Amos 9:1-15

I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered. 2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: 3 And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them: 4 And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good. 5 And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt. 6 It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name. 7 Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? 8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. 9 For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. 10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us. 11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. 13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. 14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

a. Verse 1-4 - None shall escape the judgment of God, regardless of where they go.

a. The temple of David will fall, but God will not allow it to be eternally condemned.

I. Verse 1-4 - None shall escape the judgment of God, regardless of where they go. Verse 2 and 3 talk about the things Israel does in an effort to escape the judgment of God. Verse 4 speaks about the things God does to Israel to judge them for their wickedness. The whole point is that regardless of the efforts of wicked men to escape the judgment of God, they shall not escape. Even when God uses wicked men or nations to judge His people, they shall not escape the hand of God. I am trying to say that sometimes men believe when they are judged and found guilty by men, that is the judgment of God. This is NOT the judgment of God. The judgment of God is when God Himself touches them. Captivity, spoken of in verse 4 speaks about the natural consequences of a Godly nation forgetting God. It does not speak about God judging them for turning away from Him.

A. Verse 1 - I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

1. The Lord standing on the altar seems to represent either that God is the sacrifice that must be made to appease the wickedness of Israel, or that Christ is the only sacrifice that will appease God.

2. At any rate, it appears that God will not be satisfied with an animal sacrifice any longer.

3. Exactly which altar this is, is not said. In I Kings 13:1,2 a man of God came from Judah to Bethel (which is a lot like Amos is doing - see Amos 8:10-13 where Amaziah tells Amos to go preach where his message will be heard and approved of - that is back in Judah). This prophet of the Lord spoke against the altar at Bethel, which Jeroboam had erected to the false gods - the golden calves he had made.

4. It is also important to notice that God says to strike the lintel of the door. There was no blood applied to this lintel, as the blood was applied in Egypt that the firstborn might not die. The judgment of God was poured out upon all those not covered by the blood. So the judgment of God will be poured out upon all who are not covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. Notice that the LORD stands upon the altar, so no more sacrifices can be made. This is a time of judgment, not of forgiveness, or additional sacrifices.

5. Striking them in the head refers to striking the most important of them, or the first of them, that which is the greatest of them, the rulers of them. All the Israelites will be affected by the judgment of God, but the first to feel the effects will be the rulers and high officials

6. he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered - This phrase is explained in verses 2-4. People may run from God, but they cannot and will not get away.

B. Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:

1. Verses 2-4 show the extend the Israelites will go to escape the judgment of God. We might think their measures are extreme, but all that shows is that we don’t know what the judgment of God is. Revelation 6:16 states that the people of the world will cry out to the rocks and the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of the Lord. They know the great day of his judgment is come and they will do anything to not see that day.

2. Why would people dig their way into hell? The word “hell” is “sheol” or the place of departed spirits. According to Rev. 6:16 people would rather die than face the judgment of God while living. What they don’t understand is that the judgment of God is eternal, not temporal. Note the word “dig”. This word shows extreme labor and strivings. It is amazing how people work hard at getting away from God, when it is much simpler and easier to submit to Him and His righteousness. Then there is no fear. But the ways of men is depraved. God’s hand will find them in hell and will cause his eternal judgment to rest upon them.

3. People are climbing into heaven. The word “heaven” refers to high places. It could be taken as people climbing to hidden high places in the mountains, or to literally trying to climb all the way to heaven, as the folks were trying to do when they build the tower of Babel. This seems more to refer to people trying to please heaven by their own pious works and acts. God’s hand will find them in heavenly places, and will judge them.

4. It is important to note Psalms 139 at this point. David is a saved person and finds great comfort in knowing that God knows all about him. David finds rest and assurance that if he makes his bed in hell, God is there. If David ascends up into heaven, behold, God is there. What a blessing and comfort the presence of God is to the believer - what a curse His presence is to the unbeliever!

C. And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

1. Carmel is a great mountain in Israel. Its history is great: Samuel offered sacrifices there; I Sam. 25 - Nabal, a very rich man lived there; I Kings 18 - Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal there; II Kings 2:25, 4:25 - Elisha lived there for a time; II Chronicles 26 - Uzziah build great things in Carmel. This is just some of the history of Carmel, which is great to the Israelites. All of these great things matters not to God. If Israel goes to the greatest of their greatest, God will still search and take them away from that place.

2. If Israel travels by ship to the farthest parts of the world, or if they hid in the depths of the sea, God states that He will still find them. God states that He will send a serpent to bite the rebellious Israelite. Notice the rebellious person who has traveled all the way to the bottom of the ocean in his attempt to escape from God. If this person doesn’t see God, or any signs of His presence, he still can’t find comfort. The rebellious person is in complete and constant fear because every thing and every person he sees and that comes near him just might be the fatal messenger from God. He can have no friends, for God might use these “friends” to judge him. What torment the mind of the rebellious person is in. There is no peace or hope for him, for in all things, whether they appear to be good or bad, is the ever present judgment of God!

3. Again, notice that Psalms 139:9 states, “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;” It is still a comfort to David to know that if he sails away to the highest place in this world or out of this world, that God is there. If he dwells (lives) in the uttermost (lowest) parts of the sea, God is still there.

4. What a contrast! To the believer, the presence of God is a great comfort, while to the rebellious and sinner, the presence of God is a great torment.

D. And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.

1. One would think it would be bad enough for an invading army to take over the land of Israel, but God says that is not enough.

2. Even when they are in captivity, they shall not escape the sword of God. Notice that God is controlling the sword (the ability to overcome) of the enemies of Israel. When Israel is in captivity, God could keep them safe, as He kept Daniel safe. Or, He could allow them more troubles, as in Esther. (God can also stop trouble that is started, as He did in the book of Esther.)

3. The conclusion of the whole matter is found in the latter part of this verse; I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good. God is against Israel. He was formerly for them, but because of their exceeding great wickedness and their continuing in that wickedness when they were repeatedly warned, God is now against them. You and I should take a solemn warning about all this. God may be for us in days past, but if we fail to heed His warnings about sin and rebellion, He will turn against us. May God give us the ability to listen to what He is saying!

A. Verse 5 ends and verse 6 ends with the fact that it is God that is doing these things to Israel.

1. We might think it would be unnecessary to say that God is judging Israel, but it is necessary.

2. If God didn’t tell the people He was judging them, they will naturally think the things that are happening to them is simply coincidences.

3. Today, 1998, the weird weather patterns that is occurring in the world are blamed on “mother nature”, or El Nino, or some other something. It is never said to be caused by God.

4. People just don’t want to believe that God would ever do anything to judge or punish them.

6. Many diseases are caused by the misuse of good things, like the misuse of tobacco and other drugs.

7. God intended all things to be used for good, but the misuse of many things has caused much disease and trouble.

8. God must state that the judgment is His because the people are so far away from knowing anything about God.

1. Nahum 1:5 states “The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. This verse tells us that all God has to do is touch the earth in his fury and everything changes. What power! Yet, we must remember that the judgment of God is caused by the wickedness of men, who don’t even see that it is God who is judging them. Verse 6 continues, “Who can stand before his indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks and thrown down by him.” No person can endure the fierceness of the wrath of God, yet only the mercy of God allows men to repent.

2. Jeremiah 12:4 states, “How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? The beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.” All of the trouble that comes upon a land is because of the wickedness of the people that dwell therein. Trouble is not caused necessarily because of the location of the land, or because a certain land is jinxed. There are some trouble that comes upon all lands, but God is able to protect land because of the righteousness of the inhabitants, or to curse the land because of the wickedness of the inhabitants.

3. Isaiah 8:7 states, “Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his gory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:” The flood of waters described in Amos 9:5 is a flood of the invading armies that shall completely immerse Israel and the land of Canaan in destruction. This destruction comes upon Israel because they have worshipped Rezin and Remaliah. Rezin is a king of Syria who joined Pekah, the king of Israel for an invasion of Judah. (II Kings 15:37) Remaliah is the Father of Pekah (king of Israel) who murdered King Pekahiah of Israel and reigned in his stead (2 Kings 15:25) The whole point is that Israel is rejoicing in the evil, and not rejoicing in the good. Israel is not grieved because wickedness is in their midst, but rather rejoices. This is a thing God hates. This is also happening in the U. S. today (1998). Good is said to be evil and evil is said to be good. Things are turned upside down.

4. Psalms 32:6 states, “For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.” This passage (and the entire context) gives the assurance the faithful saint of God has in a time of trouble. This is a great contrast to the terrified sinner who has no confidence during times of trouble. In every nation that sins against God, there will be the faithful of God. During the times when the invading armies come to bring the judgment of God upon that wicked nation, God will protect his faithful saints who call out to Him during that time.

2. It describes the inability of the land to remain as it was in the presence of God.

2. Amos 8:8 describes this mourning which shall come upon all the people as a result of their wickedness.

3. Hosea 4:3 - God states that He has a controversy with the land because of the things mentioned in verse 1-2. God will destroy all the people because they have no knowledge of God, His wrath, His blessings, His cursings, or His judgments. The people have no knowledge of the Word of God and what God expects.

E. and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.

1. This part of the verse is speaking about the destruction by the Assyrians, which will come as unstoppable as the flood comes upon Egypt.

2. The invasion of the Assyrian army is a natural consequence of the wickedness of the land, as the flood upon Egypt is a natural yearly occurrence.

F. Verse 6 states, “It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: the LORD is his name.”

1. This verse describes the glories of God who is bringing all the terrible judgments upon Israel.

2. buildeth his stories in the heaven. This is speaking about what God is completing in heaven for His children. One might argue that it is impossible for God to add anything new to heaven, for if He were to add anything, that would mean that heaven wasn’t perfect. This is an invalid argument, because everything God does is perfect. It is true that heaven isn’t finished yet. John 14:1-3 states that there are many mansions in heaven, and that Christ is returning to heaven to prepare a place for us. When Christ prepares a place for us, is He not “building his stories in heaven?”

3. founded his troop on the earth. This is referring to the many millions of people that Christ as established upon this earth to be a light and a witness to Him. These are the elect of God who preach the everlasting gospel of peace.

4. calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: This could refer to literal waters, which God pours out upon the earth as rain, or as in previous verses, the armies of “foreign” nations to judge His chosen nation, Israel. [1]

A. Verse 7 states, “Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?”

1. The Israelites have acted like Ethiopians, and not as children of the most Holy God.

a. Jeremiah 13:23 states, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”

b. Israel was so used to doing evil that they thought it was what should be. They were so far away from what God expected, and had walked and lived in sin so long that they couldn’t imagine they were even doing anything wrong.

c. Jeremiah 13:23 is often used to show the total depravity of the lost sinner, who can do absolutely nothing to change his standing before God, nor does the totally depraved lost sinner want to change his standing before God. This is the condition of Israel. Israel doesn’t know how wicked they are, therefore they don’t want to change anything they are doing.

d. They do expect God to deliver them from all wickedness and evil, but they want deliverance only to continue in their sinfulness and wickedness, not to serve the living God.

2. God compares his dealings with Israel with his dealings with other nations: the Philistines and the Syrians.

3. This is a terrible comparison because God is saying that Israel is no better than pagan nations.

4. Genesis 10:14 states, “And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.” These people are the descendants of Ham (see verses 6-14). The Philistines have come from Casluhim, whose people settled in the Island of Crete. The Syrians have come from the descendants of Caphtorim.

a. God is saying that He has watched and directed the development of the nation of the Philistines and the nation of Syria.

b. He has brought one nation from one place, and another nation from another place, but He has directed them from the very beginning.

d. Their genealogy is given in God’s Word so we will understand that God know all about who every nation is.

a. God’s children often think they are somehow better than other people who face the judgments of God.

b. Church members today will also face the judgment of God if they get to the place where they think their wickedness is not wickedness because they have done this all their lives.

c. Many churches today are so far removed from the scriptural methods, but they are totally ignorant of where they stand before God.

e. The drift away from the truth has been so slow and gradual that it goes unnoticed, and all the changes are considered necessary and expedient.

f. May God give us grace to examine our lives according to the Word of God and change whatever in our lives He wants us to change! This is a prayer of mercy, and not a prayer of pride.

B. Verse 8 states, “Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.”

2. Just because Israel is the chosen of God doesn’t mean God will overlook their sins or their sinfulness.

3. God will completely destroy every sinful nation off the face of the entire earth, except fort the nation of Israel.

a. Amos chapter 1 and 2 shows that God is keeping a record of every transgression of every nation on the face of the entire world.

b. God will one day hold every nation accountable for every one of their transgressions against Him.

d. Psalms 11: 4-6 states, “The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.”

e. Proverbs 15:3 states, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”

f. These verses should make every nation and every person of every nation tremble before an almighty God!

g. As far as churches today go, and every church member, we ought to realize that God sees and understands every one of our sins. Even those sins we hide from God, our family, or church family, even those sins we try to hide from ourselves. We might say to ourselves that we are okay in the eyes of God, but if we have hidden sins, we ought to pray that God would forgive our sinfulness and give us mercy and grace so we can take hold of the grace He gives us to live acceptable lives before Him.

4. God will not completely destroy Israel because of the promises He has made to Himself.

a. In Jeremiah 30:11, God gives this promise to Israel, “For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.”

b. Romans 11:1-7 states, “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

c. In the church of the Lord Jesus Christ today, there are many false professors. These false professors will not find safety among the people of God, because God will sift these out. The parables of Matthew 13 (the parable of the tares of the field and the mustard seed) speak of the perversion of the true Kingdom of God by the servants of Satan. Within the realm of the kingdom of God today, there remains the true servants of God, and God knows who those true servants are, and who the wicked servants are. It is impossible for lost people to hide themselves among the people of God and God accept them in their wickedness because they are with saved people. There is coming a day of a great dividing. Are you ready for that day? [2]

C. Verse 9 states, “For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.”

2. Leviticus 26:33 states, “And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.”

3. Deut. 28:64 states, “And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.”

4. God will protect those people of the nation of Israel that are faithful to Him, although they will have to go into captivity with all the rest of wicked Israel.

5. When God states that the least grain will not fall upon the earth, He isn’t meaning that no Israelite will die. He isn’t referring to whether a person is faithful or unfaithful. He means that even though the faithful persons falls (dies) they will not be forgotten by God. If an unfaithful persons falls (dies) they will not be forgotten by God.

D. Verse 10 states, “All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.”

1. See Amos 9:1-4 for the way God will pursue the people of Israel in order to bring His judgments upon them.

2. These people have said that God will not judge them because of the promises of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They have forgotten what Moses (their supposed leader) said to them by the Word of God.

a. See Amos 6:1-3 for a record of the Israelites who put any judgment of God far away from, believing they will be the exception to God’s wrath.

b. Isaiah 28:14,15 states “Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. 15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:”

c. Israel firmly believes they will overcome the tribulations of God, but they are wrong. Those lost sinners today who believe they will not go to hell when they die are also wrong. They will be judged as lost and will spend their eternity in the Lake of Fire where the beast and the false prophet are, and where Satan and all his devils are. What a terrible day! It is much better to believe what God said, repent and believe, trust in Christ to pay that which we are unable to pay.

3. Ezekiel 20:38 states, “And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

a. The purpose of the judgment of God is to reveal the Israelites who worship God and honor Him and those that are Israelites by name only.

b. This is the purpose of much of the trials and tribulations that occur in people’s lives today.

c. The faithful person, who really believes in God will never cease to worship Him, even though their lives are full of confusion.

d. They will trust in their confusion, but the faithless person will cease to find any consolation in trusting God. They will walk by sight instead of faith.

4. As far as sinners today are concerned, there is no way they will escape the judgment of God.

b. It makes no matter to God what is on the outside, what is on the inside is all that counts with Him.

c. It makes no matter if the person is good on the outside, all those good works will be burned because there is nothing good on the inside.

d. The only good thing that is on the inside is put there by the blood of Jesus Christ. [3]

a. The temple of David will fall, but God will not allow it to be eternally condemned.

It is a great blessing these verses are added to the close of this book of prophecy. If these words were not added, Israel might believe they would fall and would never be lifted up again. There is a parallel in salvation - though a person will stumble, they will never completely fall. God will renew them once again. A saved person is never completely fallen away. They might rebel, they might be disobedient, but they will always be a child of God. Israel is the chosen nation of God. They will always be the chosen nation of God, regardless of what they do. They will not escape the judgment of their sinfulness, just as the saved person will not escape the judgment of their sinfulness.

Israel misread these words, just like many misread the Bible. God didn’t mean the nation wouldn’t suffer many judgments, but that He would bring them back to their former greatness, yea, even more than their greatness. Israel will be restored after the times of the Gentiles are over. The Jews missed this very important point. They didn’t see that God would reject them, and graft the Gentiles into the vine, that Christ would then rapture the Gentiles out (to keep them from completely rebelling against Him), and then restore the Jews to the vine. Israel believed God would never reach the Gentiles. Often times, we misread the plan of God. Often our theology is incorrect because we don’t read enough of the Bible, or read into the Bible what we think it says. This is what the Jews did. God’s plan was carried out in spite of their not knowing what He was doing. God’s plan will also be carried out in this day and age in spite of our not knowing what God is doing.

It is absolutely amazing that Israel read the words of this coming blessing and missed completely the words about their coming destruction and spreading into all the nations of the world. They did this because they are people. We do exactly the same thing. It is easy for our depraved human nature to see that God will bless us, but it is difficult to see that God will curse us for disobedience. We easily forget our disobedience, even after we ask forgiveness, forgetting that there is a natural consequence that must be paid in this life for sinfulness.

I. Verse 11 - In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

A. The phrase “in that day” is used 115 times in the entire Bible and refers to a particular time that is known only by God. This phrase is always used to speak of a specific time, not a general time. It is used by both men and God.

1. Sometimes the phrase “in that day” is used to men referring to a time they have appointed.

a. Exodus 10:28 - And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. Pharaoh refers to a certain day in which, if Moses appears before him, Moses shall be killed.

b. Exodus 13:8 - And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. God instructs the Israelites that there will come a day when they will teach their children what happened in the land of Egypt.

c. Deut. 1:39 - Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. The little children lived in a certain day when they had no knowledge of the decisions made by their parents. Implied in this verse is there is coming a day when these little children will grow up and will go into possess the promised land.

d. Joshua 14:12 - Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. Caleb reminds Joshua that God gave him a promise 40 years ago, and he asks that this promise be fulfilled.

2. Sometimes the phrase “in that day” is used by God to speak about a certain time He will do a certain thing.

a. Deut. 31:17-18 - Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us? 18 And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods. There is coming a day when God will turn against Israel because they have already turned against Him. This verse also speaks of a day when the Israelites will realize all the evil has come upon them because God isn’t with them. I should mention that the latter day hasn’t yet come to Israel.

b. I Samuel 3:12 - In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. God tells the child Samuel to tell Eli that the day is coming when God will perform the judgment upon Eli’s house that Eli know is coming.

c. I Samuel 8:18 - And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. Israel wanted a king so they would be like all the other nations. God informs them that there is coming a day when they shall regret praying for a king when they ought to have God reigning over them.

3. There are many other scriptures that use the phrase “in that day”, but the above should be sufficient to explain what the phrase means.

2. It shows that God is the one who will (1) raise up the tabernacle of David, (2) close up the breaches (3) raise up the ruins and (4) build it up as in days of old.

3. Israel will not be restored because of anything they do, but because of everything that God does.

4. This is called “grace” and applies to every person on the face of the whole earth.

5. The reason for God doing all this is revealed in verse 12 - so they (Israel) may posses the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen according to the promises of God.

1. Raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen. When God speaks about the tabernacle of David, He is not talking about the kingdom of David, from which Christ came. The tabernacle of David speaks about the worship of David, while the kingdom of David speaks about the generations that came after David, from which genealogy Christ came. It is not that God failed to bring forth an acceptable Messiah, it is that Israel failed to believe the Messiah God brought forth. It is not the religion of God that failed, but the nation of Israel who failed to keep the pure religion of God.

2. Close up the breaches. There were many splits among the Jews because there were many different opinions about Christ, God, the sacrifices, whether there God was a spirit, whether men had spirits, if there was an afterlife, the restoration of Israel as a great world power, and just about every other thought and doctrine there was. God will answer every question and satisfy every inquiry. God will give of His Spirit and His understanding, and there will be no more foolish questions and endless genealogies.

3. Raise up his ruins. God is very able to take that which man has completely destroyed and breathe life into it. He will do this for Israel.

4. Build it up as in the days of old. Actually, Israel will far surpass the days of old in glory, majesty, and fervor. This will happen because God will dwell among them, and He will put in them a new heart full of belief.

II. Verse 12 - That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

1. Some say that the remnant of Edom and all the heathen shall be saved and added to Israel.

4. Some say that the remnant of Edom and all the heathen that are called by the name of the Lord may posses the Lord.

B. I think it is always best to let the scripture interpret those passages we don’t understand.

1. Psalms 2:8 states, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”

2. God is here speaking to Israel, promising them what He will do with the nation of Israel, who is among all nations of the world.

3. What is going to happen is that Israel will “reach the end of their rope,” realizing they cannot of their own strength build their nation again. They will realize that God is the one who build them up in the first place, but they didn’t see that. Israel will then begin to pray that God forgive them, cleanse them, and raise them up again. God will hear their prayer and God will do all those things mentioned in verse 11 and verse 12.

4. God is going to get all the glory and honor and none shall share His glory and honor.

C. God will give Israel all the possessions of the heathen in whose land they dwelt.

1. It is true that God used all the heathen nations of the world to judge Israel.

2. It is also true that God punished Israel by sending them into all the heathen nations of the world.

3. Any nation that conquers Israel, or that is used of God to punish Israel, will be judged for hurting God’s people.

a. Genesis 15:14 - And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward they shall come out with great substance. God states that He will judge Egypt because they tried to hurt Israel.

b. Acts 7:7 - And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. Stephen repeats this promise to Israel.

III. Verse 13 - Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

1. It is inconceivable to us that there could be so much grain, that it would take all winter and still all would not be gathered in.

2. If the plowman ploughs in the winter, or late fall, instead of spring, there would still be a tremendous amount of grain.

4. It is likely the entire world could be fed through the tiny nation of Israel.

5. IF this time is during the millennium, what will all the rebellious nations think about Israel and her God? They will still rebel.

IV. Verse 14 - And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

1. It is God who strengthens Israel so they will return to their land and be a great nation.

1. Isaiah 61:4 states, “And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.”

2. Ezekiel 36:38 states, “As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts: so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

V. Verse 15 - And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

1. Psalms 1:3 speaks about the man who stays with God being like a tree planted by the rivers of water of life.

2. There is a mutual understanding and working here, where God does the planting and Israel stretches her roots down to the water God provides.

2. There is coming a day when God will remove that seed of sin, and Israel will have the ability, “the want to,” remain faithful.

[1] Preached to here 11/4/98 IBC Wednesday Evening

[2] Preached to here 11/11/98 IBC Wednesday Evening

[3] Preached to here 11/18/98 IBC Wednesday Evening