The destiny of subjugation
Amos 6:1-14; 12/25/2022; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang
Introduction
Today is Christmas Sunday, but God led me to give a message about subjugation. It is the kingdoms on the earth, all the kingdoms on the earth, whose ultimate destiny is to perish. When Christ became flesh and came to the world two thousand years ago, He already announced the doom of the world to perish. The Bible says that everything that is tangible will be destroyed, but only the word of the Lord will last forever. This is why the Lord was born in Bethlehem, and the whole city of Jerusalem was disturbed. How about you? Do you feel peaceful, or uneasy? Let’s look at the first point:
Must observing the nations
If a person’s eyes are only on himself and not on others, he is a fool. Similarly, if a person only looks at his own country and does not look at other countries, he will not be far from the day of national destruction. First, the comparison in mind. After Adam and Eve, human beings will live the gene that compares everything to the fullest. Cain killing Abel, is a typical example, right? Why couldn’t God be more pleased with Abel’s sacrifice than with Cain’s? On the other hand, why can’t you, Cain, see that Abel has received more grace from God, and be more grateful and joyful? Does it matter who started the Dallas Chinese evangelism first? Who is the originator of the Chinese Bible study class in Paris? Who is the founder of the Chinese Church in London? Is it necessary to fight? Does the United States have to be a superpower then? Must China restore the style of the Han and Tang Dynasties? Or allow Emperor Qin Shihuang to unify the world again?
Secondly, the observation of strength and weakness. The World Cup is over, but Argentina has been bustling. The inflation rate of the entire country has reached more than 90%, and the people would rather live in the illusion of “we won, we are a strong country”! Three years of personal command and personal deployment have ushered in the financial hollowing out and “blank paper revolution”. When they are not prepared enough, just let it go, lie flat and let go, just let people turn positive quickly. The result was the social chaos of being positive, recovered from being positive, then turned positive again. Are you still strong? Do you still want to brag about yourself? The question is, is the competitive nightmare that has been rooted in our blood since Emperor Qin Shihuang really so important? Since ancient times, strength and weakness have been temporary and illusory, but being responsible to God is eternal.
Finally, the day of woe. No matter what you do in your life, you have to pay it back! Whether it is the southern kingdom or the northern kingdom, they are all chasing the position of the head of the nations. In order to have a false good reputation and prestige, he did not hesitate to falsify all kinds of data. In order to gain support among the people, they did not hesitate to wage war on neighboring countries and seize Kalneh, Hamath, and Gath! The Prophet asked: Do you still want to be stronger? Who of you wants to be brave? Which of you is stronger? Is Peter the Great strong? Is this Putin who claims to be Peter the Great strong? Is it stronger if it invades Crimea? Is it stronger after invading Ukraine for more than 300 days? When you are so strong that everyone is afraid of you, your strength will begin to transform into weakness. Yesterday, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, a weak country that was invaded by Putin, won the hearts of the people with his speech at the US Congress. May I ask which one is stronger and which one is weaker? Let’s look at the second point:
Be vigilant and humble yourself
We all know that since ancient times, there are people beyond people, and heaven beyond heaven. Everyone knows that the Lord will come soon, but few people are watchful, praying, and humble themselves. First, the fall in ease. Believe it or not, when one meets ease, there may be depravation. The prophet Amos said of the Israelites: ”You put off the day of disaster and bring near a reign of terror.” They keep saying that everything is for the people, but they are actually corrupt for their own comfort. Hide money overseas, generations of leaders have more than two trillion dollars overseas. As the prophet Amos rebuked the Israelites: “You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. (Amos 6:4)” Ivory is rare and has been made into beds. It was transported from Africa, and it was a waste of money. How many people have to be scoured to get the enjoyment!
Second, lie flat in comfort. If a man is not lying down on the green pasture that the LORD has prepared for him, he is lying down. Without a vision, the people will be presumptuous! They entertained with David’s instruments, paralyzed their nerves, and refused to come out of their winter quilts. These three years of lockdown have made people prefer to lie on ivory beds, “You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions.” Playing video game all day long, or ordering to-go food. Don’t do the dishes after eating, don’t fold the bed after you wake up, and develop the habit of getting something for nothing, sitting back and enjoying it. Being born as human beings, but not knowing the meaning of human existence, being called to be children of God but not living for God, let alone “to grieve over the ruin of Joseph.” We all have become eternal sons and daughters of God through faith in Jesus Christ. How to live after believing in the Lord? Still live according to the old self? Or live according to the Great Commission? Whether in season or out of season, preach the word and save some people! Finally, sorrow amidst suffering. What people sow, what they reap! When we don’t worry about Joseph’s suffering, we will experience suffering in anxiety. Amos’ exhortation turned out to be a prophecy of distress: “Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end. (Amos 6:7)” In the past forty years, when people have some money in their pockets, they only know how to consume luxury goods, and of course the consequence is to experience poverty again. After three years of lockdown, but not preparing necessary supplies such as antipyretics for release, the consequences are of course obvious. Talking about surpassing the British and chasing the United States, revealing the pride in the heart, provoking the wrath of God, and of course bringing the wrath of God with him. Let’s look at the third point:
Warning of subjugation
History tells us that it is not uncommon for a country to be subjugated. Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Macedonia, and the Roman Empire fell. Didn’t the Song and Ming dynasties of our China perish? Why is it so strange that God’s chosen people, the northern and southern kingdoms, also perished? First, the country was destroyed because of the wrath of God. The division of the northern and southern kingdoms did not please God. Jeroboam of the northern kingdom built a magnificent palace in Samaria, as if trying to compete with Jerusalem. Therefore, God said through the prophet Amos: “The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself—the Lord God Almighty declares: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses;” You build beautiful palaces and churches, but your hearts are far away from me. What good is it? You are not willing to preach the word of God in the so-called churches, but you are pleasing the powerful, and you are afraid of losing a job! So, God said: “I will deliver up the city and everything in it.” In 721 BC, the northern kingdom was destroyed by Assyria. In 2013, churches in Wenzhou, Henan, Anhui, and Hangzhou were destroyed. Is it just by chance?
Second, the country is subjugated because of its attitude towards God. The COVID virus has been raging for three years, infected more than 100 million people, and killed millions of people. Is anyone in awe of it? Being disrespectful to God will surely arouse God’s wrath! Do not believe it? Then there are still people who die, and it is “If ten people are left in one house, they too will die.” The Russo-Ukrainian war has caused more than 100,000 deaths on both sides, isn’t that enough? Putin said that he had not fought enough, and Zelensky also came to the United States to ask for weapons. China now lifts the lockdown, looking at the example of a million people who died in the United States, how many people are going to die? Do you know that the reason why people continue to die and even the country perish is because you refuse to speak the name of God! The church is worshiping God, you send the police to disturb and destroy. What do you mean by that? Just based on your attitude towards God, the consequences will be disastrous!
Lastly, the country was subjugated because of pride. All the rulers in the world have a covenant with God, that is, they must treat the citizens of the countries kindly. God said through Amos: “But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness.” You persecuted the church, oppressed the people through the white guard with ignorance, fabricated false information and continued to deceive the media, causing multiple secondary disasters. Don’t you see the consequences that are coming? What a pity! Now it is still “you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar and say, “Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?” An effective vaccine is here, They don’t want it! Why? Because of the face? No matter how much persuasion, it doesn’t work. Amos said again: “For the Lord God Almighty declares, “I will stir up a nation against you, Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.” Are these signs not clear enough?
Conclusion
Well, thank the Lord! How heavy and thankful is the message of Christmas Sunday!
Let us pray……
Amos 6:1-14
1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!
2 Go to Kalneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours?
3 You put off the day of disaster and bring near a reign of terror.
4 You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.
5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.
6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.
8 The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself—the Lord God Almighty declares: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it.”
9 If ten people are left in one house, they too will die.
10 And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn them[a] asks anyone who might be hiding there, “Is anyone else with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will go on to say, “Hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”
11 For the Lord has given the command, and he will smash the great house into pieces and the small house into bits.
12 Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness—
13 you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar and say, “Did we not take Karnaim[d] by our own strength?”
14 For the Lord God Almighty declares, “I will stir up a nation against you, Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.”
