December 10

Amos 1-3

Revelation 2:1-17

Psalms 129:1-8

Proverbs 29:19-20

"The people of _______ have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished."

I've been told that when you see something repeated in the Bible, that you should stop and pay attention. I noticed that the phrase above was in Amos eight times, each time referring to a different group of people. Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and Israel.

Some of these names are no surprise. We've read before how the sin of Edom and Moab will bring the Lord's wrath upon them. But what I found interesting is that Judah and Israel are listed here as well. When it comes to sin, when it comes to disobeying God's law, He will not allow it to go unpunished, even if it comes from His chosen people. 

The book of Amos is a warning to everyone. It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter where you are from. God will not tolerate sin. He takes it very seriously and so should we.

Fortunately, that's not all there is to it. God is holy, but He is also merciful. Go back and read Joel 2 from yesterday. He promises that those who repent and return to Him will be restored and He will pour out His Spirit on them. No one is exempt from His judgement, but the good news is that no one is exempt from His mercy either.