by Paul Apple | Feb 20, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: JUDGMENT IS INEVITABLE BECAUSE OF ISRAEL’S HARLOTRY AND GOD’S HOLY WRATH INTRODUCTION: Derek Kidner: For several chapters now the picture will be building up by fragments, coming at the subject from all kinds of angles. By its very disjointedness the style...
by Paul Apple | Feb 15, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: CORRUPT RELIGIOUS LEADERS PROVOKE JUDGMENT FOR THE REJECTION OF GOD’S WORD INTRODUCTION: J. Andrew Dearman: Overall, 4:4–19 elaborates on the charge against the people in 4:1–3, with the priesthood initially a major focus of attention (cf. 5:1). The spirit...
by Paul Apple | Feb 13, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S CASE AGAINST ISRAEL EXPOSES HER MORAL FAILURES DERIVED FROM NOT KNOWING GOD — LEADING TO COSMIC CONSEQUENCES INTRODUCTION: Allen Guenther: The book of Hosea divides naturally into two parts. Chapter four begins the second part. Here the...
by Paul Apple | Feb 12, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE INEXPLICABLE LOVE OF GOD PERSISTS IN RECOVERING HIS PEOPLE INTO COVENANT RELATIONSHIP INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: This short narrative describes God’s plans for restoring the relationship between Hosea and his wife (3:1–3) and between himself and his...
by Paul Apple | Feb 11, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS WILL RESTORE AND RENEW HIS COVENANT RELATIONSHIP TO ISRAEL IN THE END TIMES INTRODUCTION: Robin Routledge: These verses emphasize Yahweh’s commitment to winning back and restoring his wayward bride. In the previous...
by Paul Apple | Feb 9, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: FORSAKING GOD CREATES A VACUUM FILLED BY SYNCRETISTIC WORSHIP THAT HAS SHAMEFUL AND DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES INTRODUCTION: H. D. Beeby: In Israel’s state of rebellion as depicted here all the great biblical sins are comprehended and all the virtues excluded....
by Paul Apple | Feb 7, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE FUTURE MESSIANIC RESTORATION OF ETHNIC ISRAEL WILL BE GLORIOUS AND PERMANENT INTRODUCTION: H. Ronald Vandermey: Between verses 9 and 10 lie volumes of Jewish history that fulfill the judgment of Jezreel. To the anguished cry of the ages God will in that...
by Paul Apple | Feb 6, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: ISRAEL’S CORRUPTION AS PICTURED IN HOSEA’S MARRIAGE TO THE PROSTITUTE AND HER CHILDREN OF HARLOTRY PROVIDES THE BACKDROP FOR GOD’S AMAZING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE INTRODUCTION: David Thompson: GOD DEMANDS HIS PROPHET MARRY AN IMMORAL HARLOT AND HAVE CHILDREN BY...
by Paul Apple | Jan 17, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: RESTORATION TO THE PROMISED LAND AND REVERSAL OF FORTUNES CHARACTERIZE FUTURE MILLENNIAL BLESSING INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: This final promise of hope contains two salvation oracles that introduce positive promises about Israel’s “day” of restoration: Verses...
by Paul Apple | Jan 17, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE AWESOME ALL-POWERFUL GOD JUDGES WITH THOROUGHNESS AND FINALITY REGARDLESS OF CLAIMS OF SPECIAL PRIVILEGE INTRODUCTION: Billy Smith: The climactic fifth vision is unlike the other four from start to finish. Among the differences are the following: no...
by Paul Apple | Jan 15, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE ROTTEN NATION OF ISRAEL CONDEMNED TO ITS DESERVED JUDGMENT WITH NO MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR RECOVERY INTRODUCTION: John Goldingay: Chapter 8 begins with another report by Amos of a revelation concerning Yahweh’s intention to bring disaster on Ephraim; this...
by Paul Apple | Jan 14, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S MESSENGER MUST STAND UP TO OPPOSITION BY RELYING ON DIVINE AUTHORITY INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: The incident focuses on two factors: (1) the authority of Amos’s vision about the future destruction of Israel’s temples and ruling family, and (2) the...
by Paul Apple | Jan 10, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: FAILURE TO CONFORM TO GOD’S STANDARD (RIGHTEOUSNESS) CONDEMNS ISRAEL TO CERTAIN JUDGMENT WITH NO MORE DELAY INTRODUCTION: Warren Wiersbe: God’s law is His plumb line, and He measures His people to see how true they are to the pattern in His Word, and if they...
by Paul Apple | Jan 9, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: INTERCESSORY PRAYER CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: These vision reports in Amos 7 begin the third major section of the book. Five visions are described (7:1–3, 4–6, 7–9; 8:1–3; 9:1–4), with the first two having a common structure: an...
by Paul Apple | Jan 8, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: PROSPERITY MUST NOT PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR PRIDEFUL FALSE SECURITY ON THE PART OF LEADERS WHO FAIL TO PURSUE JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS INTRODUCTION: Thomas Constable: [6:1-2] Amos challenged these proud leaders to visit other cities that had once considered...
by Paul Apple | Jan 7, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: RIGHTEOUSNESS BEFORE RITUAL — GOD DESIRES JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS RATHER THAN VAIN RELIGIOUS SHOW INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: This section is divided into three paragraphs: 5:18–20 addresses the sad state of Israel’s deceptive theology concerning the...
by Paul Apple | Jan 3, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: FUNERAL LAMENT: JUDGMENT DESERVED FOR FAILING TO SEEK AFTER GOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS INTRODUCTION: Ray Stedman: Now this is the reason this book is so loved by the liberal; Amos is called the prophet of social justice, the man who demanded that man treat their...
by Paul Apple | Jan 3, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: JUDGMENT MUST FOLLOW WHEN GOD’S PATIENCE AND FORBEARANCE WITH HIS STUBBORNLY REBELLIOUS PEOPLE HAVE REACHED THEIR LIMIT INTRODUCTION: Alec Motyer: Basically the word translated ‘holy’ throughout the Old Testament seems to have the meaning ‘separate’, or...
by Paul Apple | Jan 1, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE FACT OF ISRAEL’S GUILT IN THE PRESENT – ISRAEL STANDS GUILTY OF IDOLATRY, VIOLENCE AND MATERIALISM INTRODUCTION: J. Sidlow Baxter: [following his outline in this section] (3:1 – 6:14) THREE MESSAGES OF CONDEMNATION AGAINST ISRAEL Key introductory...
by Paul Apple | Jan 1, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE CLIMAX OF GOD’S JUDGMENT IS DIRECTED AGAINST HIS OWN PEOPLE – ESPECIALLY ISRAEL INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: Amos 2:4–16 treats the final pair of nations, Judah and Israel. These oracles bring the sermon to a climax by applying the theological principles...
