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MEMORY VERSE: “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel” (Amos 4:12, last part).

Suggested Reading: Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, pp. 329–335.

“Our work is to proclaim the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ‘Prepare to meet thy God’ (Amos 4:12), is the warning to be given to the world. It is a warning to us individually.”—Selected Messages, bk. 2, p. 116.

1. SERVING GOD OR NOT? Sun, Feb 1

a. After mentioning the transgressions of Damascus, Gaza, Tyrus, Edom, Ammon, Rabbah, and Moab, what protest does God declare about Judah and Israel, who professed to serve Him?

Amos 2:4–8: 4 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the Lord, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked. 5 So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem. ” 6 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals— 7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned; 8 they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

b. What does the Lord testify about His compassion toward them, and the consequences of their despising His mercy?

Amos 2:9–16: 9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. 10 Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. 11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel? ”declares the Lord. 12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy. ’ 13 “Behold, I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down. 14 Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life; 15 he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life; 16 and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, ”declares the Lord.

c. What question is asked when there is a betrayal of God’s trust—and how does this principle also apply in human relationships?

Amos 3:1–3: 1 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: 2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

Psalm 11:3: if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? ”

“How can the carnal mind harmonize with the mind that is assimilated to the mind of Christ? One is sowing to the flesh, thinking and acting in accordance with the promptings of his own heart; the other is sowing to the Spirit, seeking to repress selfishness, to overcome inclination, and to live in obedience to the Master, whose servant he professes to be.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 507, 508.

“However pure and correct one’s principles may be, the influence of an unbelieving companion will have a tendency to lead away from God.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 174.

2. PROPHECY TO BEAR FRUIT Mon, Feb 2

a. Why can we truly appreciate the value of prophecy?

Amos 3:7, 8: 7 “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. 8 The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy? ”

“While ‘the secret things belong unto the Lord our God,’ ‘those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.’. . . God has given these things to us, and His blessing will attend the reverent, prayerful study of the prophetic scriptures.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 234.

b. Sadly, how did God’s professed people often treat Him?

Amos 4:4–11: 4 “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; 5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel! ”declares the Lord God. 6 “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me, ”declares the Lord. 7 “I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither; 8 so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me, ”declares the Lord. 9 “I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me, ”declares the Lord. 10 “I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me, ”declares the Lord. 11 “I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me, ”declares the Lord.

“ ‘The Lord shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water.’. . .

“Yet the Lord did not give Israel up without first doing all that could be done to lead them back to their allegiance to Him. Through long, dark years when ruler after ruler stood up in bold defiance of Heaven and led Israel deeper and still deeper into idolatry, God sent message after message to His backslidden people. Through His prophets He gave them every opportunity to stay the tide of apostasy and to return to Him. During the years that were to follow the rending of the kingdom, Elijah and Elisha were to live and labor, and the tender appeals of Hosea and Amos and Obadiah were to be heard in the land. Never was the kingdom of Israel to be left without noble witnesses to the mighty power of God to save from sin.”—Prophets and Kings, p. 108.

c. Like Amos, what message are we fearlessly to bear, just as John the Baptist did?

Amos 4:12 (last part): “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel! ”

Matthew 3:1, 2: 1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ”

“As a people who believe in Christ’s soon appearing, we have a message to bear—‘Prepare to meet thy God.’ Amos 4:12. Our message must be as direct as was the message of John. He rebuked kings for their iniquity. Notwithstanding that his life was imperiled, he did not hesitate to declare God’s word. And our work in this age must be done as faithfully.

“In order to give such a message as John gave, we must have a spiritual experience like his. The same work must be wrought in us. We must behold God, and in beholding Him lose sight of self.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, pp. 332, 333.

3. COURAGEOUS CHOICES Tue, Feb 3

a. Why is God unique in the universe, and what earnest appeals show His fervent desire to grant the meek what is best?

Amos 4:13: For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

5:6–9, 14: 6 Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, 7 O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth! 8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name; 9 who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress. 14 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.

b. As Amos shared these truths, how was he treated—and what was the general outcome in the face of these warnings and appeals?

Amos 5:10, 15–18: 10 They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth. 15 Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord: “In all the squares there shall be wailing, and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas! ’They shall call the farmers to mourning and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation, 17 and in all vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through your midst, ”says the Lord. 18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light,

“By far the greater number of those who heard these invitations [of Amos] refused to profit by them.”—Prophets and Kings, p. 284.

c. What reproofs regarding lifestyle are to be a wake-up call?

Amos 6:1, 3–7: 1 “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! 3 O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? 4 “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, 5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, 6 who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! 7 Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away. ”

“There are disagreeable duties that somebody must do or souls will be left to perish. Christians will find a blessing in doing these duties, however unpleasant they may be. Christ took the disagreeable task upon Himself of coming from the abode of purity and unsurpassed glory, to dwell, a man among men, in a world seared and blackened by crime, violence, and iniquity. He did this to save souls; and shall the objects of such amazing love and unparalleled condescension excuse their lives of selfish ease? shall they choose their own pleasure, follow their own inclinations, and leave souls to perish in darkness because they will meet with disappointment and rebuffs if they labor to save them? Christ paid an infinite price for man’s redemption, and shall he say: ‘My Lord, I will not labor in Thy vineyard; I pray Thee have me excused’?

“God calls for those who are at ease in Zion to be up and doing. Will they not listen to the Master’s voice? He wants prayerful, faithful workers who will sow beside all waters. Those who labor thus will be surprised to find how trials, resolutely borne in the name and strength of Jesus, will give firmness to the faith and renew the courage. In the path of humble obedience is safety and power, comfort and hope; but the reward will finally be lost by those who do nothing for Jesus. Weak hands will be unable to cling to the Mighty One, feeble knees will fail to support in the day of adversity. Bible readers and Christian workers will receive the glorious prize, and hear the ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’ ”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 76.

4. REAPING WHAT IS SOWN Wed, Feb 4

a. What revealed that God’s appeals given through Amos were unwelcome to Amaziah, the idolatrous priest?

Amos 7:10–13: 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said, “‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land. ’” 12 And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom. ”

“So contrary to the evil desires of the impenitent were the words of God’s messengers, that the idolatrous priest at Bethel sent to the ruler in Israel, saying, ‘Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.’ Amos 7:10.”—Prophets and Kings, p. 284.

“For a season these predicted judgments were stayed, and during the long reign of Jeroboam II the armies of Israel gained signal victories; but this time of apparent prosperity wrought no change in the hearts of the impenitent, and it was finally decreed, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.’ Amos 7:11.

“The boldness of this utterance was lost on king and people, so far had they gone in impenitence.”—Ibid., p. 286.

b. How did Amos boldly respond to Amaziah’s hostile remarks—and how were the prophet’s words later fulfilled?

Amos 7:14–17: 14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel. ’ 16 Now therefore hear the word of the Lord. “You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac. ’ 17 Therefore thus says the Lord: “‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land. ’”

1 Chronicles 5:25, 26: 25 But they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.

“The words spoken against the apostate tribes were literally fulfilled; yet the destruction of the kingdom came gradually. . . .

“Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, invaded Israel and carried away with him a multitude of captives from among the tribes living in Galilee and east of the Jordan. ‘The Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,’ with others of the inhabitants of ‘Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali’ (1 Chronicles 5:26; 2 Kings 15:29), were scattered among the heathen in lands far removed from Palestine.

“From this terrible blow the northern kingdom never recovered. The feeble remnant continued the forms of government, though no longer possessed of power.”—Ibid., p. 287.

c. When tempted to assume that God simply winks at laxity in the heart of a professed believer, of what are we reminded?

Amos 8:1–7: 1 This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, a basket of summer fruit. 2 And he said, “Amos, what do you see? ” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit. ” Then the Lord said to me, “The end has come upon my people Israel; I will never again pass by them. 3 The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day, ”declares the Lord God. “So many dead bodies! ”“They are thrown everywhere! ” “Silence! ” 4 Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, 5 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, 6 that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat? ” 7 The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.

Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

5. THE WORST FAMINE EVER Thu, Feb 5

a. Describe the scene of spiritual famine soon to come.

Amos 8:3, 11, 12: 3 The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day, ”declares the Lord God. “So many dead bodies! ”“They are thrown everywhere! ” “Silence! ” 11 “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. 12 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.

“The world is perishing for want of the gospel. There is a famine for the word of God. There are few who preach the word unmixed with human tradition.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 228.

“[Amos 8:3 quoted.] These plagues [of Revelation 16] are not universal, or the inhabitants of the earth would be wholly cut off. Yet they will be the most awful scourges that have ever been known to mortals.”—The Great Controversy, pp. 628, 629.

“Those who had not prized God’s Word were hurrying to and fro, wandering from sea to sea, and from the north to the east, to seek the Word of the Lord. Said the angel, ‘They shall not find it. There is a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the Lord. What would they not give for one word of approval from God! but no, they must hunger and thirst on. Day after day have they slighted salvation, prizing earthly riches and earthly pleasure higher than any heavenly treasure or inducement. They have rejected Jesus and despised His saints. The filthy must remain filthy forever.’

“Many of the wicked were greatly enraged as they suffered the effects of the plagues. It was a scene of fearful agony. Parents were bitterly reproaching their children, and children their parents, brothers their sisters, and sisters their brothers. Loud, wailing cries were heard in every direction, ‘It was you who kept me from receiving the truth which would have saved me from this awful hour.’ The people turned upon their ministers with bitter hate and reproached them, saying, ‘You have not warned us. You told us that all the world was to be converted, and cried, Peace, peace, to quiet every fear that was aroused. You have not told us of this hour; and those who warned us of it you declared to be fanatics and evil men, who would ruin us.’ But I saw that the ministers did not escape the wrath of God. Their suffering was tenfold greater than that of their people.”—Early Writings, pp. 281, 282.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS Fri, Feb 6

1. In order for harmony to exist in a relationship, what is necessary?

2. What is needed for me to be a “brand plucked from the burning”?

3. Why was Amos constrained to reprove the lifestyle of many in Israel?

4. When unfavorable news comes from an inspired source, what must I do?

5. What warning should I heed from the reality of Amos 4:11, 12?