Tranquility

FROM: MAY 23 @ 29, 2017

TOPIC: "Tranquility" Amos 6:1-8

I- "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!" Amos 6: 1 These were the nobles in Israel; they were so eminent in influences that their names were famous among the leading nations. Zion and Samaria, in Israel, were cities that were considered the main strongholds among the Gentile nations. These men were in TRANQUILITY in a bold way, lacking in morality. They drink wine in bowls, not content with small cups, and ARE NOT AFFLICTED BY THE BREAKING OF JOSEPH! (Vs. 6:6) The "brokenness of Joseph" is symbolic, as it refers to the national calamity of Israel here compared to Joseph, the son of Jacob. In this it is shown that these men followed the example of impenitence of their ancestors, the other 11 sons of Jacob, who ate bread while their brother Joseph was in the cistern and then sold to the Ishmaelites. II- Here we see the disgraced TRANQUILITY while living negligently with God, not caring about the suffering of his people. A- They live CALM drinking and frolicking, when there is so much to suffer from the pain and the loss of their companions, those who are like them, the people of God. 1- Psalm 123:4 "Our soul is weary of the mockery of those who are at ease and of the contempt of the proud." The impetus of the river drags everything in its path. Thus the enemies of the Church roar and cannot be stopped by human force. Against this it is necessary to be worthy of the protection and help of God. 2 - Such is the Church in the present day compared with its enemies; it is like Israel in those days of the prophet Amos. We can be compared to those who were attacked by the power of the evil spirit. We are like a small bush that recently grew up and has no roots, but the enemy is like a great river that comes out of its course and with great force knocks down everything that opposes it. We are like a withered leaf, hanging on the branch of the tree; and the river in its flood is strong like the north wind that can demolish the trees of rennet. 3- How could we resist or defend ourselves with our human power? How will we do it, when they are the same ones in the church who rise up against my family? How can we defend ourselves, when the very members of the church are the ones who rise up as the enemies of the work of the Lord? 4- That happened in the times of Amos and the same happens today. B- We see a similar case in Isaiah 32:9 "Indulgent women, rise up, hear my voice; trusting daughters, listen to my reason." Here are also mentioned indolent women who are not moved or affected by what is happening around them and with their own. 1- They do not do good things because of their laziness, their TRANQUILITY. Nothing hurts or affects them. Women who were not worried about what was happening and what they were seeing. This represented the ruin of the nation. They lived wildly, without any control. 2- Isaiah 32:10, 11 "In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come. Tremble, you complacent women..." They are predicted the lack of food because of the devastation (disaster and

destruction) of the enemy, whose object was probably to influence them by appealing to their quality as mothers of families, accustomed until then to live in luxury. C- Another example is in Matthew 22:5 "But they paid no attention and went off- one to his field, another to his business..." 1- The matter of what Jesus was speaking to them was that He called them (as His people) for the wedding with Him, but they ignored Him. They did not pay attention to the best words they were going to receive in their lives. We see here also the rejection, already predicted by the prophets about Jesus (Zechariah 13:6, Psalms 22:18). Now, for them it was the party, He invites them and the sad thing was the rejection because of the apathy, because of the TRANQUILITY. It is the same as the women spoken in Isaiah 32. 2- Matthew 22:6, 7 "...and others, taking the servants, they reproached and killed them. When the king heard it, he was angry; and sending his armies he destroyed those murderers and burned his city." Any rejection of God's voice becomes terrible for lives. The destruction of Jerusalem by the armies of Rome was after this in 70 A.D. The temple was plundered and burned and the city destroyed, in a way that a plow passed through all of it. A terrible disaster had occurred to those who refused to recognize the Son of God when He came. Evil occurred to them and to their own. D- Matthew 24:12 "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." 1- It is not known exactly from whom evil will emerge. Anyone's words can be sweet, but not be true. We know of the growth and impiety and coldness of the world. 2- The love towards God and the fellowman are based on a living faith. But, Jesus says in Luke 18:8 "But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Through this question the Lord lets us see that faith will be lacking in the days leading up to His second coming. Only the true followers of Christ can endure the test. 3- Let us know that tranquility leads us to condemn others. 4- Let us be alert, being careful of what we think, speak and do. Let's work, let's serve as Jesus did. Let us be faithful to God and obedient, aware of what is happening around us and aware of God's dealings with ourselves and His people. We cannot be CALM. Amen.