B |
EHOLD, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)
The word ‘famine’ has historically struck dread and fear into the heart of man. Most often, it refers to a failure of crops and the food supply – either by natural such as drought or manmade causes resulting from harsh government programs. Another cause is profligate sin and hedonism that provokes the wrath of God. This latter form of famine is spiritual and far more devastating to a people than any other.
The Book of Ruth, for example, is a continuation of the conditions addressed in the Book of Judges just previous to it. The last verse in Judges is the one just preceding Ruth: In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. This verse shows a disregard for the Sovereignty of God and adherence to His counsel. God had been the King of His people, Israel, until the time that the people demanded another king like unto the nations round about – rejecting God as Sovereign. . . . now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. (1 Samuel 8:5) This displeased the Lord, and He said to Samuel: Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. (1 Samuel 8:7)
We find that disobedience to God and hedonism always results in famine of one kind or another. So the Book of Ruth opens immediately following Judges with these words: Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth–lehem–judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. Elimelech took Naomi, his wife, and two sons from Bethlehem-Judah (the House of Bread and Praise) at which there was an ongoing famine of bread, out of the place of Godly righteousness into the land of Moab where there was not famine of bread, but rather a famine of faith in God. It turned to the demise of his family in doing so for Elimelech soon died along with his two sons and Naomi was left alone with the two wives of her sons – Ruth and Orpah. I hope the reader will study this beautiful account of Ruth and Naomi for further enlightenment and inspiration.
Today, in my country, and many countries around the world, there is a double famine taking place of both bread and the spirit – the first caused by power-hungry social engineers in government, and the second by an abandonment of the Word of God by the people. That which is not used will usually grow less in atrophy. If we fail to appreciate the beauty and counsel of God’s word, it may soon be removed from our reach much like the atrophy of muscles that are never exercised.
The famine of hearing God’s Word in America is multi-faceted. On the one hand, God’s Word is no longer being inculcated into the minds of our youth in the homes and public schools, and is being disregarded by social mores and government policies; and, on the other hand, there is an outright attack on the Word of God itself through the manipulation of the Word by so-called ‘higher critics’ who question what God has said through spurious bible translations (ESV, NIV, NASB, NWT, NRSV, etc.) You may recall that this questioning of the Word of God was Satan’s first tactic in the Garden at Eden.
Today, a young and gullible person may go to the book merchant to purchase a Bible, not being informed of the errors of the new translations. The book seller will almost always recommend one of these new copyrighted versions since the profit margin resulting from the copyright is greater. He reads meanings of great importance that have been intentionally changed from the Received Text (Reformation) Bibles. Some verses he will not read because they have been completely deleted. So the error in understanding grows, and the hunger for God’s Word is dramatically reduced since these new versions present less spiritual appeal and meaning.
We are reaching the point in America at which no longer can pure and wholesome bread be procured at the House of Bread and Praise (the Church). Our churches founder on error, and are devoid of the True and undiluted Word. So goes the nation – crime, drug abuse, abortion, perversions in (and out) of marriage proliferate, and sin of every kind is found on our streets. We truly have arrived at the point prophesied by God through Amos: Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.
No comments:
Post a Comment