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Episode 634: In this episode, we explore God's judgment against Israel, emphasizing the stark contrast between His anger towards them and the mercy He extends through warnings. We reflect on how Israel, despite being God's chosen people, had become complacent and entitled, believing they were immune to consequences due to their special status. This leads us to draw parallels with modern-day attitudes, particularly how some people today might feel similarly secure in their faith without truly applying God's teachings in their lives.
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You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in practical ways. Are you gonna seeing Good Morning, Jeff? Nope, nope. Come on, I'm not doing it ready, I'm not doing it. I'm not doing it. You did it yesterday? Yeah you did? Yes, Hey have you missed yesterday's episode? There was a guy. It's amazing. This guy wrote in and said, why doesn't Jeff sing good morning? So I was given Jeff, I got a little bit. Yeah, I got a little bit. Yeah, Well, everybody want to Chris Thing. Welcome to the Bible Guys. My name is Chris, This is Jeff, and I'm the Bible Guy, and this is my faithful CampaignOn That's right, that's right. I'm just happy to be here. Yes, I'm just happy to be here. Well, Chris, uh so, if you're new to the show, Chris is our resident movie buff. I like movies. Yes, well you've seen all the movies. I've seen all of them. Multiple times, a lot of movies, all the movies multiple times. So today we're gonna see if you can determine the film that I'm suggesting based on only six words. I'm going to give you a six word description, but. Don't forget it, says Jeff gets to decide how many points are awarded. Yes, do you want to tell me I get the end or up front? How many of the words? Well, let's see how quickly you get. It's going to be a slide scale depending on how scale based on the speed. So it's six words. Okay. So I'm racing against the public. You're weight racing against my sliding scale. Yeah. Yeah, it's purely arbitrary. But Chad always says that he tries. To for anybody, anybody who beats you on getting these answers, they get six million points apiece. Okay, that's for you. Now you're just getting crazy. Well now I'm being generous. Yeah, well I am. I am. I am a billionaire when it comes to points. So, man, you are just out there, buddy. Okay, six words okay, And here's what I think I'm going to Instead of reading the six words back to back, I'm going to read a word, give you a second, read a second word. That's what I'm going to do. Wow. Sounds strange, Yes, okay, okay, all right, sure. First word, children, children of the corn, second word out smart out smart, third word mob. Children out smart mob. Fourth word four four yes, children out. So it's a it's a it's a it's a it's a movie about children out smarter mob. Fifth word pirate, goodies. So you got you got? So you got it in five words. Okay, that's pretty good. I was thinking of all the children. Movies and in my mind, literally one of the first things I thought. I was goodies. Yeah, and so in my mind I was thinking children. But they don't outside of they don't they're not smart mob. But that's how they described it. That's so funny. Here's one ready, Okay, so so let me see you got it in five words. So I'm going to give you one hundred thousand points. Did you you ever see name that tune? Yes, we're there, I can name it in one note? Yes, yeah, you ready? Cloned Clone, Minority Report, No dinosaurs, Jurassic Park. There you go. Yeah, that was the easy one. All right, I'm going to give you three hundred thousand points or four hundred thosand pints on that one. I'm going to give you a hundred thousand points for every word I don't have to read. How about that there. It is so so right. Now you've got five hundred thousand points. Hey, read the rest of the Jurassic Parks. Clone dinosaurs eat some people too, eat some people too. Okay ready yes, uh, bug Bug's life bite, bug bite spider Man. Yeah, there you go. Okay, I'm going to give you four four hundred thousand. I got bug bite. Bug bite makes guy fight criminals. You have got to be kidd I literally hang on, I'm wrappling in this. Yeah it feels good. I got the word spider man from bug bites. There you go, because because I in my mind, I see the image of the of the. Going and biting, and there's not too many movies, by the way, that do that. That's right, right, that's because that's that's a scene. So now you are eight hundred and nine. I'm so proud of me. I'm very proud of me. Okay ready, yes, bored board board board as they wait, how do you spell that b O A r D board board game game releases? There you go? Yes, so three hundred thousand extra points there, so you're one two million points? Can you read the board game releases? Rhinos chaos ensues. Wow, there you go. Okay, here's the last one. Yeah, Alien. Just okay, wants okay, a yeah, phone call, Alien. Just wants a phone call. Okay, So another Dan. You got one point three million points today, christ I paused, that's a good day for you. Hey, listen. I paused because you said Alien, and I was going to say the movie Alien, Yeah, oh, Alien, and I was like, wait a minute, he just said said Alien. So well, good time, Chris, thanks man. At one point three million points in in one game, I got to be honest, you are covering some ground lately. I got to be honest racking them up. I enjoyed that mostly because of your adjustment. The adjustment, which was just a word at the time. That was really fun for me. Yeah, okay, that was really good. And I'm five for five. Yeah, I know at one point three million today. Wow, I gave you a hundred thousand points for everywhere and we didn't have. To use Dude, I am reveling in this. Yeah, that's great. I feel great. You should. It's it's an accomplishment, maybe one of the pinnacles of your life. Yes, yes, I call Liz. Do you want to call Liz right now? Salvation? You believe addition, marriage ministry one point three million points in one. I should put my kids in there, somewhere, somewhere. Family. Well, and this is a big deal, so don't don't rush it. Kids are there somewhere. You're in the list. Just be thankful to be on the list. Kids. That's great, all right. Well, good for you, Chris. So I'm so proud of you. Thank you know who God wasn't proud of. Oh wow, So you only said you're so proud of me because of a transition. No, No, actually I said, I said I'm proud of me. No, I said, I'm so proud of you. And then it dawned to me, there's the transition. Oh I promise you. I promise this. All right, Okay, So God was not proud of Israel. No, he was not. Remember how we pointed out in the previous judgments in chapter one and chapter two of the Book of Amos, he's mad at Moab and he mentions it. In three verses. He's a judgments coming to Judah. He mentions it in three verses. But already we're ten verses in on Israel, and God goes and another thing. You turn the page and get the chapter three, and God goes, I got some more for you guys. He's really not happy with Israel. And he says and again because they know better. They know better. That's right, they know better, and they had a false understanding. I think of their status. They thought they had a protected status with God. I'm one of God's faith that is called entitlement. Yes, and so God, I think, is more upset with them because they are so entitled to they think entitled to God's blessings. Hey, by the way, he said, if you know all the benefits that were coming from me, you should have behaved better. Hey, I have an absolutely random thought. That's interruptive. Okay, go ahead. Remember I told you that Tory bought me a coffee mug with dad jokes every day. Yes, I had coffee this morning and I scanned it. What is orange and sounds like a parrot. I don't know a carrot. SOUPID. It's so bad, so bad. Okay, I don't even know how to transition out of that one. Let's pretend I didn't happen back into the Bible, JESF. You know what you can't pretend didn't happen is all the sins Israel committed against them. There it is there, you got it. There they are Okay. So we're in Amos three, and God continues to go through Amos. He says, listen to this message that the Lord has spoken against you, oh people of Israel and Judah, against the entire fan Only I rescued from Egypt. From among all the families on the earth, I have been intimate with you alone. That is why I must punish you for all your sins. Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? Does a lion ever roar in a thicket without first finding a victim? Does a young lion growl in its den without first catching his prey? Does a bird ever get caught in a trap that has no bait? Does a trap spring shut when there's no nothing to catch? When the rams horn blows a warning, shouldn't the people be alarmed? Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has planned it? Is the Pope Catholic? No, I'm sorry, Nope, that's nothing. Wowy to Yes, That's all God's doing is He's giving you. He's giving you a bunch of same thing. Indeed, the sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants, the prophets. The lion has roared, so who isn't frightened? The Sovereign Lord has spoken, So who can refuse to proclaim his message. Announce this to the leaders of Felictia and to the great ones of Egypt. Take your seats now on the hills around Samaria, and witness the chaos and oppression in Israel. God says, Hey, Philistines, watch this. Yeah, that's what he says. All right, my people have forgotten how to do right, says the Lord. Their fortresses are filled with wealth taken by the theft and violence. Therefore, says the Sovereign Lord, an enemy is coming. He will surround them and shatter their defenses, and then he will plunder all their fortresses. This is what the Lord says. A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion's mouth will recover only two legs and a piece of an ear. So it will be for the Israelites in Samaria lying on luxurious beds, and for the people of Damascus reclining on couches. Now, listen to this and announce it through all. Israel, says the Lord. The God of the Lord, God of Heaven's armies. On the very day I punish Israel for its sins, I will destroy the pagan altars at Bethel. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. And I will destroy the beautiful homes of the wealthy, their winter mansions and their summer houses too, all their palaces filled with ivory. Says the Lord. Oh yeah, man, Yeah, that's yeah, that's more than ten verses. That's a few more. Well, he's not done. He's gonna keep going. We got chapter four to go. We've got chapter five to go. Well, chapter four, he's still mad. Chapter five he's gonna ask them to repent. But yeah, is this amazing. Yeah, So he's like, hey, I'm not done. And he tells the people in Felictia to gather around and watch just literally, hey, gather on the hills of Samaria and just watch. Grab some popcorn. Sit down. It's gonna be a show. That's what he's telling them. That's literally what he says. Well, he doesn't say grab popcorn, but he says take you. He says, take your seats now on the hills around Sameria and witness the chaos and oppression in Israel. Yeah, that's what he tells the Philistines. Yeah, buckle up, it's coming and it's going to be a show. Yep. Right. By the way, Amos Chapter three, verse three, see where it says can two people walk together without greeing on the direction? Huh? And the King James version it says can two walk together less they be agreed. My pastor who did my wedding, he used that verse in my wedding. Oh wow. Yeah. And by the way, whenever I'm reminded that that's where that verse came from. In that context, it's very disturbing in my wedding, judgment's coming. No, I mean it is the correct context. He's using an example of a couple walking together, and he's basically saying, hey, everybody knows that a couple who doesn't walk together, they can't do it unless they are in agreement. Right, So the example still holds, But in this context it's pretty pretty frightening. Right, it's pretty disturbing. But I'll never forget the message in my wedding. As I'm staying there and I'm listening to the pastor getting ready to you know, we're ready to say our vows. And he said, Christ and liz Amus Chapter three, verse three says that two cannot walk together unless they be agreed. He said, some people say that love is two vowels O, N E and two consonants uh, ellen v and two fools you and me. That's what he said. And I was like, that has to be the cheesiest introductions of the word. Love I've ever heard in my life. Okay, and that's terrible, but anyway, I remember it. So got to say this one thing. I do remember everything. I remember everything he said. I remember all of it. But anyway, so God takes the. Time to warn the guilty people of Israel and uh and and he says, here comes this uh this uh, this punishment that's coming, and we already know that it's going to be thirty years from now. And so God gives them a chance to repent. And what's so interesting is is that what we learn is that they don't repent. Right, So is it is it because do you think, I mean, is there a street here that leads us to conclude that they just don't believe God? Or is it that they maybe perhaps are thinking, well, that's my son's problem, not my problem. Well, well, you see it kind of God's judgment on Israel. And then now Judah is walking away from God too, So there's that. But God's judgments on Israel are kind of progressive. Right. It starts off it's the pecking around the edges from the Philistines, right, it's the raiders coming in and causing trouble, but eventually the Israelites get victory. Here at this point, Israel is pretty prosperous. They're pretty dominant economy, a pretty strong kingdom. Even though they have been following God. They've got a lot of confidence. But they have not been obliterated by invading forces in one hundred and something years, right, think of all the kings hundreds of years, and so I think that they've just gotten yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, crazy prophet going around and the judgment is coming, and sure judgment has been coming for a long time, but it hasn't come yet. And that when judgment doesn't come, that I think they're just dismissing the prophets going. You've been saying that for a long time. You and your brothers and all the other prophets say say the same thing. I think they just felt like God likes us, where God's chosen people, we are, we're special. Well, God said, I've chosen. You to get intimate with and you alone, right right, right, So it's pretty clear that they are God's chosen. People, right. And I think that they just have a lot of comfort in that that there's there's no we can do whatever we want to do because we're we're protected by God. I think Americans feel that way sometimes, that we're just for some reason, you know, this manifest destiny concept sometimes that that we're kind of immune, that God likes us special, and that we you know, look at our wealth, look at our and and so even Christians, a lot of times they spend their lives living like the world in a nation that's clearly blessed by God, and and and then surprise when the world comes crashing down around them, when they're life falls apart, when judgment finally comes. And I think that's the same thing that they just kind of fell asleep in it. But I do love this verse seven says, Indeed, the sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants to prophets. Right, even in God's anger. He's so merciful to go, hey, I'm still going to send somebody warn you, somebody wake up. And you know we already talked about this is going to be twenty two years down the road, thirty two years down the road, something like that before the judgment actually comes. But God is so good to his people and so good to you and me that he continually sends warnings. And so God says, hey, this isn't a secret. I'm not mulling this over in my warm room upstairs, and it's going to come on you as a surprise. I'm warning you in advance. And warnings about sin and judgment apply to people today just as they did to Israel. Because we've been warned about our sin, we have no excuse when punishment comes. Do not take lightly the warnings in God's word about judgment. His warnings are a way of showing mercy to you. I like the note and the life application study BIB. On verse number ten, it says the people of Israel no longer knew how to do what was right. The more they sin, the harder it was to remember what God wanted. The same is true for us. The longer we wait to deal with sin the greater the whole it has on us. Finally we forget what it means to do what is right? Are you on the vergion of forgetting? I like the I like the ending question there. You know. I had this devotional book, Devotions for Kids, and I must have went through it, it seems it seems like, you know, thirty times with my oldest daughter, you know, and it was. Just our favorite thing to read. But you know why it was so so good because there was a section at the end that was my daughter's favorite that said how about you? And it was it was literally this this exact ending. Are you on the verge of forgetting right? That's what it did. And so there was like this little devotion and sometimes it was like a fabricated story that it included a Bible verse and a lesson and then it would say how about you? Are you feeling this way? Do you think this way? Do you respond this way? And we would literally just tuck her in every night and read these devotions And I love it because, by the way, side note, I believe that the word of God is for application, right, and by the way, that's what God's word says, right, you know. One of my favorite verses, and it's so convicting is Luke chapter six, verse forty six. Do you know that one? I'll put you on the spot. It's so obscure. It's so obscure. I don't know. Jesus said, and why do you call me lord lord? And do not do the things that I say? Right? And there was there was a sign at Baptist Bible College where I went to school, where there was a there was a road sign that said six forty six. And I don't know what it was. There was some kind of road sign, but every time I passed it going home back to the college, I'd look at. It and I go, Luke six forty six, And I would always anyway, but tell me, Lord Lord, don't do what I tell you. Yeah, well, I mean the Word of God is for application. So one of the reasons why I referenced my pastor earlier and I said, I remembered everything he said, is because I was fascinated with the idea that he would take something that seemed a little complex on the surface and perhaps a little hard to understand, and he would break it down to help me understand what the word what the word meant, and then he would literally change it into application. He'd say, well, this is what this means. So you know, are you going to go home and think about these three things? Or what is God asking you to do? And and I was just so fascinated that I was like, wow, that is amazing because I had gone to church my whole life off and on, not very much actually, but through the span of my young life, we sort of popped in and I went through different dominations. I would pop in, and to be honest, most of the time I didn't really understand anything. It was either in another language, or it was irrelevance, or there was no application, it was just information, or it was just they talked to Christianese to such a degree to where I felt left out, and I just felt like I didn't underst like I couldn't play catch up because I had no knowledge. But he was the. First one that that actually made every Bible verse understandable and applicable, which is why you know, as my side note thought is is that you know I just just written by this question here. Hey, listen, if you come to Heritage Church, hopefully one thing that you'll be able to say is hopefully is that you'll walk away completely understanding the meaning of God, of what God was trying to say that day, hopefully, and you'll be challenged with the thought of how that applies directly to your life. Because God's word is relevant, God's word is applicable, and God's word is should be responded to every time that we are confronted with it. I think churches are full of people who sit and listen, and Jesus is always saying, he that has an ear to hear, let him hear right. Really, here Jesus said, a wise person, here's what I says. What I say and does it. A foolish person, here's what I say and doesn't do it. They both are sitting in the same room. They're both hearing the same thing. The difference between wise and fool the wise one and the foolish one, is whether or not they actually apply it right. And I think that our churches, even in a highly practical church like our church, I think that our churches are full of thousands of people who sit and listen on a Sunday morning, and they don't apply it Monday through Saturday. It's just a Sunday thing. It's a religious thing. I go through my religious stuff, check that religious box. Maybe we're gonna take communion this week. You do some baptisms this week, and hear some Bible verses this week. Gonna hear a song or two this week. That's nice, Just do the religious thing, no real intent to apply. They hear God's words and they hear them as suggestions. That's a nice. Oh, that's a good idea. You know what, in the real world, to be nice, if I could always walk with integrity, But in my business, you just can't. There's no way we could pay the bills if we were doing the right thing right in the real world. You know, marriage doesn't work out the way that God says to do marriage, and the real world raising kids isn't the same as what the Bible says whatever, right, And they kind of make this separation between what God says and how they think real life goes. And this is remember as we read through the Book of Judges over and over and over in the Book of Judges said and the people did that which was right in their own. Eyes, and then judgment come right Sunday. Yeah, And you know, Solomon Warrens, don't lean on your own understanding, but in all your ways, acknowledge him and he'll direct your past. This is what God's holding is really accountable to your faith. Isn't just a religious exercise to go through on the weekend and then you go live real life the rest of the week. That says, this is real life. I expect you to do it. Live this way, do the right thing. By the way, you'll be more prosperous, you'll have a better life. Absolutely. But the other side of it is I won't have to bring judgment instead. Hey, they're going to get wiped out. God's not playing around on this, so he's being gracious and merciful, letting them know in advance. But judgment is coming. And I would say, if you're one of those people that just sit in the seats and go through a religious ceremony but you're not actually applying God's word, just understand for all of us, every human being, judgment is coming. So the question is what's going to happen on judgment day. Jesus said He's going to reward us for doing good things. Right, That's what I want is I want the good rewards. I don't want the consequences of the fact that I rejected everything that God said was right and true and good. Right, right, And so tomorrow, if you tune in and join us, hopefully you will, you'll understand that there is a call to repentance where Amos is going to give to them the word of the Lord. And really it's a strong invitation to come back to God. Yeah, that's in two days. What Yeah, yeah, tomorrow, he's oh go, we still have to go through Israel's failure to listen. He's still going. Yeah, there's still he's calling them out, man. Israel's failure to learn. So we still have to go through bad to get through the good. It's coming, okay, all right, Well, hey, hopefully we will see you then on the Bible guys. H