In this episode, we journey through the poignant warnings of Amos Chapter 8, emphasizing the dire consequences faced by those who wane in their dedication to God’s Word. Listeners will find themselves immersed in a narrative that balances historical context with contemporary relevance, highlighting the pressing need for a genuine, daily engagement with scripture. As we unpack the vision of a famine not of sustenance but of spirit, we invite you to reflect on your own spiritual practices and the role they play in your life. We then pivot to the enduring mission of the Ezra Project, empowering modern
00:00:09 Introduction to Add Bible and Amos Chapter 8
00:08:50 The Ezra Project and Being a 21st Century Ezra
00:12:52 Personal Engagement with the Bible over Preaching
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Welcome to ADDBIBLE, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
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Today we are in Amos chapter 8. We will listen to Faith Comes By Hearing’s reading of that 14 verses of Amos 8.
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Amos 8.
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This is what the Lord God showed me. Behold, a basket of summer fruit. And he said, Amos, what do you see? And I said, A basket of summer fruit.
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Then the Lord said to me, The end has come upon my people, Israel. I will never again pass by them.
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The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day, declares the Lord God. So many dead bodies. They are thrown everywhere. Silence!
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Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?
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The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob. Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. Shall not the land tremble on this account? And everyone mourn who dwells in it? And all of it rise like the Nile and be tossed about and sink again like the Nile of Egypt? And on that day, declares the Lord God, I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head. I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea and from north to east. They shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it. In that day the lovely virgins and the young men shall faint for thirst.” those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, As your God lives, O Dan, and as the way of Beersheba lives, they shall fall and never rise again.
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In 1997, I read Amos 7-9 together on one day. Concerning chapter 8, I wrote, God could send a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall run to and fro seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it. Seven years later, in 2004, I was reading Amos chapters 5 through 9 on the same day, and concerning chapter 8, I wrote, Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea, and from north even to the east. They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord. but they will not find it. And I was referring to verses 11 and 12. Seven years after 2004, I was reading Amos chapter 7 through 9 on the same day, and concerning chapter 8, I wrote, “…people are more interested in making a living than serving God. So God sends a famine of His Word.” We have this today. No one wants to hear or proclaim God’s word. Chapter 8 continues the visions that Amos saw from chapter 7 by beginning with this verse 1 of chapter 8. And this is what the Lord God showed me. This time God shows Amos a vision of summer fruit. Summer fruit at that time signified the last day of the harvest. So the summer has ended. In other words, God’s patience has ended upon his people. And he even says so here in verses 2 through 3. The end has come upon my people Israel. I will never again pass by them. The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day, declares the Lord. Though Amos offers this warning, the people don’t seem to care. They seem to be more concerned about making a living than hearing the Word of God. Let’s look at verses 5 and 6. When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great, and deal deceitfully with false balances? So right after Amos warns Israel that the end has come upon my people, They seem to be disinterested and just again more interested in going on with life. And so what does the Lord respond? He says, surely I will never forget any of their deeds in verse 7. Shall not the land tremble on this account and everyone mourn who dwells in it? Verse 10 says, I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. And then he goes on in verses 11 and 12 with some profound words. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea and from north to east. They shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it. In this chapter and in previous chapter, Israel has rejected what they’ve heard from Amos. They have rejected the words of the Lord. So they will be taken off into exile, where they will not hear the word of the Lord anymore. You may remember at the end of chapter 7, Amos had spoken to the priest Amaziah, and he too rejected the word of the Lord, and severe judgment came upon him and his family. Here in chapter 8, All of the people are rejecting the hearing of the word of the Lord, so severe judgment will come upon the entire nation. In the ministry of the Ezra Project, I often refer to Amos chapter 8, verses 11 and 12, which we have just read. Over and over in prophecy, the prophecy is declared for the moment that the prophecy applies to, but also to the future. And I believe this prophecy will once again be fulfilled in the future. For the most part, Christians have a very casual relationship to God’s Word. Statistics tell us that only about 15% of Christians read the Bible each day. Other statistics tell us how alarming it is that even church attenders don’t read the Bible more than about once a week. And what is the response to hearing or reading the Word of God? Are Christians living in obedience to what they hear or see in the Word of God? Just like the people in Amos’ day, we are just as guilty. We ignore it. We trivialize it. We don’t respect it for what it is. The Word of God. Though today there is no famine for the Word of God, Most American households have at least three Bibles or more in the home today. Most of us with a smartphone have multiple versions of Scripture on our phones. So in America and in most of the world, there is no famine for the Word of God right now. But these verses declare the day is coming, declares the Lord, when he will once again send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread or thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. And people will wander from sea to sea, and they will run to and fro, and they’ll seek the word of the Lord, but they will not be able to find it. Imagine what will have to happen to make that prophecy true. There are plenty of printed copies of the Bible all over the world, probably in the billions. There are electronic copies of the Word of God all over the world. So to make this prophecy come true, something’s going to have to happen to ban the Word of God so that it cannot be found. I don’t know if those days are right around the corner or those days are in the distant future. It really doesn’t matter to me. I have the Word of God in my hands or in my ears right now. And I want to honor it. I want to cherish it. I want to spend time in it. I want to listen. I want to obey. I want to promote it. I want to spread it. I have a heart. I have a passion for the Word of God. And that’s probably why God gave me the Ezra Project in 2002. And that’s why He asked me to do ADDBIBLE, audio daily devotions, to spread, promote, and engage people in the Word of God while we still can. I pray that you will join me in doing so. Become a 21st century Ezra. In the book of Ezra, chapter 7, verse 10 says, The Ezra Project exists to make 21st century Ezras. You can be one who does these three things. You can study the law of the Lord. You can do it and you can share it with others. Please join me in being a 21st century Ezra. Amos chapter 8 verses 11 and 12 say the day may come when that will not be possible anymore. So while we can, let us promote and further the Word of God together. Lord Jesus, thank you for these profound words of warning. Let us never take your word for granted. There may come a day when we will seek the word of the Lord and we may not be able to find it. Until that day, Lord, help us be 21st century Ezra’s. Let us be ones who will study the law, do it, and share it with other people. We thank you for the gift of the word of God. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening to ADDBIBLE today. After listening to ADDBIBLE, you may wish members of your family or friends would find a personal relationship with Jesus like you have. But we know most Christians have never shared their faith with anyone else. In fact, it’s about 95% of us. Maybe you want to, but you just don’t know how. I was not very good at it either, but I had a desire to get better at it. Maybe you do too. Check out our teaching on how to share your faith without a fight at EzraProject.net. Sharing our faith is not a gift some have and some don’t. It’s a command to go and make disciples. Learn how to do it, or at least give it a try. Visit EzraProject.net. Find how to share your faith without a fight. I know you’re going to enjoy it and want to share it with others. We make very few financial appeals after our daily programs, yet from time to time it is necessary to do so. Today is one of those days, so please don’t shut me off. The Ezra Project started in 2002 with one mission, to connect God’s people to God’s Word. Back then, and still today, I believe the number one need in the Christian church is to come back to God’s Word. I’m not a preacher. I don’t have a pulpit to encourage Christians to engage in their Bibles or a church to support this radio program. But with your help, we can continue to proclaim God’s Word to you and thousands of others. Ours is a unique approach. We don’t preach the Word or even teach the Word. We share the powerful impact of God’s Word in a normal life over 50 years of daily Bible reading. I started reading my Bible at 15 years old and have virtually read my Bible every day since. In Add Bible, I share my personal Bible reading journal starting in 1983 and continuing to this day. I share from my heart how the Bible has intersected my life and how it can intersect yours. We need less preaching about the Bible and more personal engagement in the Bible. We need to know the Bible is still applicable to a 21st century life. That’s our mission at the Ezra Project. If you agree that the greatest need among Christians is to get back into the Bible and apply it to our daily lives, I invite you to visit our website, EzraProject.net and donate today. You can do it online or by mail. Our mailing address is there on our website. We have so much more to share on this program. Your partnership will allow us to do so. Thanks for considering a financial donation today.
