Holy Scriptures and Israel

Guest (Male): Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective here is Gideon Levytam.

Gideon Levytam: The study of the book of Amos chapter 5. You know, if you read some of the other prophecies that the prophets of Israel gave about Israel who have gone astray from the Lord and the prophet was called to act on behalf of God and to restore the people of Israel. You remember the prophet Hosea Hoshea whom God said to him, go marry a woman which have been gone astray and she became a picture of Israel whom God himself alone was willing to restore her back to himself. And this is exactly what we see here, my beloved brothers and sisters, how sadly that is the people of Israel have left the one who loved the nation so much and now he's weeping over his own bride, his own wife who have gone astray.

And he's sad and lamenting and weeping, you might say, through Amos his own servant who became the prophet of Israel. In Hosea chapter 3 and verse 1 we read, then said the Lord unto me, go yet love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress. According to the love of the Lord towards the children of Israel who look to other gods and love flagons of wine. Oh, I bought her to me for 15 pieces of silver. Hosea became picture in his life behavior toward that woman in the same way that God is here seen.

He loved this woman Israel. He called her the virgin of Israel, but she had fallen. She had been forsaken because she have gone elsewhere and she find herself destitute, unable to lift herself up. Sad condition happened in 721 BC, 722 BC when our people Israel were taken captive by the Assyrian. Destitute, dispersed, forsaken left without a land scattered in the diaspora among the nations of the world. No one cares for them. Persecution, all sort of thing that had happened to our people Israel when the Assyrian came and took them to Assyria. But God is lamenting because ahead of time he knows what's going to happen to them.

When Amos preached this message, it was about 770 BC when Israel were taken captive by the Assyrian about 40 to 45 years later knowing that death will happen to them. And notice verse 3 it says, listen what it says in verse 3 Amos describe what's going to happen to Israel once they will be taken captive. Only 10% will remain while the rest of the nation will be taken away. Notice what he says in verse 3. For thus says the Lord God the city that went out by a thousand shall leave a hundred. And that which went forth by a hundred shall leave ten to the house of Israel.

In other words, you see what's going to happen to you, Israel? It says, you who once enjoyed the relationship with me, you who once have been my, you might say, my possession that I've enjoyed to be with, you have turned away from me. Look what's going to happen to you. For 1,000 there'll be left only 100. From a city that had 100 there will be only left 10. In other words, 10% you might say will remain in the land while the rest of them will be scattered all over the nations of the world. In other words, beloved brothers and sisters, the Lord God will allow Israel to be taken captive and only a remnant shall remain in the land while the rest of them have been scattered.

And as I mentioned before 10 tribes of Israel have been scattered in 721 722 BC and up till today their descendants are still scattered all over the world and God who knows his people will ultimately will restore them back to himself. But here he's, you might say, predicting what's going to happen to the nation of Israel through the men by the name of Amos. So God is lamenting. He's weeping over his people. He's singing that song of lamentation already ahead of time seeing what's going to happen to the nation that he loved so much. So now from verses 4 all the way to verse 15 now God is appealing to Israel to repent and to turn around and to seek him because he's he doesn't want to judge them.

He doesn't want them to be scattered. He doesn't want them to be taken over by the nations of the world and lose their possession and be scattered in the diaspora. God does not want to see this happen to his people. He want them to be close to him and blessed and enjoying his presence. So he is appealing to them. And you notice how is interesting. There are four points that I mentioned here from verses 4 to verse 15. In verses 4 5 6 and 7 the Lord is calling for Israel to repent and to seek God.

You notice what he tells them in verse 4? He says, for thus says the Lord unto the house of Israel, seek ye me and ye shall live. Look at it. The the option he says, if you only going to seek me, the Hebrew word here to seek is mean look for me, investigate where I am, look for me and you will see you're going to live. I'm appealing to you, seek me and you are going to live. He is saying to them in verse 4 because he doesn't want them to die. He want them to live.

He want Israel to be sustained and enjoy. So he's appealing to them in verse 4 and he's saying to them, look, seek me and ye shall live. You know, brothers and sisters, this is an expression that is very important to mention and to elaborate about it a little bit. We sometime preach the gospel to the world and we want the world, the unsaved people of the world to turn to the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah and we tell them to seek the Lord, to seek God and they will be able to find him.

If they only will turn their hearts to the living God and accept the Messiah Yeshua himself, they will be able to receive eternal life. Seek the Lord is essential for the unregenerated men and women in this world in order to find salvation. But will they seek the Lord? Will they turn to God and accept him? It is another thing, but that's what we preach when we share the message of the gospel. But it's not only apply to the unbelievers it's also apply to God's people as well. Because when God's people are turning away from the Lord and they don't enjoy a relationship with the Lord, they themselves find that this if it were we can't find God, we don't enjoy his presence.

And you notice that in Isaiah, Isaiah was speaking to the people of Israel before this the people of Judah later on in verse Isaiah chapter 55 and verse it's verse 6, seek seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he's near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous men his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God and he will abundantly pardon. See in in the case of Isaiah he was speaking to the southern tribe of Judah before Judah was taken captive.

In a case of Amos, Amos is speaking to the northern tribe of Israel before they will be taken captive. The one was going to be taken captive by the Assyrian, the other was going to take captive to be taken captive by the Babylonian. But both people of God were called to seek the Lord while he may be found and turn to him and find salvation in him and find blessing at his presence. Will they turn away from their evil way and turn to the Lord? It's another story. They didn't. And they were sent into Assyria.

You remember when Yeshua was here on Earth some 2,000 years ago and in the sermon on the mount notice what he said in Matthew chapter 7 and verse 7 he said, ask and it shall be given unto you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be open unto you. For everyone that ask is receives and he that seek is find it. And to him that knock is each shall be open. This is Matthew 7 verses 7 and 8. Yeshua himself in his life here on Earth when he spoke to our forefathers the Jewish people in the land of Israel, he told them the very same thing.

Seek knock seek ask and you will receive a response from God. Will you do so? He was challenging the nation at the time when he was here on Earth some 2,000 years ago. Well, God through the prophet Amos is telling Israel in verse 4, for thus says the Lord unto the house of Israel, seek ye me and ye shall live. In other words, if you will not seek me you will not find me, you will not live. The Assyrian will come and they will take you and many of you will die. Notice in verse 6 I'm sorry, in verse 5.

In verse 5, Amos chapter 5 and verse 5 he says, don't seek that place which dishonoring me. You see in verse 5 he said, but seek not Bethel nor enter into Gilgal and pass not to Beersheba. Why? For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity. And Bethel shall come into not into nothing. Don't look for places that there is idolatry, that there is that dishonor to God, a places where you are not submissive to the ways of the Lord. Don't look for those places because I tell you what's going to happen. It says here, Gilgal will surely going to captivity.

And Bethel shall surely going to come to not. Remind me what John said in 1 John chapter 2. He said it to believers like you and I. He says, love not the world nor the things that are in the world. For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. It's not of the father. Don't love the world and its system because there's nothing for God there. The world passes away. The world going to vanish and end. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Lean not on your own understanding as Shlomo says, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct thy path. You know, when you really think about it, beloved brothers and sisters Gilgal did go to captivity. Bethel came to not. And if you remember once again and Gilgal and in Bethel, you remember here Bethel, there was a golden calf there. And they were going to this to worship the golden calf. God was not there. He says, don't going to Gilgal, don't going to Bethel. Make sure that you seek me and you don't seek the things which will come to not.

Eventually God had to judge Bethel and Gilgal. And you notice also very interesting I took a note of it because in verse 5 it says, but seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal. And then he continue and he said, also pass not to Beersheba. Now why does he mention Beersheba? Because Beersheba if you look at the at the map of Israel, Beersheba is right down in the south of Israel right down in the south of Israel. And why why does he use Beersheba? Because already the southern kingdom were departing and turning away from the Lord because he the southern tribe Judah will also eventually going to be taken a captive.

So God said, hey Israel I'm telling you, don't go, don't enter into Gilgal, don't enter, seek not Bethel, neither pass on to Beersheba. And you remember Beersheba, brothers and sisters it was when Abraham Abraham Avinu, Abraham our father when he came all the way from Mesopotamia, he actually have lived for a while in a place called Beersheba. And the word Beer mean well. And there were wells that were found in Beersheba in the name of the city or the town became Beersheba where he made an oath where there was an oath that was made there.

And it became like a you might say a monument city because of Abraham our father was there. But what happened? Look even there. When God's people turn away from the Lord, God says, don't even go to Beersheba because all these places I will eventually will judge them because these places are places where the people who go there or the people who attend there or the people who lead there are leading you away from the Lord. Don't go there. Seek me don't seek Bethel. Seek me, don't seek Gilgal. Seek me, don't seek Beersheba. Seek the Lord while he may be found.

And he will respond to the call if they only have sought the Lord. And now notice as I continue here in verses 6 and 7 he continue he repeating it again in Amos 5 verse 6. He says again, seek the Lord and ye shall live lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph and devour it and there be none to quench it in Bethel. Notice what he says now. Again he repeating and he asking Israel, you seek Jehovah, seek the Lord because you going to live, but if you don't look what's going to happen.

If you will continue in your way going to Gilgal, going to Bethel, going to the place where idolatry is there and not honoring the Lord, eventually the Lord will break out like fire in the house of notice using the word the house of Joseph. Why does he use the house of Joseph? Because Joseph Joseph in English, Joseph in Hebrew was the father of Ephraim and Menasseh. And Ephraim became the one that became prominent and the first men that have led the northern kingdom to build the golden calf was Jeroboam Jeroboam who was a descendant of the tribe of Ephraim which was a son of Joseph.

So the name of Joseph is mentioned here, but Joseph was a godly man. Joseph was the kind of a man that was willing to suffer for the name of God whose brethren have sold him to Egypt. And then eventually he became second to Pharaoh to Pharaoh. Joseph is a picture of our Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah who suffered and was rejected by the hands of his brethren in his first time, but was accepted later on by his brethren. And it's a type of Yeshua the Messiah who died and was rejected at his first coming and eventually he will be accepted by our people Israel in the second coming when the Messiah will come in his second coming.

So here you notice that the house of Joseph Bethel Joseph God will have to rise up and it break out like fire in the house of Joseph that is in the northern kingdom. And like a fire to judge them and to send them to be captive by the Assyrian. In verse 7 Israel he says he God blaming them. He show Israel. He says, you Israel who turn away from justice you turn away from justice. He says to them in verse 7, ye who turn justice to wormwood. The word for judgment should be really justice. And the word for wormwood should be bitterness.

You are turning things that should have been just that should have been fair. You make it to become bitterness. Verse is 7. And then you leave off righteousness in the Earth. In other words, you really things that are right you dump it to the ground as dirt. You don't behave in justice and in righteousness. You cause things to become bitter and you dump it down to the Earth as if righteousness has no value. That's what he's accusing the nation of Israel in these verses. Seek ye the Lord and you will live. Don't seek Bethel and Gilgal because these cities will become not then seek the Lord he's saying and ye shall live.

But I want you to see, Israel, he's saying to them really what happened. You turn justice into bitterness. You turn righteousness and you dump it to the Earth as if it is not valuable. And you see, brothers and sisters, this is also shows us why God was so pleased with Yeshua the Messiah because he was a man that was just a man that was righteous a man that live his life in this world to please God the father to the fullest. And anything that is done in a small measure to learn from him is honoring the Lord.

But unfortunately in the days when Amos was giving his message to Israel sadly justice was become like a bitterness and righteousness was cast into the Earth like dirt as it has no value before God. But now notice, brothers and sisters, in the next verses in verses 8 to 9 the Lord call Israel to himself. He says, really you really need to come to me because I know everything. And I'm the creator of all things. I'm the sovereign God. You need me, Israel. Just turn to me and you will see what a blessing you going to enjoy.

Notice in verses 8 to 9. Amos 5 verse 8 to 9, seek him or seek the one that notice it mention a list of the things that the Lord is doing. Seek him, seek Jehovah number one because he make us the seven stars. The Hebrew word for seven stars is kimah. In other words, in the English elsewhere it's mentioned a Pleiades. It's mentioned in Job 9 verse 9. These are the the seven stars that give direction that men in past history use those seven stars. I have no idea about this, but it's amazing to those who understand the men that were by the stars are positioned.

God is the one who created the stars and he positioned them exactly where they belong to be there. Notice it says here, seek ye the one him that make us the seven star and Orion. And then he says, he turneth the shadow of death into the morning. In other words, he can turn sadness into joy. You remember what we read in scripture, the joy of the Lord is your strength. He can turn everything into joy if we turn to him. Thirdly, notice it says here, he says, the shadow of death into morning. And then he says the third thing and he make us the day dark with night.

And then notice that he in verse 8 at the middle he calleth for the waters of the sea and he pour them out upon the face of the Earth. He's the one who give us the rain to enjoy. And especially in the land of Israel when Israel depended so much about upon the rain that come down from heaven when there was a famine in the land of Israel that mean that God discipline his people and he didn't allow the rain to be poured upon the Earth. And then he continue and he said at the end he said, the Lord is his name.

Jehovah is his name. In verse 9 he continue that he is strengthen is the spoiled against the strong so that the spoiled shall come against their fortress. In other words, the weak one he can strengthen so he will be able to defeat the strong. That's the one that you need to turn to. You remember when Saul Paul had his thorn in his life, in his body and he besought Yeshua the Messiah three time. He says, I besought him three time to take away this thorn in the flesh. And you remember what the Lord Yeshua the Messiah said to him, Paul he said my grace is sufficient for you.

And then Paul understood. He said, when I'm weak then I'm strong. You know, spiritual strengths come when we recognize our weakness and we recognize that we are failing people. We need God's grace in our life. This is what God can do in the life of his own people. He can strengthen is the one that is spoiled and weak and he can allow him to go against the strong and to come even against a fortress and to defeat it when he turn to the Lord. What an amazing truth to learn. God is saying to Israel, seek this one.

Don't seek Bethel. Don't seek Gilgal. Don't seek idolatry. Seek the true and living God and you will see what a blessing you will enjoy. Well, will Israel will respond to the call of the Lord. Notice it says here in verses 10 to verse 13 the Lord points to Israel's wrong doing. He point to that which they have done wrong. And you notice the list here that we have in this is verses 10 11 12 and 13. Look what they have practiced and that's made it necessary for God to punish the nation and to send them eventually to captivity.

Guest (Male): You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levytam. Gideon teaches God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry write to Holy Scriptures and Israel box 1411 Niagara on the Lake, Ontario L0S 1J0 or visit our website at holy scriptures and israel.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holy scriptures and israel.com.

God bless you. Shalom Shalom.