14 day plan

The Lion Roars

Day 2 of 14

CSB

Amos 2:4-5

Judgment on Judah

4The Lord says:

I will not relent from punishing Judah 

for three crimes, even four,

because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord

and have not kept his statutes. 

The lies  that their ancestors followed 

have led them astray.

5Therefore, I will send fire  against Judah,

and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.

Great Is Their Stubbornness

We lay down rules for our children because we care about them. We tell them not to run across the road, but to wait for us and hold our hand. This protects them, and trains them to trust and respect us as their parents, and teaches them humility – they’re not king of the world; traffic won’t stop for them, they have to stop for traffic.

Similarly, God, out of his love for us, gives us his ‘law’ – e.g. the ten commandments; Jesus’ sermon on the mount. We’re not king of the world – God is. We should trust him by obeying his word.

Question: What does it mean for us to obey God, not out of duty or fear of punishment, but because we trust that what he says is good and right?

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for sending Jesus to forgive us for breaking your law. Thank you that he was obedient to death, even death on the cross for us, the disobedient. Help us to trust and love you like he did, and from that trust and love, obey your commands. Amen.

© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

Days

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Amos 2:1-16

1The Lord says:

I will not relent from punishing Moab 

for three crimes, even four,

because he burned the bones

of the king of Edom to lime. 

2Therefore, I will send fire against Moab,

and it will consume the citadels of Kerioth. 

Moab will die with a tumult, 

with shouting and the sound of the ram’s horn.

3I will cut off the judge  from the land

and kill all its officials  with him.

The Lord has spoken.

Judgment on Judah

4The Lord says:

I will not relent from punishing Judah 

for three crimes, even four,

because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord

and have not kept his statutes. 

The lies  that their ancestors followed 

have led them astray.

5Therefore, I will send fire  against Judah,

and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.

Judgment on Israel

6The Lord says:

I will not relent from punishing Israel 

for three crimes, even four,

because they sell a righteous person for silver

and a needy person for a pair of sandals. 

7They trample the heads of the poor 

on the dust of the ground

and obstruct the path of the needy. 

A man and his father have sexual relations

with the same girl, 

profaning my holy name. 

8They stretch out beside every altar 

on garments taken as collateral, 

and in the house of their God

they drink wine obtained through fines. 

9Yet I destroyed the Amorite  as Israel advanced;

his height  was like the cedars,

and he was as sturdy as the oaks;

I destroyed his fruit  above and his roots beneath.

10And I brought you from the land of Egypt 

and led you forty years in the wilderness 

in order to possess the land of the Amorite. 

11I raised up some of your sons as prophets 

and some of your young men as Nazirites. 

Is this not the case, Israelites?

This is the Lord’s declaration.

12But you made the Nazirites drink wine

and commanded the prophets,

“Do not prophesy.” 

13Look, I am about to crush  you in your place 

as a wagon crushes when full of grain.

14Escape will fail the swift, 

the strong one will not maintain his strength, 

and the warrior will not save his life.

15The archer will not stand his ground, 

the one who is swift of foot

will not save himself,

and the one riding a horse will not save his life. 

16Even the most courageous of the warriors

will flee naked on that day  —

this is the Lord’s declaration.

© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers