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THE KING'S BUSINESS
only graft and their own personal inter ests. v. 8. “Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is His name." To seek the Lord is supreme wisdom, for 'Hè is full, both of power and grace. In verse 8 His power is illustrated in four ways: (1) He made the stars (cf. Gen. 1 :16). Modern astronomy overwhelms us with its statements concerning the distances and stupendous magnitude of the-stars, but Jehovah Our Father and our Savior made them all. It is well to have Him on our side. It matters little who is against us if He is for us (Rom. 8:31). It behooves every one of us to get right and keep right with God who “made, the stars.” (2) He “turneth the shadow of death ( the deepest darkness) into the morning" with its sun shine and gladness (cf. Ps. 30:5). For how many of us, in His wondrous grace, God is doing this very thing. He is turning the deepest darkness, the darkness of earthly calamities, the darkness of sickness and im pending death, the darkness of bereàvement for our loved ones, and other forms of deep est darkness, into the bright morning with its sunshine and beauty. (3) "He maketh the day dark with night." He has’done this literally again and again, not Only in Bible times (Ex. 10:21-23), but in modêfft-’tîihes as well, e. g., in connection with the vol canic disturbance at Martinique. He can do it any day. He can and may do it afiy day where you and I live. (4) He “calleth for the waters o f the sea, and poureth them .out upon the face of the earth." This is not simply a beautiful poetic description of rain, but is also a profoundly scientific descrip tion of rain) How did Amos know how the rain came? Atnos did not know. God knew and God is the speaker here and Amos is simply His mouthpiece. God is the Father of the rain. As we are also dependent upon the rain for food, drink and all things, happy is the man who has the author of the
life, and-the best part of the promise is, it is God Who makes it and God cannot lie (Titus 1:2); - v. 5. "But Seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass dot to Beersheba; for Gil- gal shall surely go into' captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought." Bethel and Gilgal and Beersheba were all places where idola trous worship, had been established, begin ning with Jeroboam’s setting up his calf at Bethel (1 Kings 12:28, 29). To seek these places was to turn the back upon Jehovah. Today to turn to idolatrous and unscriptural worship is to turn the back Upon God. All the places mentioned had sacred memories attached to them, Jehovah had manifested Himself at each one of them in one way or another, and in the introduction of idola trous worship among the Israelites, they had sought to attach their new and forbidden modes Of worship to the old God-given re ligion. Just so today; the new false wor ship and “new theology” always seek for themselves points. o f contact with the old God-given worship and theology. They re alize that in this way they' can more easily beguile the sincere but unwary soul. v. 6. “Seek the Lord, and ye shdll live; lest He break out like lire in the 'house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel." Hère wé have two things set in contrast; life, and the fire of j udgment. Life found by seeking the Lord, the “fire” of judgment found by forsaking the Lord. God is a consuming fire to all those who spurn His grace and refuse to repent and obey Him (Heb. 12:28, 29; Mark 9:43-49). The fire of God’s wrath devours the persistent enemy of God, and “none” can “quench it.” v. 7. "Ye who turn judgment to worm wood, and leave oft righteousness in the earth." Here we have a striking descrip tion of the rulers of that day. It is also an accurate description of many judges and rulers of our owh day. How many there are today who, when they seek justice at court, get “wormwood” instead, and how many rulers there are in city, state and na tion who “leave off righteousness” and seek
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