Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Judgment into Gall and Righteousness into Hemlock Amos 6:12


Amos the “herdsman” prophet continued to share about the judgment that was to come upon the people of Israel. He wrote, “If there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die”, and even though a man's uncle were to cremate him and bring out his bones, he would be investigated for others who might be in the house that would not be able to save themselves even by mentioning the name of the LORD. God was going to “smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts”, and in chapter six and verse twelve of his prophesy, Amos showed how “judgment” was “turned into gall” and “the fruit of righteousness into hemlock” where we read:

Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen?
for you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

The verse begins, “Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen?” Amos began with the words, “Shall horses run” or “shall swallow, swift or chariot horses dart swiftly, move quickly or hurry” “upon the rock” which means “on a crag, cliff or craggy rock”? “Will one plow there” which means “cut in, engrave and devise” “with oxen” which refers to “a beeve or animal of the ox family”. The idea was that Israel could not have “justice” and “righteousness” any more than a “horse” could run upon rocky crags or and ox to “plow” the same.

The verse continues, “for you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:” Amos added, “for you have turned” or “overthrown, turned about, over and around” “judgment” which means “justice, ordinance, the act of deciding a case, process, procedure and litigation” “into gall” or “venom, poison or hemlock”, “and the fruit” which means “produce, bough and fruitful reward” “of righteousness” or “justice, truthfulness, salvation and prosperity” “into hemlock” which refers to “wormwood and bitterness”. The reason “justice” and “righteousness” would not prevail among the people of Israel was because they turned them into “bitterness such as a curse” and “poison”

When we meditate upon these words of Amos, we see how the people of Israel “poisoned judgment” and “made righteousness bitter” among themselves. Their character was so hardened, they were like those who tried to “run horses” on rocky crags and “plow with oxen” in the same hard environment. These conditions are similar to the hearts of some people. They have chosen over and over again to rebel against the LORD and His ways, and now both “justice” and “righteousness” are no where present in their lives. Jesus Christ came into the world to expose “hard ground” or “hardness of heart”, and when a person realizes they need His as Savior and LORD, “gall” and “hemlock” are no where near “judgment” and “righteousness'” “fruit”.

Next time we see Amos ask a question of those who “rejoice in a thing of nought”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites,
http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.





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