young men – Praying Pint

9.v. “Because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God,”

Amos 4:4 “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; 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. “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. “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; 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. “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. “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. “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. “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” 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!

This is very breathtaking news that Amos was prophesying. God spoke to His people through Amos and proclaimed their sin and His actions that were intended to bring them back to Him. What does it say they did? “yet you did not return to Me”. Five times He reminded them that He was the one that was the author of the trial they were going through. Five separate times He caused trials to bring them back to Himself but they chose to remain oblivious to these trials coming from His hand. How many years did all of this transpire over and how many people allowed themselves to be led astray by the words of others who stood fast in their belief that God was not behind the calamities that they were experiencing? What need is there to come to God if He is not seen as the author of their trials? What need is there to acknowledge their sinful ways, repent and turn back to God? Belief, or the lack thereof, has a way of defining the way we see what is happening and how we live each day. Let it not be said of us “yet you did not return to me”

9.k. Among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

There is so much here that relates to Jesus Christ, salvation, and end times. I think what Peter was led to say in Acts captures the fullness of Joel today. Act 2:17-37 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

5.k. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you

Job 12:12  Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.

Job 8:8   “For inquire, please, of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers have searched out.

Job 32:7   I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.’

1 Kings 12:6-8   Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”  And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.”  But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.

Hebrews 5:12   For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,

Pro 1:2  To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,  to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,  to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

There is worldly wisdom that comes to most. It comes with time and age. It is cultivated through experience and observing good and bad, right and wrong, worldly and godly, smart and foolish, and justice and injustice. This wisdom can teach a man how to walk a worldly path and avoid troubles that have come to others. This wisdom can make one appear to have the secrets of knowledge and understanding. However, in the end, this wisdom only has the ability to help in worldly things. It is missing wisdom that comes from a surrender of self to Jesus Christ. Without this godly wisdom, we will miss grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, salvation, redemption, and eternity in heaven. Godly wisdom is a gift to those who desire and seek after things of God. This desire and seeking drive us to His Word, to our knees or to our hands lifted high in praise and worship of Jesus Christ. It is in this reverence we touch the surface of godly wisdom and it is in this that we will grow and mature. Choose today to start fresh and committed to seeking and growing in Godly wisdom.

1.v. But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him.

Image may contain: outdoor, text that says 'You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice.'

2 Chronicles 10:1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam, “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” He said to them, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people went away.

Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” And they said to him, “If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men, King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the Lord might fulfill his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So all Israel went to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Rehoboam had to make a choice on who to listen to for advice. He did not choose wisely. He chose to listen to those around him who had no apparent walk with God. He chose to elevate himself to greatness by force and harshness. He chose to stroke his ego and pride. The people did not follow after him nor was he blessed by God.

Every day we get to make choices. We choose to whom we will listen to. We choose what thoughts we are going to take action on. We choose if we are going to honor God in our thoughts, words, and actions. We get to choose to whether or not we seek and desire God’s word. We get to choose to believe in Jesus Christ. We get to choose to deny self and live for humbly serving, honoring, glorifying, worshiping, following, trusting, and obeying Jesus Christ. We get to choose to listen to the Holy Spirit leading us. We get to choose to love, forgive, and repent and turn away from sin. We get to choose to stay in God’s word.

Our choices will paint a picture of what we think about, who we care about, and cannot be hidden.