Psalm 5, 6; Amos 3:1-11; 2 Pet. 1:12-21; Matt. 21:12-22
Amos prophesies further against Israel and the Lord’s complaint is based on the reality that they are “chosen” or “known” in a special way. They alone are known by Him in this way. The next few verses reveal that cause and effect is a reliable system for thinking. The reason Israel is to be judged is that they have plundered their own. They have stored up violence and robbery in their own strongholds. The judgment will be carried out by an enemy who will surround them and plunder those same strongholds. As Christians, we are responsible to the Lord for our chosenness in the same way the Jews were/are responsible. It doesn’t take long to see that we could certainly be charged with the same offenses towards other Christians. Jesus’ main charge was for us to love one another as the means of revealing who we are and whose we are.
Jesus drives the money-changers and sellers of sacrificial animals out of the temple. Indeed, they had turned it into a profit center, preying in some cases on pilgrims who needed to be sure their sacrifice would be guaranteed acceptable to the priests. In addition, these vendors were set up in the court of the Gentiles, where the nations could draw near and hear what was being taught and to pray to Yahweh even though they had no special standing with Him. They were being kept from knowledge, wisdom and understanding. As soon as the vendors are gone we are told of the blind and lame coming for healing and that the chief priests and scribes are indignant with Jesus and those who sing His praises. They are upset with the riff-raff who have come to Jesus. Sounds like the Amos passage doesn’t it?
What is the role of prophecy and what is true prophecy? Peter speaks of prophecy concerning the end times in this passage and assures us that all prophecy in the Bible is of God. The standard for prophecy is ultimately whether the prophetic word comes true but how do we deal with it in the meantime? We are told that the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets so we need to submit ourselves to one another when we hear from the Lord. Prophecy in the church is meant to build up but that doesn’t imply that it will always be pleasant to hear, sometimes the church needs correction as well as encouragement. We are called to be a peculiar people and we need sometimes to be reminded of that reality, mostly when we have gone astray from that mandate. If we heed a word in time, we will be spared much pain and anguish later.
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
No comments:
Post a Comment