Todays readings.. Nehemiah 13, Amos 5, 2 Timothy 2
“WHO DESIRE THE DAY OF THE LORD”
In Amos we read “Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD?” [5 v.18] This verse provides food for much thought. We desire the day of the LORD! Why? We long for the day when our Saviour comes when he reigns over all the earth and controls the nations as we will read in Micah next week (Ch.4 v.1-3).
What kind of people “desire the day of the Lord” – when they should not? They were only hearing half the message of the prophets, just like they do today, when many churchgoers think God is purely a God of love.
A contemporary of Amos was Obadiah whose short message we will read next Wednesday. He wrote “For the day of the LORD is near upon all nations” [1 v.15]. Many of the people in Israel were looking for that day to come – so that their enemies would be destroyed, blind to the fact that they deserved destruction too!
Only those truly trying to walk righteously in the sight of God should “desire the day of the LORD”– knowing it will be a time of distress for all nations.
The words of Jesus in Matthew ch. 24 are challenging! “But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short … For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matt. 24 v.22, 27.
It will be the greatest shock our world has ever had! A shock for believers, the elect? What does Jesus tell us? He tells us, “He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect …” [v.31]
The day of the Lord that was coming on Israel in those days was to particularly affect certain classes of people. Ponder what the LORD inspired Amos to write, “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches … who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp … invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils …” [6 v.4-6]
The words of Amos are very appropriate for way many live today, they live for the here and now, they find it impossible to believe in any long term future.
Let us make sure we desire the day of the LORD for the right reasons – being fully aware of what is to take place in that ultimate day when Jesus returns and the final utterly wondrous “day of the LORD” occurs. Remember how we were very conscious of this in our reading of Joel’s prophecy a few days ago!
