Amos 4-6; Psalm 55; Matthew 14
Amos 4-6
The Day of the Lord is a day of God's judgment, coming not only on the nations surrounding Israel at that time but also on Israel itself. Amos provides several reasons why God will judge His people:
- Oppression of the poor (Amos 4:1)
- Multiplication of transgressions (Amos 4:4)
- Defiled worship (Amos 4:5)
For many years, the Lord warned Israel, striking their crops and themselves with diseases and plagues, yet they did not return to Him: "...yet you did not return to Me," declares the Lord (Amos 4:11). Therefore, Amos says, "Thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel. For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind declares to man what his thought is, makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth— the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name!" (Amos 4:12-13).
Despite this, the prophet calls out: "...Seek Me and live" (Amos 5:4,6,14).
Psalm 55
Another psalm describes the deep emotional turmoil David was experiencing. He speaks honestly about his sufferings: "My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen on me" (Psalm 55:5). He is oppressed by people who were once close to him: "If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers" (Psalm 55:12-14).
In these circumstances, David turns to the Lord for help: "As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me" (Psalm 55:16), urging others to do the same: "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken" (Psalm 55:22).
Matthew 14
Continuing to describe the many miracles performed by Christ, the Evangelist Matthew notes the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah and the personal qualities of His character. He heals many out of compassion: "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick" (Matthew 14:14). He feeds thousands, caring for them (Matthew 14:15-21).
All of this leads to recognizing Jesus as the Son of God. The disciples come to this conclusion after Jesus walks on water to reach them: "Then those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God'" (Matthew 14:33).
Matthew continues to emphasize the importance of faith. Peter's attempt to walk on water fails due to his lack of faith: "Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' He said, 'why did you doubt?'" (Matthew 14:31). Jesus consistently nurtured the disciples' faith in Him as the Son of God, sufficient for them to trust Him even in the most challenging situations of life.
From the pastor:
Submit a question for the program “The Bible Speaks” at the following link:
http://slovo.org/pisma
Grace Songs App
Here you will find songs with chords and sheet music.
Link for Apple: Grace Songs on Apple
Link for Android: Grace Songs on Android
I would be glad if these resources would be helpful to you!
The Day of the Lord is a day of God's judgment, coming not only on the nations surrounding Israel at that time but also on Israel itself. Amos provides several reasons why God will judge His people:
- Oppression of the poor (Amos 4:1)
- Multiplication of transgressions (Amos 4:4)
- Defiled worship (Amos 4:5)
For many years, the Lord warned Israel, striking their crops and themselves with diseases and plagues, yet they did not return to Him: "...yet you did not return to Me," declares the Lord (Amos 4:11). Therefore, Amos says, "Thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel. For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind declares to man what his thought is, makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth— the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name!" (Amos 4:12-13).
Despite this, the prophet calls out: "...Seek Me and live" (Amos 5:4,6,14).
Psalm 55
Another psalm describes the deep emotional turmoil David was experiencing. He speaks honestly about his sufferings: "My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen on me" (Psalm 55:5). He is oppressed by people who were once close to him: "If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers" (Psalm 55:12-14).
In these circumstances, David turns to the Lord for help: "As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me" (Psalm 55:16), urging others to do the same: "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken" (Psalm 55:22).
Matthew 14
Continuing to describe the many miracles performed by Christ, the Evangelist Matthew notes the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah and the personal qualities of His character. He heals many out of compassion: "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick" (Matthew 14:14). He feeds thousands, caring for them (Matthew 14:15-21).
All of this leads to recognizing Jesus as the Son of God. The disciples come to this conclusion after Jesus walks on water to reach them: "Then those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God'" (Matthew 14:33).
Matthew continues to emphasize the importance of faith. Peter's attempt to walk on water fails due to his lack of faith: "Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' He said, 'why did you doubt?'" (Matthew 14:31). Jesus consistently nurtured the disciples' faith in Him as the Son of God, sufficient for them to trust Him even in the most challenging situations of life.
From the pastor:
Submit a question for the program “The Bible Speaks” at the following link:
http://slovo.org/pisma
Grace Songs App
Here you will find songs with chords and sheet music.
Link for Apple: Grace Songs on Apple
Link for Android: Grace Songs on Android
I would be glad if these resources would be helpful to you!
Posted in Reading Bible Together