Shall two walk together except they be agreed?” (chapter 3: 3) is a very wide principle. It is wonderful in a day like this to walk with God as knowing His mind, and to profit by His ways. If He corrects me it is a benefit to me, something to be thankful for; I am not to resent it. Israel was indifferent to God’s ways. If any attend to God’s ways with them, they will be found in the remnant. The mass do not recognise that He has any ways with them; christendom has departed. Many were sick and some had fallen asleep at Corinth; God had a controversy with them and they had not noticed it. Many things happen to us individually and assemblywise that we are intended to notice, but we do not notice them and miss the blessing.

“Shall there be evil in a city, and Jehovah not have done it?” Evil in verse 6 is in the sense of what is adverse. The trumpet is a testimony among God’s people that is to be heeded. If you do what is contrary, something will touch it in a meeting and you will know it, though nobody else does. A man dropped into a meeting once and fell on his face recognising that “God is indeed amongst you”. If all were walking with God, nothing adverse would come into the assembly but what would be pointed out by the prophets, though no eye had seen it. ‘Who told you about me?’ people often complain. We should expect the secrets of the heart to be made manifest. “The secrets of his heart are manifested”, it says (1 Corinthians 14: 25). God’s ways in government and prophetic ministry are to be attended to; we must not get hardened or He will be adverse to us. They are His ways with the christian profession, and we are part of it. The lion roaring is some very grave action on God’s part to produce fear; for instance the circumstances in Europe today (World War 2) are very like it, very like a time when the Lord is roaring.

“Jehovah hath spoken”. The roaring is not defined. God speaks intelligently, and because he speaks the prophets have to speak. Every bomb falling is the lion roaring; it is meant for people to fear and be brought into the “remnant” because it is God acting. In the case of Job, behind was Satan and behind Satan was God. God was acting. We need to cultivate sensitiveness in God’s acting with us. It is going on all the time, going on all day and all night; we ought to turn to Him. God is getting a remnant in all the countries of Europe and making men hear. It may only be two legs or a piece of an ear (chapter 3: 12), but it is precious to the Shepherd. We want to be set on this, that our walk is right. Two legs speak of ability to walk and to please God, and a piece of an ear represents some ability to hear. “The Lord gives the word” (Psalm 68: 11). If we were simple we should never come together for a ministry meeting without the saints getting a word. “Great the host of the publishers”. It is a word for the sisters. It is encouraging that sisters have a leading part in prophecy. The word ‘publishers’ is feminine, showing that it can be taken up in a feminine way. The best word ever given to the brethren was given by a sister (John 20). They are just as much joints and bands as brothers are, by which nourishment reaches the members from the Head. Can you receive something from the Head? A sister may get something direct from the Head that will be of benefit to the body down here. If so, a sister is sure to speak about it and, like a snowball, it gets bigger at every turn. It is better to pass on a spiritual impression rather than notes; a living impression is a vital matter.

We may have a Bethel and a Gilgal and get formal and dead (chapter 4: 4, 5). Bethel and Gilgal were two most honourable places, but we might do all just to please ourselves. It shows that the form of things was going on, but it was all self-pleasing. I want you to return to Me, He says; and in chapter 5: 4, 5, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live. And seek not Bethel, neither go to Gilgal” — wonderful places in the past. Seek me and you will live. “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live” (verse 14), it is a vital matter. “As ye say” in that verse is striking. Talking of bringing the Lord with them into religious ruts is true of all christendom; we might get into them too; what we want is life. So He is turning many from all these things into vital connection with Himself.