Grow in the Word of the Lord

THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Get right with God before you ask (pray) of (to) Him

“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.”

Proverbs 28:9 (KJV)

Song of Solomon 2

The roles:

The Beloved aka The Groom aka Christ

The Shulamite aka The church

The Daughters of Jerusalem aka The unbelievers

God’s great love is the vine and we are the branches bearing His fruits

Song of Solomon 2:3 (KJV), “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.   sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”

The believer’s cry to non-believers

Song of Solomon 2:4-5 (KJV), “⁴ He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.  ⁵ Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.”

Song of Solomon 2:6-7 (KJV), “⁶ His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.  ⁷ I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.”

Amos 7

 Who was this Amos?  He was not known to be a prophet like Isaiah or Jeremiah.  Why had he conspired against the house of Israel?

Amos 7:10 (KJV), “Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.”

Amos’ reply

Amos 7:11 (KJV), “For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.”

No one believed Amos to be a prophet and was told to get out of Israel

Amos 7:12-13 (KJV), “¹² Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: ¹³ But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.”

Amos’ justification

Amos 7:14-17 (KJV), “¹⁴ Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: ¹⁵ And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.  ¹⁶ Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.  ¹⁷ Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.”

Lamentations 2

In the midst of God’s anger with Israel, His presence was no longer found in the sanctuary they had built for Him

Lamentations 2:7 (KJV), “The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemn feast.”

Jeremiah tells of his remorse of the house of Israel

Lamentations 2:11 (KJV), “Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.”

Proverbs 28       To be read

Jonah 2

Jonah had time to reflect on what had happened to him, 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the fish

Jonah 1:17 (KJV), “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

We could learn from Jonah that when we are put in valleys, ask God why He put us there

Jonah 2:1-3 (KJV), “Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, ² And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.  ³ For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.”

Jonah had an epiphany

Jonah 2:4 (KJV), “Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.”

Jonah 2:7-9 (KJV), “⁷ When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.  ⁸ They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.  ⁹ But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.”