Jonah the Rebellious Prophet

July 20, 2026 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jonah The Rebellious Prophet

Book of Jonah Chapters 1 and 2

One thing we should be very clear about in this Book of Jonah is that it was written as actual history and not some allegory, or fiction, or parable, and refers to real people in real places.

Ancient tradition in Israel considered Jonah and the Book of Jonah as historical facts, and we should too.

A lot is written about Jonah by Josephus and other church fathers, and they all accepted the Book of Jonah as a historical fact.

It would be best for us to accept the Book of Jonah along with the sixty-five other books of the Bible as the truth of God.

If God said Jonah was swallowed by a fish to be delivered to Nineveh, then I accept it as fact.

It does not actually say that this great fish delivered Jonah to Nineveh, and Assyria had no shore and no seaport.

Jonah was probably put to shore at Joppa, the place from which he had set out.

God wanted His message of “judgment” preached in Nineveh, and He chose Jonah to deliver that message.

God does not just choose people He knows might not like the ministry He chose them for.

God chooses His children who He knows can get the job done if their faith remains strong.

We have a duty to bear witness to the true Lord of all people, Jesus Christ.
God wanted Israel to know that God loved all people.
Jonah was to be a picture of repentance from disobedience of a true man of God, written to all God’s people.

Another thing to consider that is not mentioned is the fact that it would be the Assyrian Empire that God would use in His “judgment” of the Northern Tribes named Israel, and the capital of the Assyrian Empire was the city of Nineveh.

The Assyrians were known as some of the cruelest people in the ancient world.

The children of Israel could be just as callous and hardhearted.

Even though most of the Ninevites returned to pagan worship later, God always, always has a remnant that stays with Him forever.

I believe that when Israel was taken to Nineveh, not everyone would be their enemy.

God has a purpose and a use for everyone upon the face of this earth.

God will use everyone who turns to Him, but God will also use the wicked to further His plan of “redemption” while not causing their wickedness.

The truth of God is that He desires mercy more than judgment, and every person who lives will get an opportunity to meet the God of the Bible.

God’s patience with our sin and wickedness, our false worship and rejection of Him as the only Living God and True God, is hard to understand, but it is real!

We must understand that God’s “judgment” will be real when the Lord Jesus returns in glory.

There is nowhere to run to escape the “Judgment of God”!

*****Jon 1:1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
Jon 1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

The Book of Jonah, the fifth book in the row of the twelve minor prophets, is a unique book.

It is another place where we are to learn about the ways of God.

Jonah, the prophet of God, tried to put his own importance above the importance of God’s message.

We must learn that if we belong to God, we cannot run away from the purpose He has for us without feeling His chastisement.

Jonah knew the power and the truth of God!

When the truth of God is preached to any people, some will believe and be saved.

Jonah hated the Ninevites, for they were cruel, war-mongering people, and Jonah did not want to see any of them turn to Jehovah for salvation.

Just like God always does, He will take something that started badly and turn it into good results.

Jonah was running away from his home and his country to avoid doing what God wanted him to do.

Jonah would suffer unimaginable things, but in the end, he would be glad to do what God wanted him to do.

Jonah was already a prophet of God in Judah and was obedient to the Word of God.

Amos and Hosea were also serving the Lord during the time of Jonah.

They were to warn Israel and Judah of the coming judgment unless they would repent of their evil ways.

God’s new commission to Jonah was clear and unmistakable.

Jonah was to go to the city of Nineveh to warn a pagan people of the coming judgment of God.

We will learn a lot about Jonah, but we must pay attention to the actions of our God and Jonah’s God, Jehovah.

Of course, we know Him as Jesus.

Nineveh was one of the great cities of ancient civilization.

For the Lord Jesus to mention Jonah, we know that these things are true.

It just makes sense for us to accept all the Word of God as the truth.

To the Jews, the Book of Jonah is important, and they read this great truth of God during the Day of Atonement.

To critics, it is just a fairytale, but we live by faith in the whole Word of God.

If the Lord Jesus said these things are true, then we should not question them.

Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Mat 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Mat 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

What do we recognize as the sign of Jonah?

The sign of Jonah refers to the three days that Jonah spent in the belly of a great fish, which symbolizes Jesus’ death and resurrection after three days.

This truth is mentioned in the Gospels, where Jesus uses Jonah’s experience as a type of His own future crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.

The miraculous survival of Jonah serves as a powerful reminder of God’s mercy and God’s call to repentance.

It is God who is in control of all the parts of nature He created. God loves all people.

And for those who think God just has His eyes on His own people, all the other people of this earth should know that God has His eyes upon all His creation and all people of every nation.

What did Jonah do? He tried to flee from God.

God knows what each of us are doing at any given time.

*****Jon 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

It is believed that Tarshish was a city of the Phoenicians in southern Spain.

This ship would have been an ocean-going ship and not a small fishing boat.

The Phoenicians were the dominant sea power at that time, and their ships traveled the world.

We should understand that we may not always like what God wants us to do.

We know He will never go against His own Word, so anything God asks us to do will be the right thing to do!

The people of Nineveh were evil and malicious, but as God had promised, the entire world must be warned of the coming judgment.

Nah 3:1 Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;
Nah 3:2 The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.
Nah 3:3 The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:
Nah 3:4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

All sin is an abomination to the Lord, but God will sometimes point out a specific group of people who have become so wicked that He will issue a special call of judgment.

Archaeology has confirmed what God is teaching us in this Book of Jonah.

The Assyrians were wicked people!

In their judgment of people, lips were torn off, hands were cut off, people were flayed like you would a fish while they were alive, and there were great mounds of skulls everywhere.

Jonah made a tragic decision to deliberately disobey the Lord and run away.

We must clearly understand that God can save anybody, anywhere, at any time, and it is not up to us to decide who God will save or who God will reject.

Rom_14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

The Lord Jesus said: Mat_7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

The Lord God Jehovah could not allow His prophet to get away with these things, which means He understood the feelings of Jonah, but Jonah was not God, and Jonah could not select who God would save or not save.

God’s message is to all people!

Jonah was in open rebellion against the Lord and wanted to get as far away from Nineveh as he possibly could.

God loved the Ninevites, despite their wickedness, and wanted them to hear that there was hope for them if they would only repent of all that wickedness.

We can also see that when we disobey God, we can endanger others.

God did not want His prophet to destroy his ministry or his life.

God caused a great wind, so great that this mighty ship could be destroyed.

The mariners of the ship all called out to their false gods, and we know there was no help there.

Jonah was asleep below deck, and the captain told him to cry out to his God, who is Jehovah, the God of the Hebrew people.

The Lord God of the Bible is the only hope we have in this world!

*****Jon 1:7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So, they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

Jonah may have thought for a while that he had successfully avoided going east to Ninevah by going west to Spain, but God was not through with Jonah.

Jonah knew why the ship was in such distress.

We should understand that God chastises those He loves, and sometimes a lot of chastisement is needed to bring us back to the right path.

While God was dealing with Jonah, He also took the time to demonstrate His power over the elements of this world.

This was the time of the year when the Mediterranean Sea would have been the calmest, and the crew, being polytheists, could only blame their distress on some false god.

They believed more in their false gods than many people believe in the true God, to our shame.

Ask a Muslim who believes in false gods or ask a Hindu about their faith.

God wants us to warn all people everywhere of His coming judgment, whether they believe it or not.

Jonah finally told them his God was the LORD, the God of Heaven, and that he was running away from Him.

It was obvious to the ship that it was Jonah’s fault that had caused this terrible storm.

They asked Jonah how they could save themselves from this storm, and Jonah told them to throw him overboard.

They did not want to do this at first but later decided that there was no other option and tossed Jonah out of the ship.

*****Jon 1:15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.

These professional sailors got introduced to the God who is our Creator.

They asked that God not hold them accountable since it was because of Jonah that the storm was so powerful.

They were now afraid for their own lives and had admiration for the God of the Hebrew people, and they offered some sacrifice when they could have just said thank you and praised Him.

A vow would mean that these sailors made some kind of promise to God.

Only Jonah knew what happened next and lived to talk about it, and the Holy Spirit caused it to be written in the Bible we have today.

*****Jon 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

No one can outthink God! He knew exactly what was going to happen to Jonah, and He prepared a great fish to be ready to save Jonah from drowning.

If God can keep life in the womb before the birth of a child, why would He not be able to keep Jonah alive in the belly of a fish?

This great fish swallowed Jonah to protect him, and as my preacher says, Jonah became the first ever submariner.

Some say under these conditions, there was no way that Jonah could have known how many days he was inside this fish, but the Holy Spirit knows all things.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

There was but one thing Jonah could do.

*****Jon 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,
Jon 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

This story of Jonah should confirm the fact that we can pray to God from anywhere but the grave, though we know that everyone in Hell is now a believer in the true God.

Wherever we find ourselves, we are never too far from God for Him to hear us.

Jonah had caused himself to be put into this precarious situation.

Jonah was in this situation because he had willfully disobeyed God, but God was still ready to hear from Jonah.

Had Jonah not prayed, he would have been lunch for this fish!

We must know that in our time of need, we should go to God, for He is always listening for our prayers.

Psa 120:1 In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.

We are never truly in a desperate situation when we know we can pray to the God of all power, even when we are in disobedience to the Word of God, if we are willing to repent.

It would take a miracle for Jonah to survive and complete the work that God had given him to do.

The Lord used this huge fish to keep Jonah alive while He also gave Jonah a sense of being in Hell.

Jonah was in pitch-black darkness, along with the unbearable smell of rotting fish, seaweed, and whatever else a fish would eat.
The Lord used this fish to give Jonah a sense of what Hell would be like for those who never heard God’s message of salvation.
God used this fish to deliver Jonah from death to demonstrate His great love and mercy. God will do almost anything to get His message to those who have never heard it.
The Lord used this great fish to swallow and then expel Jonah as a type of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, as Jesus said Himself.

Luk 11:29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
Luk 11:30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

We should remember the Lord in everything we do, and He should never be the last thing that we remember in a time of need.

*****Jon 2:7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Though Jonah was still inside this great fish, his heart began to change in his despair.

Jonah realized that the Lord had kept him alive inside this fish to give him time to repent.

Jonah could breathe while inside this animal, which causes many to believe this great fish was a whale, but we actually do not know for sure.

Jonah speaks with faith that the Lord could still save him if He chose to do so, and He did.

God intends that through situations such as the one Jonah was in, to show us His great mercy.

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Jonah did not know if he would truly be saved from his dilemma, but he did know that his relationship with his Heavenly Father had been mended.

Inside this fish, Jonah knew he could still reach into the throne room of God.

Jonah was not afraid to die!

*****Jon 2:10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

We do not know where Jonah was put out on dry land.

We do know that God has control of all His creation, and this fish was obedient to God.

We can ignore all those who suggest the first part of the Book of Jonah is allegorical.

Those are just people who have no respect for the Word of God nor the power of our Supernatural God.

God had humbled His servant, and His servant was now ready to serve Him.

Jonah revived his ministry from this beach where he was deposited.

He would now obey God and go to Nineveh to proclaim the Word of God to a doomed people.

This is the same job we have today!

It was Jonah’s three-day experience when he was given a new life and a new beginning.

So, it is with us!

Through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, we too can receive a new life, a new beginning, a brand-new start, a second chance, and spend an eternity with the One who loves us the most.

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. By Grace Through Faith.

We must never think that God is not working in this world to bring to full glory His plan of salvation, through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen

Forgiveness Is the Reward for Repentance

July 13, 2026 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Forgiveness Is the Reward for Repentance

Book of Hosea, Chapters 10 through 14

We see the word repentance throughout the Bible, but most people do not understand what this word means.

In Christianity, true repentance begins with the consciousness of our sin.

The evidence of repentance is faith, humility, prayer, and obedience.

Repentance is a gift of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Just as with any other gift, we must reach for it to receive it.

How do we accomplish repentance?

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

First, we acknowledge the lives of those who are living by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We realize that those who are no longer with us encouraged us to live in faith of the Lord Jesus and the life they lived is also an encouragement.
We must accept the salvation that is provided by the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must lay aside every burden from this world because they have no importance in Heaven.
We must walk away from the sin in our lives that has now been forgiven.
We must plant our feet into the plan of God for our lives.

Unless we get busy serving the Lord, we have not truly repented. This is the race that comes with being reconciled to God.

Isa 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

It is the goodness of God that will lead us to look to Him for repentance.

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Pro 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

We can see that forgiveness is truly the reward for repentance, but we also see that repentance is necessary for forgiveness.

God’s forgiveness here is clearly linked to a true return to God to find with Him compassion instead of judgment.

We must understand that the Lord Jesus Christ has already paid for all the sins that have taken place in this world by anybody.

1Jn_2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Our job is to tell others this truth and show them the goodness of God so they can believe and be reconciled to God.

2Co_5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co_5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

This is our race to enter.

*Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

As long as we are alive, we can make a new start with God; once this flesh dies, our opportunity to do so vanishes.

Once more, God calls for Israel to repent and escape the judgment of God.

The horrendous sin that happened at Gibeah almost brought to an end one of the tribes of Israel, which was Benjamin.

The city of Gibeah had become a place like Sodom, and the tribe of Benjamin had allowed it to take place and would fight anyone who tried to change them.

What used to take place in the heathen Sodom now takes place in Israel, among the people of God, by people who bear God’s Name.

What did God say of His people?

Jer 23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

We know that this Levite went to his own home, cut this woman up into pieces, and sent them to all the tribes of Israel. Israel decided to take vengeance on Benjamin, and all but six hundred men were slaughtered.

Of Israel and Benjamin, sixty-five thousand men died in three battles because of sin.

The people of Israel eventually brought four hundred virgins to those six hundred men, and this sin disappeared from the tribe of Benjamin. It grew rapidly, but sin remained, and the people continued to fall into the trap of false worship and idolatry, but the sin of sodomy disappeared

Their hearts remained hardened against the truth of God.

God likes to use farming principles to get His point across because most of these people were farmers.

On a new piece of land, to grow crops, the land must be cultivated. They had to break up the fallow ground, or we would say till the soil.

For a hardened heart to be usable, that heart needs to be plowed with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the truth of the Word of God, to cleanse that heart of sin.

1) To sow righteousness and reap God’s love, they had to turn toward God and away from their wicked ways.

2) They had to begin a new life guided by God’s Holy Word.

3) They had to turn away from the world and look to God, and they would stand justified before God.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

I do not know how many times the Scriptures tell us to avoid an immoral lifestyle, and it is rejected by much of the Church today.

We know God does not change, so how can the Church be so foolish?

God also warns us against wickedness, perversion, and degenerate acts.

In no uncertain terms, God condemns all acts of homosexuality just as He does fornication.

He also condemns rape, abuse, assault, murder, and all depravity.

Mar 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Another farming principle that we need to keep up with is located in Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

*Hos 10:13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

Instead of sowing righteousness the people had sown wickedness.

When you sow wickedness, you will reap evil and eat the fruit of deception.

In the end times, the Lord Jesus says we must watch out for deception.

Luk_21:8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

Our land today is full of hatred. Hatred brings injustice, which relies on wickedness instead of love, which brings justice.

Anytime we go our own way instead of God’s way, which is righteousness, doing things right according to the Word of God, we will fail as people, and we will fail as a nation.

All the time, we hear that the USA is not in the Bible, but the people of God are in the Bible, and it takes people to make a nation.

If we want to be around in the end times, then we must be the people of God and not so full of wickedness as we are today.

We must break the cycle we are in today: Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

We cannot rely on ourselves to get us there.
We cannot rely on our government to get us there.
We cannot rely on our military to get us there.
We can only rely on the Lord Jesus Christ to get us there.

*Hos 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

We immediately see that it is because of God’s love that He delivers His people.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

It is the call of God that enables us to be saved.

We could say this is the unconditional election of God in which He acts.

God chose to call us while we were yet sinners and had no value to Him.

God calls us because He has a purpose for us.

In compassionate terms, the LORD speaks about Israel.

He speaks about how He loved the people as a child and son, liberated them, taught them to walk, cherished them in His arms, cared for them, nurtured them, and raised them.

When we say no to God, we are saying no not only to His purpose for us, but we are saying no to His great love for us.

1Jn_2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

When God says nothing can separate us from His love, He truly means it!

Rom_8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It was God’s love that delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt.

God’s love will always deliver His people!

Throughout the Old Testament, we see that the LORD’s relationship with Israel was like that of a father and son, and this has not changed.

This is the way our LORD thinks of all His children, especially the Church today.

God has not abandoned Israel because we know that His great love He has remains.

What did God say to Pharaoh? Exo 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
Exo 4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

When God first called Abraham, God promised to establish a very special relationship with his descendants.

The one thing they needed to do was obey.

All true believers, we are the adopted sons and daughters of God.

Now, we should not leave this verse until we see that it also relates to Jesus Christ.

Mat 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Mat 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Mat 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

We should understand that we should remain where the Lord has placed us until He gives us the command to leave.

We should only act when God says to act.

When the Lord Jesus was just a few days old, He had to flee, and the angels who announced His birth did not form an escort around Him.

One thing is very clear: the Lord Jesus started His history on earth where the people of Israel started theirs.

Jesus Christ was a Jew, and He would look like a Jew of that day.

Where Israel failed God, the Lord Jesus Christ would succeed!

Though Israel is still failing in its calling, Jesus Christ is perfect in His calling.

The Lord Jesus is the firstborn of the Church.
The Lord Jesus is the true Israel.
The Lord Jesus is the true Adam.

1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

Where we puny humans fail, the Lord Jesus Christ always succeeds!

*Hos 11:2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
Hos 11:3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
Hos 11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

Once Israel was freed from Egypt and started their journey to the Promised Land, they forgot about God’s love.

The whole world, including the Atheists, sacrifices to Baalim. Baalim represents all false gods and the imaginations of their minds.

Israel, as God’s son, has been delivered more times than we can count, and God is going to deliver them again, and this time they will serve Him.

In many places in the Bible, during the divided kingdom, Ephraim can mean Israel.

Israel is just like the world today, which refuses to repent.

We know that in the not-too-distant future, Israel will repent, but the world will remain stubborn and refuse to repent.

We live in a self-righteous world that still listens to the serpent of the Book of Genesis.

Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

The world still believes in the theory of evolution, and the ultimate fulfillment of evolution is that humans will one day evolve into gods.

What a joke. Evolution is the biggest lie told to the world, and the world clings to it like it is gold, just because the alternative would be that they would have to acknowledge a Supernatural God.

When Israel was a young nation, the LORD took her people by the arm and helped them along the way step by step.

Substitute America for Israel, and the same thing could be said. God has helped the USA along the way, step by step.

When Israel stumbled, they were not abandoned; the LORD was there to lift them. He has not changed!

The key to the Bible and God’s promises is to walk faithfully throughout our lives.

We should never ignore the LORD’s love and care for us.

God has given us His love letter to us, the Bible, just for this purpose.

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

The “cords of a man” represent God’s loving, personal influence, not forceful control.

God promises to guide us.
God promises to care for us by providing our needs.
God promises never to lead us into temptation.
God promises us eternal life in the most wonderful place that has ever been conceived.

God asks us to have faith in His promises.

Psa 73:24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

*Hos 13:4 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.

What is the truth of all man-made idols? Hos 13:2 And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
Hos 13:3 Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

There is nothing that is carved by human hands, nothing made of the most valuable things on earth, nothing that is a figment of man’s imagination, that could have led Israel out of Egypt.

There is nothing in this world that can save us or redeem us but God, who is the LORD!

He has a connection with us because He is also our Creator!

Isa 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
Isa 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Isa 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

God loves us!

If we are faithful and about to do something that will harm us, God will correct us.

Why do we expect that correction not to have pain?

God will do what He can to make sure we live and experience the fullness of this life if we are faithful to Him.

God is not afraid to use His Heavenly hickory, as any good father would, to get us back on the right road of reconciliation if we veer to the left or to the right.

If those few stripes could not get us back on track, then God will use a harsher method.

*Hos 13:7 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:
Hos 13:8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.

God will move from being the Good Shepherd to being like a wild animal.

The lion, the bear, the lioness, and the wild beast may not abide in Israel today, but they did in the days of the prophets.

These animals are known for the horrible way they kill their prey.

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

That word “scourge” can mean severe bodily punishment.

Scourging, in most cases, was just the lead-in to capital punishment.

Will God take your life to keep you out of Hell? He could for those who are His children!

*Hos 13:9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.

After we become one of God’s children, the first thing we learn is that we need His help.

If we know we need His help and then reject Him, it will lead to our destruction!

The only hope and help for a sinful people is the “GRACE” of God.

Without God’s “grace,” we would certainly perish in that place called Hell, which is a real place, and Heaven is also a real place.

God will never reject or destroy His people forever because He cannot void the promises He has already made.

God is Holy, completely set apart from all other things, perfectly righteous and pure in all things, including His Word.

God will never change from what He says He will do!

God is love; God can never be other than love.
God is Holy; He can never be other than Holy.
God is perfect; He can never be other than perfect.
God is faithful; He can never be other than faithful.

1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

*Hos 14:1 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

We know that Israel has been in that place of judgment since the time of the Assyrians.

The Assyrian, Sargon the Tartan, the commander-in-chief of the Assyrian Army, laid siege to Samaria and put an end to the Kingdom of Israel.

2Ki 17:5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

2Ki 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

Why did God allow this to happen?

2Ki 17:7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
2Ki 17:8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
2Ki 17:9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
2Ki 17:10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:
2Ki 17:11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:
2Ki 17:12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

This is what the judgment of God looks like.

*Hos 14:2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
Hos 14:3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
Hos 14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

Up until the siege of the King of Assyria, all Israel had to do was repent and turn back to Jehovah God, yet they would not.

What is it going to take for God’s people to return to God and follow the Word He has given to us?

Repentance is the first step!

Next comes confession with words that must come from the heart.

Rom_10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom_4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

These things must be done in faith.

Remember, Abraham had faith that if he killed Isaac, God would raise him from that death, and the plan of God would succeed.

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

The plan of God will certainly succeed!

The truth is that if we confess in faith, faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, God will accept our confession as a sacrifice with the respect that goes along with it, if it comes from the heart.

The truth is that the utterances of our lips, consisting of prayers and praise, or both, are to take the place of animal sacrifices.

Animal sacrifices would only be good for one year.

Only the sacrifice of the lord Jesus Christ is great enough to be able to forgive all sins, up to the greatest sin.

Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Mic 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

After we confess our sin and are forgiven there must be a radical break with the past.

We must do away with our former life!

We must understand that God will not forgive sins if we intend to continue with them!

Pro 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

The modern church has forgotten this.

The Catholic church has forgotten this.

All those churches that allowed the laws of the world to overcome the Law of God have forgotten this.

We cannot just conceal our sin; we must forsake all our sin to be reconciled to God.

There is very little time to get these things behind us, or the rapture of the Church will not be such a great event for those who are just playing church or those who believe the preacher but do not believe the Word of God.

The Word of God is the only map that will lead us to Heaven!

Who are the wise ones?

*Hos 14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

That word “prudent” means discernment, understanding, consideration, and being prudent.

These are things that the Northern Kingdom lacked while it practiced pagan worship.

The prophet Hosea was calling out to anyone who had not given in to those things.

Who are the wisest upon this earth? Those who showed wisdom in understanding that the ways of the Lord are the path that we should walk.

God promised that Israel would return to that land.

On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again, in one day, and they returned to the land that they had been carried away from.

God promised that they would prosper, and they have and will prosper even more during the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ.

It is during the Tribulation years that they will, for the first time, be totally sold out to Jehovah, the LORD God of Israel.

Israel’s judgment was just as God had said on that day.

Why would we think that God will be any different from the Church that has left the pathway built by the Lord Jesus Christ?

Why can we not accept that all the Word of God is the truth?

Amen

Restoration

June 29, 2026 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Restoration

Book of Hosea, Chapters 1 through 3

Hosea was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Hosea was the only prophet who lived in the area of the Northern Tribes whose writings were preserved by the Holy Spirit and became part of the Bible we have today.

All the other prophets who prophesied against the Northern Tribes lived in the area of the Southern Tribes.

The Book of Amos was also of the Northern Kingdom, but Amos lived in the Southern Kingdom, along with Isaiah and Micah, who also prophesied against the Northern Kingdom.

The Book of Hosea gives us a picture of just how far God will go in trying to save His chosen people.

Our direct knowledge of Hosea comes entirely from the book which bears his name.

He is mentioned nowhere else in the Old Testament.

It is believed that Hosea prophesied for about 70 years.

The words of Hosea were written mostly to the Northern Tribes, but the fact remains that he was writing to all God’s people, including Judah, and to us who are alive today, because this is a work of the Holy Spirit.

The clearest lesson we can get from the Book of Hosea is that God loves His people and His greatest request is for His people to repent and return to Him.

God told Hosea to choose Gomer as his wife with the intention of showing us what it means to be unfaithful, as both Israel and Judah were in that day.

Once Hosea married Gomer, she would become involved in the sins of infidelity and unfaithfulness.

Israel and Judah had betrayed God and been disloyal and adulterous in their relationship with God.

They had committed act after act of Spiritual Adultery.

Many of God’s people are doing the same today. God must be first in our lives!

Hosea gives us a clear picture of God’s demanding call to us is for us to remain faithful.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

We sometimes forget that God requires us to be obedient to Him and the Lord Jesus is the greatest example of obedience to our Heavenly Father, but we can learn from Hosea also.

Hosea would write from the heart because he would understand how God felt about unfaithfulness because of Gomer’s relationship with him.

Of course, we know that the Holy Spirit would still guide and approve what was written.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Following the Lord will require us to make some sacrifices, and we are never guaranteed a pain-free life, as many of us have already experienced.

We must be clear as we serve the Lord: Jesus Christ is the only Savior of God’s people and the only One who redeems His people from death!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

This message is clear and unchangeable!

We should be able to picture our Savior through the relationship of Hosea to his wife, Gomer.

The Book of Hosea stands as one of the most straightforward and passionate declarations of God’s great love for us.

We will also see that even as great as His love is for us, there is a coming judgment on those who refuse to repent and return to Him.

Spiritual Adultery is a serious matter, and much of the Church is involved in Spiritual Adultery today and needs to repent.

*Hos 1:1 The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

The Book of Hosea is the first of the books that are called the Books of the Minor Prophets.

We need to understand that the message of these books is just as important as all the other books of the Bible.

They are minor in that they are short books as compared to the books of the other prophets, such as Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel.

They would not be part of the canon of the Bible if they were not important enough for us to study God’s message that they have for us.

Remember, it is the Holy Spirit who has chosen what we need to know of the message of God.

2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

There are no unimportant words in the Bible, but many so-called modern versions leave out so many of them and change many others.

The prophets Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum prophesied in the time of the Assyrian world empire.

The name Hosea means “savior”, “deliverer”.

God wants to deliver His people from the power of sin, and this is still His will even now in the Church Age, which is soon coming to its end.

Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

The prophets of God were not very popular among the people because they would usually appear when something was not right with God’s people, and many of them were murdered to keep them forever quiet, but the Holy Spirit made sure we of today get to know their message, which came straight from the lips of our Heavenly Father.

The first thing we notice is that the LORD Himself called out to Hosea. This would be Jehovah in the Old Testament, but the Lord Jesus in the New Testament.

We will also notice that God’s people as a whole are not open to hearing the voice of God, and not much has changed today, certainly not in the time of Jesus.

Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Mat 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

People then and people of today just do not want anyone to point out their sin to them.

To be real, everyone knows that they are sinners. People know they do not do everything righteously.

Everyone knows right from wrong except for the very young, but even they are not innocent of sin.

Idolatry had become the national religion of the Northern tribes of Israel, and idolatry was making its way into the Southern Tribes, and idolatry has made its way into the America we love today.

Their king, Jeroboam I, had established a new religion that he had created himself. His son Jeroboam II now ruled the Northern Tribes, and he was no different from his father.

He did this to keep the Northern Tribes from going to the Temple on feast days to worship.

Now, don’t get me wrong, but these people knew the truth, and they should have rebelled against this false worship, but they just obeyed their new king because they hated the King of Judah.

During the reign of King Solomon, many of the lower classes were not treated fairly.

Some others just worshipped the false gods of the surrounding nations, but either way, they turned away from Jehovah and the truth of God.

Rom_1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

God used His Prophet Hosea to be an example of wicked Israel in a way we may not understand, but we should be able to see it clearly.

We should understand that it is often the case that God calls a preacher or a missionary who is sent to specific places where they labor long hours, but do not see much fruit because God made a promise to all people.

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Mrk_13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

God asked Hosea to do something that many of us would certainly not want to do.

Hosea would experience a whole lot of what we call drama today in his marriage to a harlot.

The Northern Tribes of Israel would never be at rest but would face one crisis after another.

The Northern Tribes of Israel did not have one decent king.

They all were after power and riches.

It is getting the same in America today and in much of the world.

When God’s way of righteousness is rejected, and His Holy commandments are ignored, this world will suffer in turmoil that could have been avoided.

*Hos 1:2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

The wife of Hosea would be an adulteress, and God told Hosea to marry her and be faithful to her.

No matter what we do in this life, God is always faithful to His Word!

In reality, Hosea did not know Gomer would be an adulteress when he married her until God told him, but God did not cause Gomer to sin.

God will never lead us into temptation.

These marriages happen often, and divorce is rampant in America today, even in the Church.

People struggle with faithfulness!

Being faithful to God, Hosea obeyed and married a woman named Gomer.

The message God was sending to the Northern Tribes was a message of unfaithfulness.

Hosea would completely understand unfaithfulness to God by his own marriage to Gomer.

Hosea did not get to know Gomer through normal ways, as we would think, but Hosea purchased his wife.

Hos 3:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
Hos 3:2 So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:

We will understand as we go through this lesson that Gomer will be a picture of unfaithfulness representing Israel, and Hosea will be a picture of God’s faithfulness and God’s unlimited “Grace”.

Rom_5:20 Moreover, the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

For the Prophet Hosea to prophesy in the right manner, he needed to understand and feel how God feels about unfaithfulness.

Hosea would write with a greater understanding of how God feels about His spiritually adulterous children.

Through the tragedy of his own marriage, Hosea will come to feel how unfaithfulness affects the heart of God.

Unfaithfulness will destroy love in most people, but Jehovah God has a love that we do not really understand until we get to know Him as our Savior.

Now, we do not really know if Gomer was immoral before her marriage to Hosea, but for her to be an example of Israel, then she would have to begin her marriage to Hosea with faithfulness, but with a faithfulness that did not last very long.

Israel began with the faithfulness of Abraham.

Gomer’s children had names given to them that had special meaning.

It seems that the first son of Gomer would be Jezreel.

Hos 1:4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.
Hos 1:5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

You know if God broke the bow of Israel, then He allowed them to be defeated. The bow was their greatest weapon against the enemy.

The first daughter was named Loruhamah.

Hos 1:6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.
Hos 1:7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

Then another son named Loammi.

Hos 1:9 Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

It appears that maybe these children may not have been fathered by Hosea because our verse says, “children of whoredoms”.

It could also mean that all of these children would follow in the ways of their mother and were fathered by Hosea, which would make more sense.

Hos 2:4 And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.

We should not doubt that Gomer was an adulterous woman!

Adultery is also a picture of people turning away from God and giving themselves to false gods.

When the parents do not follow the Word of God, how can the children know what God expects?

We are to be godly examples to our children and train them in the way that they should go in life, God’s way.

If we look at the people of the entire world belonging to God because He is the Creator, then we see a world that is given over to the worship of false gods today

*Hos 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

We should understand that it was not just unfaithfulness in a few of these people; it was unfaithfulness, but that all the land of Israel had surrendered itself to adultery and unfaithfulness, ignoring the Word of God and the God who loved them.

It is estimated that there are around 20 million Jews in the world today.

Remember that Hitler slaughtered over 6 million.

God promised His people would be very numerous, and the pure fact is that God will keep His promise to Abraham.

Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Some say this would include the Muslim, and it could, because the seed of Israel would be from the line of Sarah, which would be Isaac and not Hagar, who is the mother of Ishmael, which includes the Muslim.

Muslims are not part of the Church unless they accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and not just as some prophet.

To be a son of the Living God is to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior!

God promised there would be only one ruler, and that ruler would be the Son of David.

On the Day of Jezreel, in all of Israel, there will be a reunion of all the tribes of Israel.

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

God promised that they would be restored to the land given to Abraham. Now, this does not include the Muslims because this land was passed on to Isaac and from Isaac to Jacob, who is Israel.

What do we know? God has never broken a promise, and He never will!

The Valley of Jezreel is located in the eastern extension of the plain of Esdraelon. (Jos_17:16; Jdg_6:33; Hos_1:5)

Jdg 6:33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

This place has been called the battlefield of Palestine. It has been a chosen place for encampment for every enemy of Israel and in every battle carried on in this country.

This is the same place of another prophecy that has not taken place as of yet.

Rev 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

This is the same place where most of the armies of the world will gather against Israel, and the Lord Jesus will slaughter them there.

God will show us how He acts to get us back on the right path.

God will use chastisement to purify His people, but then God will love them back into the family.

In Hosea, we read that God denied His people, but through the work of Jesus Christ, God will redeem them.

They just do not realize it yet.

*Hos 2:6 Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

We know that adultery runs rampant in our societies of today.

Many couples do not even get married because marriage requires commitment, and these unions are full of fornication.

Look how many babies could be saved if fornication were not the lifestyle of the USA and the world.

It is the same as it was in the Book of Judges: Jdg 21:25 In those days “every man did that which was right in his own eyes”.

This includes the women of today.

Many a marriage has ended because of adultery, and this is the message God gives to Israel and that God gives to the Church.

Even if Gomer would not stay faithful to Hosea, she should have been faithful to her children, but we find that this is not the case.

This is another case of Israel not even training its children to follow God.

God is teaching us that if you travel the road with painful barriers on the left and the right, you can only go one way or select a path with painful injuries.

We should ask ourselves, why do so many try to break through those painful barriers, just to go against a loving God?

Those painful barriers represent the Holy Spirit trying to keep us on the right path to victory.

People today do not even think about their health when they get on that road to sin.

Listen to Job: Job 19:8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

God will not put anything in our path to stop us from reaching Him, but He will put obstacles in our path to try to get us to change directions and return to Him.

The message of God is still repentance.

*Hos 2:7 And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
Hos 2:8 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
Hos 2:9 Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
Hos 2:10 And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.

Israel was chasing hard after false gods, but they could not find one that could help them.

Gomer was guilty of lust and adultery, and it was the same for Israel.

Gomer became enslaved by her desire for sexual pleasure, unable to break free from her passion.

This is what being enslaved to the Devil means. The Devil chains us to our sins and does not allow us to break free.

2Ti_2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

We talk about how we should not waste the things God gives to us, but Israel would melt down gold and silver and make idols to worship.

How smart is that, by the way? That made those idols valuable to a thief who is the Devil.

It is a sad day when we forget that it is our Creator who has provided our needs all our days, and we begin to worship some false god who cannot give us anything but death.

It is even worse when we give credit to idols for the things we have.

When we seek the world seeking some benefit that appears to be good and supposed riches and prosperity that the world hoards for itself, instead of God, who is in control, we will find that there is no advantage to be gained in the world.

We find that in war or in bad times, the Church is filled with prayerful people, but as soon as these things are over, those same people return to doing what they were doing before.

They should ask themselves, would God answer their prayers, and why would He? No, God will not listen to them lest they repent and return to Him.

Job 35:12 There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.
Job 35:13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

Only because God had placed obstacles in her path to keep her from finding her lovers did Gomer decide to go back to her husband, Hosea.

This will be the path of Israel!

When Israel is face-to-face with the results of her rebellion and sees no way out, will she ever return to the Lord?

We should be amazed at the “GRACE” of God and His “FORGIVENESS” of our sins.

No false god in this world can provide for our needs because they are only figments of the imagination.

We will never gain satisfaction from false gods or from this world!

Israel will one day realize that they were much better when they followed the LORD than when they followed the world.

This will be a while because they will be going through the Seven-Year Tribulation Period.

When we become spiritually blind to the truth of God, we become blind to the benefits of serving Him.

Psa_68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

This world and its politicians make promise after promise, and when they are elected and run again for the same office, they make the same old promises that they cannot fulfill.

Why do we tolerate such people and not vote them out?

God keeps every promise He has ever made.

God provided for Israel while they were in captivity, but they gave their offerings to idols of this world.

What did Israel lose?

They lost God’s care and His provision.
They were publicly exposed and shamed before the eyes of the world.
They could not escape God’s judgment.

There is no place for the sinner to hide from God’s judgment!

God began by taking His provision away from them.

These are the same lessons Gomer learned. Her bad reputation took her lovers away from her.

We cannot pretend we love the LORD and then go against His Word.

*Hos 2:13 And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

The days of Baalim were the days consecrated to Baal, and on which the worship of Jehovah was transferred to that idol.

In the days of Ahab, Baal worship was elevated to the status of a “state religion” while service to Jehovah was set aside.

1Ki 16:31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
1Ki 16:32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
1Ki 16:33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

2Ki 11:18 And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.

The name Baalim, Baals in plural, means the various forms of Baal-idolatry or any modification of Baal-worship.

Some say Baal is the god of the elites of society, and in many places, we find this to be true.

They worship what their riches have bought them.

Baal is also mentioned in the Quran.

To be clear, when you give anything that God has given to you to some idol, some Baal, you have committed a terrible sin.

God provides our needs; they are intended for our use in life or in a ministry of the Church.

Gomer celebrated her marriage with Hosea, but she was deceptive and insincere, a wife of whoredoms.

She turned her love away from Hosea and gave that love to other men.

Israel and many others have turned their love away from the LORD and given that love to a god that does not exist, for they have rejected the Son of God, their one true God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, we meet the God of the second chance.

*Hos 2:14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
Hos 2:15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
Hos 2:16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
Hos 2:17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

People say Grace is a New Testament thing, but we can see God’s Grace all through the Old Testament.

Hosea decided to renew his romance with his adulterous wife.

He would give her assurance that their marriage was safe, speak tenderly to her, and take her to places away from the temptation of her former worldly life.

This was a place where they could be alone and focus on each other and rekindle their original love for one another.

God would also do this for Israel.

Isa 65:8 Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.
Isa 65:9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
Isa 65:10 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.

God says, “My servants will dwell there”. This would be the land of Israel.
God says, “My chosen ones shall inherit it”. This would be God’s people after the Tribulation. Israel and the Church.

The heir of Judah will be the Messiah, and that remnant will be unified with Him.

This is the seed that grows into a great nation, and the world will be at peace.

It is believed that the name “Ishi” should be “my husband” and no longer be referred to as Baali, which means “my lord”.

We could say that this passage is spoken by the Messiah Himself, our Lord Jesus.

Isa 52:6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

We know this is the Lord speaking because we know that after the Great Tribulation, our Lord will remake this world as it was in the Garden of Eden when He said His creation was “very good”.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

This is the same earth that our Lord Jesus will make again, a New Earth.

*Hos 2:18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
Hos 2:19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
Hos 2:20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

All those who want to know about the animals that God created on day five and day six, they were all at peace with mankind.

Adam and Eve and all the animals ate from the grassland and the fruit trees. No animal ate another animal. No insect caused harm to another insect. No fish ate another fish. No dinosaur ate meat.

What is the truth of God?

All those who have committed Spiritual adultery and rejected the Lord can still have a wonderful future if they return to the Lord.

It is still called repentance today!

No one could say these things if they did not know the future!

God seeks a personal relationship, and He will have it with those who repent and join Him in sincerity and truth.

There would be no divorce, only an eternal union that could never be broken.

This relationship would be built on love and mercy, and no one has as much love and mercy as the LORD.
This relationship would be built on faithfulness, and no one is as faithful as the LORD.
This relationship would be built upon knowing and acknowledging the LORD.

*Hos 2:22 And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
Hos 2:23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Jezreel (‘whom God soweth’) is a title symbolically applied to Israel.

Once Israel returns to the LORD, many things will happen.

We should remember this is also the time that the Earth will be destroyed by fire.

The LORD will restore the earth:

1) The LORD will meet the needs of the heavens.
2) The heavens will meet the needs of the earth.
3) The earth will meet the needs of the harvest, including grains, vineyards, and olive oil.
4) This great harvest will meet the needs of Jezreel as it is applied to Israel at this time and all those who are alive during the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ.

*Hos 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
Hos 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

There should not be even one Israelite who can deny the truth of verse four.

God has a purpose for this time period.

Certainly, God has sent missionaries to Israel to tell them the truth of Jesus Christ, but in reality, God has not sent them a prophet since the time of John the Baptist and then His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

What did Jesus tell them? Mat_17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

We know even at this time David the King had been dead and buried for many years, so God is not talking about David, and not a resurrected David.

God is speaking of the Messiah, the Son of God, the One called the Son of David.

Mat_1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

This will be the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The example given to us from the Book of Hosea should teach us about the enduring love God has for His people.

Amen

God’s Restoration

June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

God’s Restoration

Book of Amos Chapters 5-9

One thing we all must remember is that once our bond with God is broken, death has entered into our lives.

We know this flesh we wear will certainly die, but the death that is real is the death of no longer having God involved in our lives.

If we reject Him long enough, we will then be rejected by our Heavenly Father.

Israel in this Scripture relates to the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom and not the Israel we know of today.

The message, though, is the same for everyone who lives upon this earth.

We are all given a choice.

*Amo 5:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

The verse is a call to repentance. God will contrast His requirements with our actual conduct.

We cannot just say we are Christian there must be some proof.

Jas 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Now we have no work to do for salvation; the Lord Jesus Christ did all that work, but there should be signs of a changed life after our salvation. There should be some signs of our faith.

There should be some fruit of the Holy Spirit since He immediately comes into our lives.

This is what James is saying in this Scripture.

God will contact every individual during their lifetime, and each of us will be offered this choice.

We must seek the Lord or else face God’s judgment!

God promises us that if we seek Him, we will find Him.

Deu_4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

Act_17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

It is easy to see that this seeking is not about religion; it is about a personal relationship.

This is the difference between religion and Christianity. In Christianity, we get up close and personal with God, as a family should be.

As Israel, the ten Northern Tribes found out, God’s invitations will stop at some time.

And the greatest truth of this seeking is that we cannot seek the Lord God of this Universe if we are also seeking false gods.

*Amo 5:5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
Amo 5:6 Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

Bethel had once been a place to seek God, but when the ten tribes split from Judah, Bethel became one of the places where there was false worship of man-made golden calves.

1Ki 12:28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
1Ki 12:29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.

Gilgal too had been a place where the people could seek God, but it too had become a place of false worship.

Hos 9:15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

God used to speak to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at Beersheba, but traveling to Beersheba in the day of Amos was like going on a pilgrimage.

God would be south at the Temple and not some pilgrimage.

Amo 8:14 They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

Amos was preaching to the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom, and his message was, “There is no need for you to seek God in these places where He could have been found at one time because He was no longer there.

It’s like passing a church that was once full on Sunday but is now empty every day; you could say that God is no longer there, and there would be no need to seek God there.

It has become no more than a building because it was the people who came who were the church.

Many of us used to attend other places of worship than we do today. Most of us would not have left those places if we were being fed the truth of the Lord.

The fact that the Lord used to be there is no guarantee that He is there today.

In fact, if we start preaching or teaching some new gospel in the place where we are today, we can be very sure that God will leave this place of worship.

We have an obligation to attend church!

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We cannot just attend any place of worship; we must worship in a place where we can find the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the cornerstone of the Church.

Many churches today do not even acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ, or they do not have the true Word of God.

What is a true Church? Eph_2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

The Apostles taught what Jesus taught them,
The prophets tell us what lies in our future.
Jesus Christ is the God of the true Bible, and He is also our Creator.

If Jesus Christ is not your God, then you are serving the wrong God.

This makes a lot of people mad to say this, but we have to tell them the truth.

It is Satan who has lied to them!

*Amo 5:7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
Amo 5:8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
Amo 5:9 That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

The truth is that those who are not seeking the LORD are seeking themselves, and they have no care for others.

There is very little natural affection for other human beings today.

Hatred dominates the minds of most people!

As Christians, we cannot say we have the Lord Jesus Christ and to Hell with everyone else.

Our job is to show all others the way to seek our Savior.

We cannot do this if we do not first show them love!

Wormwood is a shrub or bush with an unpleasant smell and is very bitter to taste.

It is a type of unpleasantness and grief that leads to the thought of death and destruction.

Rev 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
Rev 8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

The justice I have received from God has been sweet. He is so full of mercy and grace; His justice can be nothing else but sweet.

I did not deserve it, but the grace of God is shown to those who seek the Lord with all their heart in truthfulness.

If we teach a distorted message on the mercy and grace of God, that message will become bitter to those who have never known the truth of the Lord.

If we do not seek our Creator, what chance do we have that we will find Him?

We must seek the right God, and there is only One true God and only one true Way to Heaven.

Our Creator and our Savior are the same God!

His name in the Scriptures is YAHWEH or Jehovah.

Our world exists because Yahweh caused and causes it to exist.

God spoke our world into existence and made from nothing all the things we see.

If we cannot see Him in His Almighty Incorruptible Majesty, who only needs to speak one word and we become no more, then we will never understand His love for us, and we will deserve His judgment, which is far different from His justice.

It is this God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Jesus, who wants us all to be saved!

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

We should clearly understand that no man, no matter how strong or how strong the works of that man, no matter how powerful, can withstand the Divine Majesty of our Savior, who is also our Creator.

There is no military that God has not already overthrown. Read your Bible and your history book.

It is this same God who allows changes in nature to succeed or fail at His choosing.
It is this same God who allows the politics of this world to succeed or fail at His choosing.
It is this same God who allows the cycles of time to go and come as He wishes.

This world is moving right along just as God said it would; the plan of God never has to change.

It is not God who has allowed this world to be so close to destroying itself on any given day; it is the sinful people who live in it, but He still gets the blame, though He wants to save the people who live in it.

*Amo 5:10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
Amo 5:11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

God is saying that those who do not acknowledge Him as the Creator will never enjoy life.

It was at the city gates where man’s justice took place on the day of Amos.

If there were a judge who could not be bought or bribed, the people would hate them.

If that judge bends the law, then he is okay, but those who spoke with integrity or used reliable witnesses were hated.

We live in the time of bought and sold-out judges, if not for money, then for a political stand and hatred.

If not for money, it is for fame, or political stance, when it is supposed to be about the laws of the land, and judges have no right to make laws.

We do not even get a chance to vote for these people, so who gave them such power?

Today, if we stand up for the rights of the unborn, those who are disabled, or those who are elderly, and those who are vulnerable in our society, then we are hated, as the other side stands up for illegals, murderers, and lawbreakers to buy a vote; the hatred just continues to spread.

There is no justice beyond God’s justice!

God will judge this world one day; He never forgets the works of those who refuse to repent!

We might ask ourselves; can anyone sin so much that they will never be forgiven?

*Amo 8:4 Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,
Amo 8:5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Amo 8:6 That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?
Amo 8:7 The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.

Though we do not know much about Amos, he is spending this time being an advocate for these sinful people.

As we read these words, it seems that God is leaving these people no way to escape, but we see the accusations and God’s verdict.

It is not about the amount of our sin; it is about how many times we deny God’s remedy and payment for our sin.

What is social injustice?

It is a violation of another’s rights. It is withholding what is due, or fraud.

If all people are created equal, then why is there an unequal distribution of rights or privileges among people who have equal claims?

I am not talking about equality in riches, I am talking about equality in rights and justice.

Israel was guilty of many things, but the main thing was superficial worship.

By law, they had to honor the Sabbath and all the other religious holy days and national celebrations.

This law became a thorn in the flesh of the politicians, the merchants, and the business leaders of that nation.

You tell me we are not experiencing this today. God’s laws are a thorn in the flesh of commerce and wickedness.

Sunday, our day of worship, means nothing to most businesses today.

Even our schools will try to practice sports on Sunday.

All sorts of professional sports use Sunday rather than a weekday.

Even Wednesdays are taken up with secular events.

Alcohol can now be purchased seven days a week.

Politicians are pushing to legalize popular drugs using the excuse to raise taxes when they should be making ways to spend less.

It is our tax system that drives businesses to run twenty-four-seven.

This world is trying to take away any time set aside to worship God.

The alternatives to God that this world offers are nothing more than idol worship!

The guilt of Israel was that while they were supposed to worship, their minds were on how to make more money, or how to rob the poor even more, or how they could take away the land of some poor person.

We see these same things in our politicians today>.

I cannot imagine sitting in God’s house trying to figure out a way to falsify the balances or more ways to deceive more people.

They knew the Law, and they knew this was an abomination to the Lord:

Deu 25:13 Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.
Deu 25:14 Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.
Deu 25:15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Deu 25:16 For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Amos’s job was to announce these judgments to the people of the Northern Kingdom, and Amos knew it would not sit well with the people, but God offered Amos no other answer.

We cannot soften the truth of God and say we are God’s followers!

Only those who feared the Lord would be afraid.

There would be no joy on the Sabbath.
God’s judgment would bring death to many people.
If there were survivors, they would be traumatized, wondering what God would do next.

We do not have to wonder what God will do next!

He either tells us, or He shows us in His Word, examples of what He has already done because He never changes.

If there is one truth in this world, it is that God’s judgment on unbelievers is a sure thing!

God’s “judgment” on sin is a sure thing!

Amos got a chance to witness these things in a vision that God sent to him.

God has every right to judge this world because He created it!

We all will stand face to face with our Almighty God, our Creator!

Some, at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
The rest, at the White Throne Judgment.

The even clearer message is that until that day of judgment, we need to repent and seek the face of God.

We will all give an account for the things we have done unless we repent.

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

If we do not want to hear what God has to say, then one day God will take away His Word, and we will know nothing and be like the evolutionists who come up with unbelievable theories and fantasies.

*Amo 8:11 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:
Amo 8:12 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.
Amo 8:13 In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.
Amo 8:14 They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

We may be in that time when the Word of God is hated, and the world does not want to hear what God has to say!

Remember what the Lord Jesus said as He spoke unto the seven churches of the Church Age, the Age we are in now.

To the church at Ephesus: Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

To the church at Smyrna: Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

To the Church at Pergamum: Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

To the Church at Thyatira: Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

To the Church at Sardis: Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

To the Church at Philadelphia: Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

To the Church at Laodicea: Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote down these words given by the Holy Spirit:

Jer 23:30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.
Jer 23:31 Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
Jer 23:32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

The most tragic thing that can happen to this world is for God to abandon it to its own ways.

It is easy to see that wicked men of this world would destroy it.

It is this same wickedness that says we have too many people to feed in this world and do everything they can to stop population growth.

The ways of God are perfect!

Psa 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

The ways of the world are sinful:

1Jn_2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The world is tired of God telling them they are full of sin and need to repent.

No one in the world has any desire to repent!

The world does not want to hear the Word of God.

When we look at what the Lord Jesus was saying to the Church, He was saying that much of the Church does not want to hear what He has to say.

When this point is reached, God has said He will send a famine of hearing the Word of God.

We must understand that if we reject what God has to say, He will quit speaking to us.

He will put false prophets and preachers in places of worship, and they will do nothing more than tickle the ears of the congregation.

Act_28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

2Ti_4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti_4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

I believe we are in this age or this time now.

Even here in America, the Ten Commandments cannot be posted anywhere without somebody bringing a lawsuit, but why?

People just do not want to hear what God has to say about the way they live their lives.

To repent is just a word in most churches and means nothing.

There is coming a day when this world will become so lawless that the people will once again want to hear what God has to say, and they will not be able to hear it or even find it.

They will go to some church, but that one in the pulpit will teach them about some dream they had that did not come from God.

If they find an old version of a Bible, the Holy Spirit will not open their eyes to what it says.

The young people will see a world falling apart, left by their elders, and seek guidance from God, but they will not find it because the Word of God has been altered to become the word of the world, with just enough of the truth to cause confusion

They will be told they can find the Word of God at the Luciferian Church, but it will not be found there because it never was there.

It was at Beersheba that the enemies of Isaac caused all the wells to go dry, and Isaac had to dig new wells that were also filled.

God is saying that the well of knowledge in the Word of God is dry, and there is no one to clean out the dirt and sludge of the world from it, where there still remains the Water of Life.

Jhn_7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Jhn_4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

We should understand that every person worships something. Whatever they hold first in their lives is their god!

It may be an image of their goal, it may be some idol, it may be something from some religion other than Christianity.

Even the so-called Christians must place God first in their lives, and many refuse.

If we fail to worship anything other than Jehovah in the Old Testament, Jesus Christ in the New Testament, or Yahweh, we are sinning Blasphemy.

All false religions will fall, never to rise again.

No one can escape the Judgment of God!

Amo 9:1 I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.
Amo 9:2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:

Once all false religions have been removed, God will do certain things to reclaim Israel.

*Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

God will make Israel the honcho nation of this world.

God will restore His people, Israel, to the national pride they had when King David ruled Israel.

“In that day”, the day of the return of Jesus Christ, when He will publicly appear to save that remnant of the Jews that is mentioned throughout the Old Testament.

The Northern and the Southern tribes will be reunited as it was in the time of King David, but this will be the time of the Second Coming of the Messiah.

All those who were against Jehovah will be removed: Amo 9:10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.

We should also understand that at this time, all the land that was promised to Abraham will be restored to Israel.

This is the same land that came to Israel in the days of King David and King Solomon.

This would be the land of Israel, but King Jesus will rule from Jerusalem, and He will rule this entire world.

Psa 72:6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
Psa 72:7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
Psa 72:8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

Psa 72:11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

The government of the Messiah will be universal. There will be no one who can hide from the rule of the Messiah.

It is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham: Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

The world will look a whole lot different, even from what it looks like today.

There will be major climate change!

*Amo 9:13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
Amo 9:14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
Amo 9:15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

When we know God up close and personal, we will always have a bright and wonderful future. It is His promise!

The judgment of Israel is over after all these years; they now accept all the Word of God, even the New Covenant(Testament).

They have realized that all the Old Testament prophecies were true all along.

They now know the Son of God whom they had rejected and worship Him.

God had broken them because of their sin, and they had now repented and returned to Him.

True prosperity had finally come to Israel, and Jerusalem was now truly the City of Peace.

For the ploughmen to overtake the reaper means that it would take the reaper all Summer to gather in the harvest.

Even the vineyards would produce much more than was needed.

God would also cause cities that had lain in ruin for so many years to be rebuilt.

For the people in the day of Amos, this last part was a message of hope for the people of Israel.

All they needed to do was to believe the God who had delivered them so many times!

They would not have to depend upon foreigners or anyone else around them. God would make their land sufficient, just like their God is sufficient to meet all our needs.

I know this is true because He meets all my needs.

The prophecy of Amos could only be fulfilled by Jehovah, the Living God.

They would never have to leave their land again.

God would make sure these things happened just as Amos had delivered to them.

God means what He says, and God says what He means.

Amen.

The Logic in God’s Judgment

June 8, 2026June 15, 2026 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Logic of God’s Judgment

Book of Amos Chapters 1 through 4

As we take a look into the Book of Amos, we should realize that the Ten Tribes called Israel had moved away from God from the very first day of separating from Judah.

As we study this book of prophecy, we will see that God has given this nation a last chance to repent and return to the truth of Jehovah and worship as God had given them in the Books of Moses.

None of the kings of this divided nation called Israel had any interest in the truth of God nor the worship of the LORD Jehovah.

We know the Lord is patient with His people, but there is an end to that patience, and after patience runs out, it is replaced with judgment.
,
God always has to overcome His compassion for His people to bring judgment, but He will.

It is these lessons we read about in the Old Testament that we can learn how God will react to these same types of things today.

Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

We can visibly see how patient God is with the world we live in today, but the Old Testament proves that God’s patience will end, and judgment will come.

God will not allow wickedness and sin to continue indefinitely!

The Book of Amos is a book of judgment!

For one hundred and eighty years, the Northern Kingdom had rebelled against the LORD.

Amos preached a message that focused on the coming judgment of God.

Amos was just a lowly shepherd from Judah who prophesied mostly in Israel, showing us that God can use anyone willing to serve Him.

*Amo 1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

In the Scriptures, earthquakes are mentioned as tokens of God’s power, but also as a means of fine-tuning the timeline of the Scriptures.

Job 9:6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

Earthquakes are also tokens of God’s presence.

Psa 68:8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Earthquakes that we are more familiar with are those that are from God’s anger.

Psa 18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

God’s fierce anger is still in the future.

Isa 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

Isa 29:6 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

*Amo 1:2 And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

Amos was chosen because, in his preaching, he could roar, and his message was that God would soon roar out of Zion.

In fact, Amos begins where the Book of Joel ends.

Joe 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Zion was the same as the city of David to Amos.

1Ki 8:1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

Amos first begins to prophecy judgment on all those nations that have had any dealings with Israel.

The LORD speaks from Zion, which He had assigned to be the central place of worship of the Jews and also the central place of government, as formed by King David.

Israel was to have a theocratic government. A government that followed the Word of God.

God speaks to all His people, and He includes strangers.

Zion is the dwelling place of the LORD, spiritually and soon will be physically for one thousand years!

A roaring of the lion can be heard from five to eight miles, but God’s roar will be heard from any location upon this earth if He so chooses.

A lion’s roar is aimed as a threat to his enemies, and the roar of God in judgment will be directed at His enemies, the enemies of the Church and the enemies of Israel.

Jer 25:30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
Jer 25:31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
Jer 25:32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
Jer 25:33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

This is another reason why the Lord Jesus is known as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He will roar in judgment sooner than we think.

*Amo 2:6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;
Amo 2:7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:
Amo 2:8 And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

What was wrong with Israel in the day of Amos and still so today?

This sent waves of shock through the crowd that Amos was preaching to, for in their mind they would say to you, “There is no way God’s judgment would fall on them”.

They are so wrong because they know the key to God’s Grace is obedience to His Word. Why would God not judge those who refuse to obey Him?

To the world today that misunderstands God’s nature. Yes, God is Love, and because of this, He is long-suffering.

His long-suffering means He is waiting for the world to repent and turn from its wicked ways, but it never will, so eventually God’s justice must prevail on those who live wickedly, or He would not be the God of truth.

Israel was feeling really good about everything when Amos was preaching about judgment on all those other nations, but their attitude changed when Amos began with God’s judgment upon Israel.

The Judgment of God is coming to this world, and the only way to miss it is to repent and turn back to our Creator. Our God is also our Creator!

God has warned this entire world.

Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

God’s justice must prevail!

These verses describe to us the crimes of Israel.

1) We see a perversion of justice. The judges took bribes and condemned the righteous.
Keep in mind, Judas took silver to condemn our righteous Savior.

For the very smallest of bribes, they rejected the cause of poverty in their own nation.

Eze 13:19 And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?

They continuously broke the Laws of God.

2) They desired that the poor be removed from the earth.

This sounds like today, when our politicians remind us that if not for the poor and the elders there would be plenty of money to waste on other things, while they intentionally try to move the middle class into that poor category.

Those who are poor are also those who are depressed, even though depression can attack anyone, no matter their status.

It is many of those who are poor who are almost forced to do crooked and evil things in an attempt to survive.

We cannot defend this, but we can acknowledge it.

The world continuously ignores the dignity of human life if you are not a part of their crowd.

3) For a man and his father to go into the same maid could be said to be incest, which was forbidden and could be seen as organized prostitution, but it is certainly fornication.

Eze 36:20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.
Eze 36:21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

4) Those who were well off would take the outer clothes of those who had fallen on hard times, as a pledge. These would be the clothes they wore during the day and covered themselves with at night.

Those who stole those clothes would think nothing of wearing them to the House of God.

They engaged in hypocritical worship by worshipping at every altar in any place of worship, even those places where idols were worshipped.

Israel’s worship of Jehovah had become corrupt.

Before we pray and worship at any altar, we had better be sure we are in a true House of God!

5) Israel rejected the Lord as the source of their blessings since the Lord removed them from the Iron Furnace of Egypt.

*Amo 2:9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
Amo 2:10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
Amo 2:11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.
Amo 2:12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.

As we read the Old Testament, we read over and over how God had blessed this nation and had forgiven their many sins.

It was the Almighty God who had destroyed the Amorites and allowed Israel to take over their cities and their homes.

They were certainly wicked people, but Israel was falling into the same trap of judgment.

It was the Almighty Living God who had saved Israel from Egypt, where they had been slaves for nearly four hundred years.

It was the Almighty God who had sent to them His prophets from their own nation, and they had murdered many of them.

6) Even the Nazarites who had committed themselves to live righteously and devote themselves to the Lord were forced to drink wine against their vows.

I absolutely cannot see how those of a certain religion can serve wine at communion, knowing God said not to drink wine at all.

We have to make a vow to live righteously to be saved!

Those who interfere with God’s children will truly suffer the wrath of God.

Mat_18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mrk_9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Luk_17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Israel at this time was no different than the nations and peoples God had removed from Canaan Land!

Have you noticed how the Church is following in these same steps?

If you are in a godly church today, it is a must to resist any change that goes against the Word of God! All the Word of God!

Jer_6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

We cannot be so foolish as not to walk in the truth of God.

What is a hypocrite? A hypocrite is a person who pretends and is deceitful.

Claiming to believe in the LORD is not enough to become acceptable to God.

A true believer will do their best to follow the LORD!

A true believer will do their best to be obedient to all the Word of God.

A true believer will do their best to live righteously in this world.

A true believer will be looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

A hypocrite is deceitful.

What did the Lord Jesus say we needed to watch out for in the end times?

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

We cannot allow false so-called Christians to destroy our churches!

1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

*Amo 2:13 Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.
Amo 2:14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

In response to any rebellious attitude and opposition of people in answer to His concerns, God has no choice but to react in “Judgment”.

Sin is a heavy burden that will take us into the pits of Hell, when God is so willing to forgive if we will repent and return to Him.

Why would anyone want to go to Hell to spend an eternity there?

The Northern Tribes of Israel were guilty of extreme wickedness, and God judged them by sending them into captivity into a nation that worshipped idols and rejected Jehovah.

God is saying that His cart is so heavily loaded with sin that anything He rolls over will be crushed into non-existence.

God will have removed His compassion.
God will have removed His mercy.
God will have removed His grace.
God will have removed His love, and this leaves only His “judgment”!

God had stated that He hated Esau and the Edomites no longer exist as a people.

God is telling sinners that He hates sin, and the Lord Jesus will say, “I never knew you,” or to Him, you did not exist.

Mat_7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Are those Ten Tribes of Israel still lost?

The “lost tribes” were not entirely lost — many integrated into local populations, and some groups, like the Samaritans, preserved their identity.

The one thing we know for sure is that there are Jews scattered all over the world, and many of them have gone back home to Israel.

We can say that there are no lost Tribes of Israel because God knows where they all are.

What did God do?

God shows them instances of judgments He had sent at various times to correct His people.

*Amo 4:6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
Amo 4:7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.
Amo 4:8 So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
Amo 4:9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
Amo 4:10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

This is not some form of toothache, but it is famine.

Their teeth would be clean because they had nothing to eat.

The Laws of Moses, which they were so proud of, stated: Deu 28:48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he hath destroyed thee.
Deu 28:49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

In all the years since God had taken Israel out of Egypt and formed the nation that they are today, they have never truly repented of rejecting God and His Word.

God disciplines because He loves us, not because He hates us!

The stubbornness of Israel’s rejection caused God to be harsher with His people.

All God has ever asked from any of us is to repent and turn back to Him.

The LORD sent famine and hunger, and this famine struck every city so that each city would not have the resources to feed its people.

Next, God sent drought, and God sent this drought three months before harvest time, so there would be very little to harvest.

They had three months to repent and save their crops, but they were too stubborn to give in.

They would hear about rain in another city, but by the time they got there, the water would be used up.

When they did have enough water for meager crops to grow, God sent the blight and the palmerworm.

Blasting was the damage caused by the scorching East wind.

Eze 17:10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

Mildew would also ruin some crops. Mildew is caused by fungi from dampness and is the opposite of conditions caused by drought.

The locust swarms and disease would take anything that was left of their crops.

They faced economic devastation, but they still would not repent.

War, drought, and famine always end in disease, sickness, and plagues among the people.

These would be the same type of plagues that God used on Egypt, but they still would not repent.

So, God sent war.

The young men, the pride of most nations, were slain with the sword of their enemies. This is what war does. War removes many of the next generation and affects a nation for years.

God took away their ability to defend themselves.

The stink of unburied carcasses lay everywhere, and even more disease came to Israel.

*Amo 4:11 I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
Amo 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
Amo 4:13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

God reminds them that their sin was counted just as hideous and wicked as the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, and they would have perished if God had not plucked them out of the fire.

Their homes were burned, their cities were burned, and everything they had left was burned, and they have been to if God had not plucked them from the fire.

There was only one thing left to do, and it was for God to come to this earth and take care of this rebellion Himself.

We should all ask ourselves, “Are we ready to meet the God of the Bible?”

God’s judgment is certainly coming to this world.

Judgment is inescapable for those who refuse to repent and return to the Creator.

God will not send an angel.
God will not send the death angel.

God will come Himself, and if He comes in His glory, no one will be able to stand before Him.

There is only one way out to safety, and it is by repentance and returning to the God who made us.

Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

We can meet God in the clouds, or we will meet God in “judgment,” and we do not have much time left to decide!

Amen

Passover to Betrayal and Denial

May 11, 2026 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Passover to Betrayal and Denial

Book of Luke Chapter 22

It was time for the Jewish Passover, and this Passover is tied to the death of Jesus Christ.

The annual Passover celebrated by the Jews is both memorial and symbolic:

1) As a memorial in memory of that first Passover night in Egypt.
2) Symbolic because its ultimate fulfillment was at Mount Calvary.

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

On the tenth day of Abib (Nisan), a day set aside for the Passover Feast, each family was to select a lamb, without blemish, a male of the first year, and keep it isolated and under close observation until the fourteenth day.

If this lamb were injured or became sick within those four days, it would have been blemished and could not be used as the Passover Lamb, and they would have to select another one.

The Lord Jesus also spent four days in view of those of religion before He was crucified.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey, with multitudes crying Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord,

This was a fulfillment of prophecy: Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

The Lord Jesus then went in and cleansed the Temple.

Mat 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

The Lord Jesus was under critical scrutiny for four days.

Four different groups challenged him in one day:

1) The chief priests and the elders of the Jews.

2) The Pharisees with the Herodians.

3) The Sadducees.

4) The Pharisees again who brought their lawyer.

With every test, the Lord Jesus proved to be the Messiah by the Word of God.

He had no blemishes, and He had no sin!

We know that day began at six PM and ended at six PM the following day.

The Lord Jesus and the disciples began their feast in the evening of the Passover, while most others celebrated their feast after daylight on the same day, which was the day the Lord Jesus was crucified and died between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 PM, in accordance with prophecy.

Luk 23:44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Exo 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

Exo 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
Exo 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat

The Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper on the evening He was crucified.

The Lord Jesus commanded that His followers continue to observe this last meal until His return.

Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Mat 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

This began the New Covenant in contrast to the Old Covenant.

To enact this New Covenant, His death was necessary because it was His death that provided the forgiveness of our sins.

1Co 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

So, what is the meaning of the Lord’s Supper?

1) It is a memorial to the death of Jesus Christ for our sins. He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”

A) The bread symbolized the body of Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

B) The grape juice symbolized His blood for the forgiveness of sin.

Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

The Lord’s Supper looked forward to the cross.

He finished His work of salvation when He came the first time.

His resurrection looks forward to His return.

Mat 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

The Lord’s Supper is also a communion of believers with each other!

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

Those who love the Lord Jesus Christ will also follow Him and eat and drink the same symbolic elements, focusing on our common faith in the work the Lord Jesus Christ did to provide our salvation.

*Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Luk 22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
Luk 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

When all prophecy is fulfilled, we will sit down again for the Lord’s Supper, the difference being, He will be there with us.

This will be the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

It is possible that the Passover Feast has no significance as a meal of remembrance for the Jews as they have rejected the Messiah as the fulfillment of Old Testament Scripture.

Even the Church is cautioned: 1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

The Lord’s Supper is never to be thought of as a means of salvation.

After this meal the Lord Jesus and the eleven disciples now went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.

The Lord Jesus often prayed at Gethsemane, and Judas the betrayer knew this.

*Luk 22:47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
Luk 22:48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

We should understand that the religious leaders of Israel had joined the forces of darkness against the Messiah.

This will be repeated when the Lord Jesus Christ returns!

Judas had been one of the twelve, but he had now sunk so low as to desert the Lord.

How could he have done such a thing?

Luk_22:3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

Judas is separated from the crowd, but his crime is much greater than that of the crowd.

There was the kiss of love and the kiss of reverence, but this day Judas had the kiss of a traitor.

Mar 14:44 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.

The kiss of Judas on this day was to put the Lord Jesus in the hands of His enemies.

Only a criminal has this kind of love!

The other eleven had love to defend the Lord, but the Lord did not need them to defend Him.

In fact, it is the Lord who does what is needed to protect these eleven true disciples.

We must also keep in mind that these Jewish leaders could have captured the Lord Jesus many times, but they were afraid of the people.

They chose the cover of darkness and broke the law themselves to capture Him.

*Luk 22:49 When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
Luk 22:50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
Luk 22:51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

We know that only the eleven remaining disciples were with the Lord at this time.

We know it was Peter who took the sword that he had, and it was Malchus who was the servant of the High Priest.

Peter attempted to take off the head of Malchus, but Malchus reacted quickly enough that only his ear was removed, and the Lord Jesus immediately healed him.

Many of these men were the Temple guards, but the rest were chief priests and elders of Israel.

The Lord Jesus was no robber trying to escape!

The Lord Jesus was the Lamb of God, ready to be sacrificed.

All those things of abuse that were used on Him were unnecessary.

Even the kiss of Judas was unnecessary because Jesus had stepped forward to protect those who were with Him.

Jesus told His disciples to stand back and just allow this thing to happen to protect them, and that prophecy would be fulfilled.

The use of violence was to be left to those who brought swords and clubs, and not those who followed the Lord.

The Lord Jesus was never a danger to society, but He was a danger to their positions with Rome.

To them, Jesus was no more than a thief trying to rob them of their position over the people.

The Lord Jesus was not ready to establish His earthly Kingdom at that time.

They still did not understand that our Lord Jesus was bringing eternal salvation to all those who believed in Him and the work of the Cross.

*Luk 22:52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?
Luk 22:53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

The greatest sin of these people, which is the only sin that cannot be forgiven, was that they were blind to the Son of God!

They just were not going to accept the Lord Jesus as the Messiah, no matter how many miracles He did.

The Lord Jesus never once acted as if He were a thief come to steal something from this world.

The Lord Jesus never preached a sermon that allowed them to live as they wished; He always preached the Word of God clearly.

Only if they changed their evil and wicked ways could they be received by the God that they said they worshipped.

They had to repent and obey the Word of God, which was the message that they received from Moses.

They knew the truth of the flood.

The Lord Jesus had to teach the truth for anyone to be saved.

God will never accept an unrighteous person.

If we want to meet the Almighty Living God, then it will only be without sin.

We must believe who God really is!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The Word of God tells us who He is, and we must have enough faith to believe it.

Those who arrested the Lord Jesus on this day could only think of their position with Rome and not their position with the God whom they said they followed.

They were sold out to this material world that will soon come to its terrible end.

They had joined forces with the powers of darkness.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

What did the Devil know?

Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

When the Light of Jesus reappears, the darkness of this world will disappear.

Peter became afraid for his life, and it caused him to sin.

*Luk 22:54 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.
Luk 22:55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.

Peter followed Jesus “afar off”.

This phrase means:

1) Not walking close to Him.
2) Not standing with Him.
3) Not being identified with Him.
4) Not focusing his life on Him.

If this could happen to Peter, it could happen to any of us.

Peter became afraid for his own life, and his commitment was weak.

Peter sat down with the crowd.

The truth is God has not given us the Spirit of Fear, so if we are afraid, it came from the Devil.

2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,

What is apostasy?

Apostasy describes the defection of Christians, or so-called Christians, who now accompany the Antichrist.

It is written that just before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, there will be much apostasy by many in the Church.

What we see in Peter is what we will see in the Church just before the rapture of the Church.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The Antichrist will show himself to be a superhuman and deceive many.

*Luk 22:56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
Luk 22:57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
Luk 22:58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
Luk 22:59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.
Luk 22:60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

We must never pretend that we do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not need to hang out with non-believers.

We certainly must never deny the Lord Jesus Christ.

Persecution is going to increase among Christians, and it is already terrible in many places today.

Jesus said: Mrk_8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

Matthew and Mark tell us that Peter began to curse and swear.

As Peter warms himself among the enemies of Jesus, he becomes like them.

Pro 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Pro 4:15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

Peter was from Galilee and he could not deny this.

Then the rooster crowed.

*Luk 22:61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Luk 22:62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Then Peter remembered the Lord’s Words.

Then the Lord turned his head so He could see Peter and Peter could see the Lord.

The Lord Jesus had already warned Peter: Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

In all this, the Lord Jesus, knowing exactly what would happen to Peter, the Lord never forgot him.

Even while the Lord Jesus was being beaten and abused, He still prayed for Peter.

He loved and cared for Peter, and He still wanted his loyalty and service.

Peter left this wicked crowd just as fast as he could.

He was a broken man, full of anguish and pain for having failed the Lord Jesus, and he wept bitterly.

Peter repented of his sin.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Amen

The Great Banquet

March 16, 2026 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Great Banquet and Discipleship

Book of Luke Chapter 14

The chief Pharisee of the Jews invited the Lord Jesus to a meal at his home on a Sabbath Day.

The word Sabbath signifies a Day of Rest, a Sabbath of the soul.

The Sabbath is the sign of the covenant between the LORD and His earthly people, the Israelites.

Exo 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
Exo_31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

In reality, the Sabbath represents the soul resting in Jesus Christ: Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God, the Church.

Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

The Pharisees had no clue about the truth of the Sabbath, but they intended to somehow get the Lord Jesus to stumble on the day of this feast.

What is the truth of the Sabbath? Jesus said: Mar 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

The priests of the Temple had much work to do on the Sabbath days, yet they were not considered to be breaking the Law of the Sabbath.

Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Every Jew would take care of their animals on the Sabbath, just as they would on any other day, and it was not considered work.

The point being that the Lord Jesus Christ is far greater than any priest, and the Lord Jesus also had work to do.

*Luk 14:15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

To eat bread in the Kingdom of God means to be among those who are present in the joys of the Messianic Kingdom.

Here we see a self-righteous man is smugly sure that he will be among the righteous who will be in Heaven.

The main importance of this passage is to get a clear picture of the invitation of the Lord to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, which cannot happen until we have accepted that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah sent from God.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

We know that we cannot get to Heaven without the Lord Jesus Christ.

To these self-righteous Pharisees, they could think only of the Messianic Feast.

This was a supposed feast given to God’s people, the Jews only, when He sets up His Millennial Kingdom.

The Lord Jesus will use another parable to explain to this Pharisee the error in his thought process.

It was customary for guests who were invited to these feasts of the Pharisees to attend.

Israel had actually been invited to the Messianic Feast by God’s messengers, the Prophets, but they had all made excuses about attending in an insulting manner.

If any people thought that God owed them a place in the Messianic Kingdom, it was these Pharisees.

They felt they would have the highest seats in God’s Kingdom.

The Lord Jesus begins to teach a parable that they found easy to understand.

*Luk 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
Luk 14:17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

This parable sends out a strong message to all the people of this earth for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died.

No one can be saved or attend this feast unless they have received an invitation and have responded to it!’

This feast is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Those who make excuses will remain lost!

All things are ready for today is the Day of Salvation.

2Co_6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

The invitation is sent to all who have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, seen the Gospel, or read the Gospel.

What has Israel done with the Lord’s invitation, along with many others?

*Luk 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
Luk 14:19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
Luk 14:20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

We must keep in mind that God wants to share His riches with all people, but God also has determined the process of accepting His invitation.

All these people mentioned had received God’s invitation, and now it was time to decide on attending.

God sent His servant to remind them that they had received an invitation.

We should notice that God’s invitations had first been sent to the super religious men of Israel, the Pharisees.

Joh 7:47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?
Joh 7:48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

The modern Pharisees are all those who believe they will get into God’s Heaven because of their good works.

What had the Lord Jesus said? Mat_19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

There is no work we can do to get into God’s Heaven; we reach Heaven only if we have “faith” in the work of Lord Jesus Christ to bring forgiveness to us.

They all agreed to make excuses for rejecting God’s invitation to the Feast of God.

The first excuse came from a businessman.

His excuse was that he had bought a piece of land and he needed to look after it.

If God is the center of our life, then any business, any profession, or any affair would not be allowed to consume our life, and God would be first in our lives.
,
Next, we see a man who was wrapped up in a new purchase.

An oxen team would be like buying a new tractor to plow with today, and he wanted to go play on it.

It could be a new house, a new car, a new motorcycle, or even a new television, all material things, but material things should never keep us away from God.

Third, we see a man who was wrapped up in his family.

He had made a new marriage, and even if this marriage was ordained of God, we are never to put our wives before God. This is what Adam did, and sin entered the world, and we are still suffering with sin today.

Salvation is just too important for us to give it up for material things, or family and friends, or any other reason.

When we show contempt for the Word of God, we should not wonder that God gets angry.

We know that some in Israel have accepted God’s invitation, but there is still much room for many more.

*Luk 14:21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
Luk 14:22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
Luk 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Now the Lord sends His invitation to the Gentiles.

We should understand that nothing will make God stop His plan of salvation.

No power on this earth can cause God to cease His invitation to receive the free gift of salvation.

To compel does not mean to coerce people to come to God; it means to assure them that it was God who sent them an invitation.

We must all clearly understand that just getting an invitation to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb does not mean we will be accepted.

There will still be a Marriage Feast in Heaven, whether we have been invited or not!

The Lord Jesus is going to fill His banquet hall, but time is running out to accept His invitation.

The Lord Jesus invites those who need some help to get to the banquet.

All sinners need the Lord’s help to get to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

The self-righteous need no help; they will be rejected.

If you are a sinner, you will need the Lord’s help to be accepted to the Feast.

If you are too poor, the Lord will provide the right clothing.

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

If you are lame or crippled, the Lord will provide the means to get to His Feast.

If you are blind, the Lord will guide or direct you to His Feast.

As long as the Lord has room at His table, He will continue to accept us at His Feast through His “Mercy” and “Grace”.

But those who were first invited and had nothing but excuses for not coming, they will not be accepted to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb of God.

God said His House shall be filled! Therefore came “Grace”.

Grace makes a way because the Law has failed!

*Luk 14:24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

These are the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Those who would be rejected were the ones the Lord Jesus was eating with at that time.

These are the ones the Lord Jesus used this parable on.

Though a few of the Israelites have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, the majority of them have rejected Him.

The Apostle Paul wrote: Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

The Lord Jesus is not through with them, but they will go through the seven years of Tribulation.

Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Rom 11:15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

God had shown His “Grace” to the Israelites many times throughout the Old Testament, but they could not comprehend the power of God’s Grace at that time. Israel will join the Church that is planted by the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the Jews, there were two stages: the present age and the age to come, which was the Messiah’s reign on this earth.

The prophets had written much about these things.

Because they reject the New Testament, they have missed New Heaven and New Jerusalem.

The redeemed believers of all ages will live in New Jerusalem.

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

The New Jerusalem is also the New Heaven, the Kingdom of God.

This is the place of all God’s banquets.

Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

This is not the place of unbelievers.

Mat 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Heaven is a real place!

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

There is still time to get an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, but time is running out.

God has made a way for the Israelites after and during the Tribulation period, but He has not made a way for Gentiles.

Amen

Jesus Continued to Heal and to Teach

February 9, 2026 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus Continued to Heal and to Teach

Book of Luke Chapter 9 Verses 37-42, 57-62

There is a lot of great material between verse 22 and verse 37, but let’s keep to our lesson plan.

Our lesson begins the next day after the Transfiguration of the Lord.

We could say that on the Day of Transfiguration, the glory of the Lord Jesus broke out in the presence of His disciples.

The transfiguration of the Lord Jesus is hard to describe accurately, so it is best to read the Scriptures in the Gospels.

What is recorded as a record was an absolute historical reality, and not a mere vision.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Peter never forgot this day: 2Pe 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2Pe 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

Many today worship the Devil, who is Satan, but I wonder if they realize how the devil treats all our children.

*Luk 9:37 And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.
Luk 9:38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
Luk 9:39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
Luk 9:40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

This is an epileptic seizure.

This does not mean that everyone who has seizures is caused by the Devil, but if they do not know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior, this should be their first place to start.

I call Him Doctor Jesus.

On the mountain top, there was the glory of the Lord, showing God’s power, but in the valley, Satan was showing the people his power.

This is the difference between Heaven and Earth.

We can see a father who has seen his only son, who was tormented by an evil spirit.

He was begging the Lord Jesus to have pity on him.

We should ask ourselves why more parents do not see this today and beg for the help of our Savior for their own children.

We all should know that the Lord Jesus has great compassion for all people.

This man had lost all control over his son because he was a victim of Satan’s power.

1Pe_5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

This father had no choice but to stand by helplessly and watch the Devil destroy his son.

We can see this in our lost children today, and we need to go to the Lord Jesus for His help.

This man had already approached the nine disciples of Christ for their help, and they could not help him for some reason.

The Lord had given them the power over demons, and they had used it, but for some reason, their faith was not as it should have been.

We saw this in an earlier lesson, and we saw it again in this lesson.

Their real problem was a lack of faith.

Their faith never matured until the Lord Jesus Christ walked out of that tomb on the third day, just as He said He would.

The Lord Jesus later told them that they had not been praying and fasting as they should have.

The Lord Jesus gives us many gifts today, but if we will not fellowship with Him daily, that gift will have no power.

We must never forget who the Lord is! He is the Almighty God!

Many times, as Christians, we are a disappointment to the people around us who could use our help.

Only the Lord Jesus knows how many times we have been a disappointment to Him.

We may not have the powers of Jesus Christ, but we can be attentive and sympathetic to their needs.

We can certainly begin with prayer at that very moment if we have compassion on them.

Fortunately for us all, the Lord Jesus is always on time.

*Luk 9:41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

After all the disciples of Christ had seen of the miracles of Jesus, we could ask ourselves how they could have a lack of faith?

We can also see that the Lord Jesus spoke to the whole generation of Jews and not just to His chosen disciples.

Where was this father’s faith?
Where was the faith of all those who were present?

The chosen disciples of Christ did not have the power, even though the Lord Jesus had given them that power when He sent them out earlier as evangelists.

Notice all those present just stood around when the disciples of Christ tried to heal this son, having no concern for the life of this boy, when they too could have been praying.

What do we do when the Lord is not physically present as He is today?

Surely, we can all pray!

Surely, we can all show faith!

This father could have shown faith after all these were God’s people. They could go to the priests. They could make sacrifices.

This child continued to suffer because no one had enough compassion to seek God for him.

Jesus said they all were faithless and perverse. Perverse here means morally corrupt.

The Holy Spirit says: Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

When God’s people act this way, there will be no power in the Church.

Guess what, we see very little power in the Church today!

It is not our duty to judge other places of worship; it is our job to make sure our own place of worship is following the Word of God by being obedient in our worship and in our lives.

*Luk 9:42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

The Devil tried to show his power over the boy, but the Lord just spoke the word, and the Devil had to leave.

If the chosen disciples of Christ had been following Christ as closely as they should, they would have been able rid this boy of this demon.

Jesus broke the power of this demon the same way He broke Satan’s power; He just spoke with the Sword of His Mouth.

Rev_2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Rev_19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Rev_19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

The people who were observing what the Lord did were amazed at the mighty power of God!

Once more, all those who were observing could only think about the great power of God.

They marveled at the Majesty of God’s Messiah, but we should also understand there is a cost for every disciple of Jesus Christ.

*Luk 9:57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Luk 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

When someone tells the Lord Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go”, it sounds good, but it has to be made very clear why anyone makes such a claim.

No one can follow the Lord who has not been called!

A self-commitment is nothing like a Jesus Christ-centered commitment.

If there is a real calling of “Grace,” then that person must let go of all things that might hinder their walk with Christ.

Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, “separated” unto the gospel of God,

Rom 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, “called to be saints”: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called “according to his purpose”.

It is only the call of God that enables us to believe.

God’s purposes in Himself sum up all things in Jesus Christ!

Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure “which he hath purposed in himself”:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times “he might gather together in one all things in Christ”, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

The Lord Jesus Christ must become our Lord of life!

The Lord Jesus Christ gave up all of Heaven and all of Himself to meet the needs of this dying world we live in.

A profession of faith is not enough.
Saying, “I am willing to follow” is not enough.Mrk_14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
We must deny ourselves completely!
We must accept the Lord Jesus as the Servant of mankind and become such a servant ourselves.

There is nothing in our old life that will help us achieve the call of Christ!

The Lord Jesus led a perfect life, and it must be our goal to do the same, even if we cannot be perfect while we remain in these sinful bodies of flesh.

We must accept the pattern of life that the Lord Jesus had as our own.

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

The Lord Jesus Christ had no home on this earth because His home is in Heaven. As His disciples, we must share His homelessness in this world because our home is now in Heaven, and we have no attachment to this world to bind us.

Jesus Christ is the perfect picture of what God wants to see in each of us.

*Luk 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Luk 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

In many cases, it is the son who will take care of his father in their old age.

The Lord Jesus had invited this man to become one of His disciples, to even become a preacher to preach the Kingdom of God.

When we decide to follow the Lord Jesus, it means we have decided that this is the most important decision we will ever make, and nothing on this earth is more important.

We must give up everything in this world for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

It was not a bad thing for this man to bury his father, but the message of salvation is far more important.

This father died lost, rejecting the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.

Those who are spiritually dead because they have rejected the Lord Jesus are not as important as those who have never had that opportunity, at least to our Savior.

This is the truth of being loyal to Jesus Christ.

We must consider that when the Jews rejected the Lord Jesus, it was more important for the Apostle Paul to go to the Gentiles.

Even those who have rejected the Lord one time are not as important as those who have never heard of the Kingdom of God.

God has already decided to meet the needs of these in the work of the Sower when one plants, another waters, and another reaps the harvest of the soul for Christ to save.

Every person is of extreme value to the Lord, and we should know that the Holy Spirit was working hard to bring this man to conviction.

Those whom God has called to preach need to respond as quickly as possible.

Mat_9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mat_9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

The Lord Jesus knew that this man was hesitating to answer Him, and he just used the burying of his father as an excuse.

What was the message of Christ? Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

It is a hard message, but it is a necessary truth to serve the Lord.

We cannot allow Satan’s children to drag us down, even if they are family members.

The word hate means “to love less”. We must love the Lord with all our heart, all our body, and all our soul!

*Luk 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Following the Lord Jesus Christ is a lifelong commitment!

Here is a man who offered “on his own” to become a follower of Jesus Christ. He was not called.

Looking ahead to the Rapture of the Church is the most important event that we are looking forward to.

To the Jew, the return of Jesus Christ is the most important event they have to look forward to.

These are two separate events!

If we look at those two words “but and first”, we see that this man saw something more important that he should do before committing to the Lord, which he said he had already made such a commitment.

Maybe he needed the advice of his family before he made a final commitment.

Maybe he needed someone else’s approval before a full commitment to the Lord.

As we saw in the Book of Luke, Chapter fourteen, maybe he was putting his love for his family ahead of his love for Jesus Christ.

Either way, the Lord Jesus knew what was going on in this man’s life; he was unwilling to cut the ties of this life and give all of himself to the Lord.

Jesus Christ is the “first” and the “last,” and He must be everything to us!

Looking back can be fatal.

Just ask Lot’s wife.

Gen 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

Gen 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

The word commitment fits in right here.

It is true that in order to plough a straight furrow, the farmer must concentrate on a certain point in front of him.

He must keep his eyes fixed upon the goal.

As we serve the Lord, we must know that our work is not done until the Rapture of the Church on a day of the Lord’s choosing.

It may be close, but it is not here yet!

It is not the time to quit on God!

Amen

The Message of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus

December 22, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Message of John the Baptist and Jesus’ Baptism

Book of Luke Chapter 3

In Chapter 2, we can read about the Lord Jesus as a twelve-year-old, but just a few verses later, we find our Savior at thirty years old.

The rule of the nation of Israel and the Head of the priests is in the hands of people who do not care about Yahweh and will reject His Messiah.

Pontius Pilate has been placed in Jerusalem to rule over God’s land.

Herod, a descendant of Esau, has been placed as King of Israel, and we know that the descendants of Esau have always been haters of God’s people.

Oba 1:6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

Oba 1:10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

There are two High Priests, but there is no time when God said there should be two High Priests.

Joh 18:13 And led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

At the end of this book, we will see how these political and religious leaders conspired to bring the Lord Jesus Christ to the cross that Jesus came to die on.

The first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Messiah, was and still is the pivotal point in the history of our world!

The earth that rejects our Divine God got a chance to see Him and what He stands for.

The impact that the Lord Jesus made upon this world can never be overstated.

John the Baptist paves the way.

*****Luk 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

Luk 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Luk 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

Luk 3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Luk 3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

Luk 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Luke gives us an accurate picture of history in the early days of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke, with the help of the Holy Spirit, is showing us just how corrupt the government and the religious circles were on that day.

The false High Priest, Annas, had been removed from office by the then Roman procurator, Valerius Gratus, but he continued to hold power over the High Priest office, with Caiaphas being his stepson.

Rome wanted control over the religion of the Jews, and this was their way of doing this.

This is the same thing China, and some other nations, keep control over some churches that teach Christianity.

God had commanded that all High Priests were to be in the line of Aaron.

God’s call to John the Baptist came while he was in the wilderness, which was a sparsely populated area.

God found John in a most obscure place.

God always knows where we are and what we are doing.

The Word of God can reach any place at any time because the Holy Spirit goes where He pleases.

Today, the Holy Spirit is the most powerful Deity on the face of this earth, and we know that He will not always strive with man or mankind.

The call of God is a personal matter, and this is the way God continues to work.

He loves personal relationships with each of us.

This Jordan is not the nation Jordan that we know of today, but the River Jordan where John could find a place to baptize those who repented.

We will notice that John would not baptize those who would not repent of their sins.

The Church has been lax in this regard.

The Lord Jesus Christ said: Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

In other words, the Lord Jesus states that there are no exceptions to this command.

Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

The work of John the Baptist was in fulfillment of prophecy.

Isa 40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God

Isa 40:2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.

Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isa 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Notice John does not call them back to the Laws of Moses; John calls them to repent of their sin.

We must repent of our sin and our old life before we can be members of God’s family!

They had to recognize that they were sinners just as we do today.

John was called to serve God rather than to serve religion!

Religion will send you to Hell. Only Christianity can get you to Heaven.

John, as a descendant of his father Zacharias, was to train for five years and then serve

at the Temple when his time came, but God had other plans for John.

If our ministry does not align with God’s plans, then we are in the wrong ministry.

What is repentance?

Repentance means that if anyone wished to be forgiven of their sins, they would turn from their sins and change their lives; then and only then could they be baptized.

It should be obvious that we cannot do this without the Holy Spirit, but it must be our goal.

Baptism was a sign to their neighbors and the world that they were changing their lives because they wanted God’s forgiveness.

As Christians, we follow in baptism because we follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

There would be no animal sacrifice; there would only be a living sacrifice.

Rom_12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

John’s baptism was a sign that a man wanted forgiveness it was not the means of forgiveness.

Baptism does not wash away sins!

It would be that changed life that would determine if these things came from the heart, just as it is today.

Forgiveness of sins is conditional upon that repentance and that changed life.

A person who truly repents will turn away from sin and turn to God!

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost(Holy Spirit) will not move into a dirty house!

Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Act 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

It was John’s job to prepare the world for the coming of the Lord, and He would come first to the Jews because this was His promise, even though He knew they would reject Him and would then go to the Gentiles.

Amo 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

Amo 4:13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

The Jews will not reject the Lord Jesus a second time!

*****Luk 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

We had better be aware that the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for entertainment.

That sad fact is that John the Baptist would not be allowed to preach in many churches today because he preached the truth, and neither would the Lord Jesus Christ for the same reason.

John preached the coming “judgment” of God. People do not want to hear about the judgment of God!

So many today concentrate upon the love of God, which is very great, but they reject the judgment of God on the unbeliever, and they are wrong.

No matter what different preachers preach, there will be a day of God’s wrath!

I admitted to God that I was a terrible sinner because I was!

In fact, I am still a sinner only saved by the “Grace” of God, and He is still working on me.

A viper is the great enemy of souls!

Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

A sinner is anyone who has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral agent who has voluntarily disobeyed any divine precept, or neglected any known duty.

All sinners are devoted to sin.

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

The wrath of God is not coming to those who fall in love with Jesus Christ and believe in Him.

The wrath of God is coming upon those who reject any part of the Word of God!

The only unforgivable sin is rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Eph 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

Psa 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

To follow the truth of God is noticeable in those who do!

*****Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

The proof of a saved soul is repentance!

Valuable fruits of repentance are speaking truth and doing things that are according to the will of God. Such fruits come from the new life that a person receives when he repents.

The concept of having Abraham as their father made the Jews feel safe because their pride would not allow them to believe that any child of Abraham should ever be lost.

That same pride said that any single Jew was of more value than all the people in all the nations of the world.

The Talmud stated that God made the world for the sake of the Jews, which is not true, and the Bible never says such things as these.

The Lord Jesus put an end to this nonsense: Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What is the truth? Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

It’s called faith! Faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that has been done to save us.

Rom_4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Gal_3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

To disagree with the Lord Jesus Christ is to bring the judgment of God upon yourself!

*****Luk 3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

God is the Divine Woodsman who cuts down trees, and He has laid His axe at the roots of the trees!

This is God’s warning to us all!

To be honest, we cannot produce good fruit in our lives without faith in the Gospel and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

For these Jews, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was less than a generation away.

*****Luk 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

Luk 3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Luk 3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

Luk 3:13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

Luk 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

When “judgment” is preached without prejudice, people begin to understand what God is saying.

To the first group, John answered that we are to share our blessings with others.

To the second group, John answered that we should not rob others to enrich ourselves.

To the entire group, John answered that we share our prosperity with those who have nothing.

The fruit of salvation goes much deeper than these practical things. John gave these people a good idea of where to start.

We can see the reality of removing hate and increasing love.

How can we tell we are in the last days?

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Along with all these things, we see there is no natural affection for our neighbors.

The one thing that drives our politicians today is hatred. They hate each other with passion; it drives them to make laws that each other hate instead of doing the job they went to Washington to do.

They are a pathetic bunch, for certain.

A question has come up about our military following illegal orders.

We should understand that God does not condemn any soldier for doing his duty.

A soldier who goes above his duty and simply becomes a murderer will be condemned by God, but even these can be forgiven.

When John says to do no violence to any man, this is what he is saying.

We follow orders, but indiscriminate killing, especially of the innocent, should not take place.

All terrorists are murderers!

God demands a changed life!

When we are filled with the fruit of the Spirit, it will be noticeable to those we are around.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The Messiah would be mighty.

The Messiah would be more worthy than any man.

The Messiah would use the Holy Ghost.

The baptism of John the Baptist was a full-immersion baptism and not a sprinkling.

John’s baptism was with water, but the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ would be with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

This fire would be unquenchable!

John preached the truth of the Scriptures, but also as a Prophet, he preached the words God told him to preach.

John the Baptist preached the same no matter who was in the audience.

*****Luk 3:19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

Luk 3:20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

When God gives His preacher a message to preach, it is to be preached as instructed, not watered down, not distorted, nor twisted.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Herod was as much a sinner as we all are!

A corrupt and sinful life will always bring the wrath of God.

I hope our politicians, those who claim the Lord Jesus Christ, do not forget this, and those who do not know Him will certainly see that wrath aimed at them in the near future.

It has to be hard to be a Christian in Washington, but it is not impossible, and they must know they are there because it is the will of God, and they are there to hold back evil and corruption in our nation.

I do not believe that Herod would have killed John, but Herod had an evil wife.

Mar 6:17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.

Mar 6:18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

Mar 6:19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

Mar 6:20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

When John preached, he told it like it was.

When sin is relevant in our rulers, it makes it easier for the entire nation to be in sin.

Corruption in our leadership just causes corruption throughout our nation, as we have seen and are still seeing.

Herod the Great was living in sin, the sin of adultery; he was, as we know, also a murderer, and those soldiers who murdered those children were also murderers because that was a command that they should have refused.

When our military stops the drug trade, they are not murderers or killers because those who spread the drugs are the killers, and our politicians need to be with our President and our military.

What is the truth? We will never truly prosper in sin! 2Ch 24:20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

The judgment of God is coming to this wicked world!

Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Jud 1:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

*****Luk 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

Baptism is an act of obedience to God.

If the Lord Jesus Christ is obedient to His Heavenly Father, who are we to think we can be disobedient?

We know that our Lord Jesus had no sin, so we must know that Baptism is not for the removal of sin; it is being obedient to our Heavenly Father.

We had better know that every time Heaven opens up, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the object of admiration of Heaven.

Joh 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

What did Stephen see? Act 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Act 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

The one thing that sets these people apart from all others is the fact that they heard the message of John the Baptist, and they responded.

God wants this whole world to hear His message so that everyone in the world will get a chance to respond to the truth of God.

What did the Lord Jesus do differently from the others who were baptized?

1) He demonstrated that He, the Son of God, was fulfilling all righteousness.

Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

2) He was demonstrating His humiliation, that He was a man, fully man.

Jesus was required by our Heavenly Father to live obediently, just as all men are to live obediently to the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus had to live a sinless life to accept all our sins on His body.

Jesus became the Som of Man. Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Birds and foxes are cunning and wicked, but God still cares for them; however, His Son does not have a home on this earth because His home is in Heaven. It is the same for every Christian.

It is God’s will for every human to hear the Gospel, and they all respond positively to it!

1Ti_2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

No man is above any other man in the eyes of God. If God expected His Son to be obedient to all the Word of God, then how can we say God will understand if we keep that secret sin or any other sin?

This is why the Lord Jesus was baptized!

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We must all repent and be baptized!

The Lord Jesus also obeyed God in prayer.

As He was being baptized, His mind and His thoughts were upon His Heavenly Father.

This is another thing that gets our prayers into the throne room of God.

Baptism is the most significant act of discipleship and must be followed by a changed life.

This is where many churches fail today. There is no change in life.

God will not waste His “Grace” on those who will not change their lives!

Prayer is something we must all do!

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

*****Luk 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

God is pleased with us when we are obedient and following the steps that Jesus took to be obedient; we are on the right path to the Glory World.

1) When the Heavens opened up it showed us that God was approving the ministry of Jesus to begin, and it began that day.

2) When the Heavens opened up it showed John that prophecy was fulfilled, and the Lord Jesus is truly the Lamb of God.

Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

The Lord Jesus would soon give His life for us: Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the bodily shape of a dove.

We now get to see the Triune God.

God the Father speaking from Heaven, saying This is My Son.

The Holy Spirit(Ghost) descended from Heaven in the shape of a dove.

The Son of God receives the blessing of God.

Mar 1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Mar 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Mar 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

When we love the Lord, God will do things that tell us He is much more than just real.

Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

We begin to understand just how wonderful Heaven is going to be.

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

*****Luk 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

The Lord Jesus was about thirty years old in His body when He began His public service.

If He had tried to begin at an earlier age, no one would have paid much attention to Him.

Num 4:23 From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

He is an heir to King David.

He is an heir to Abraham.

He is an heir to Adam.

He is the Godly Heir. He became the Messianic Prophet of God.

Amen

His name is Wonderful!

An Open Invitation

September 15, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Wisdom’s Invitation

Book of Proverbs Chapter 9

Without a doubt, the Bible is the place to find “wisdom” and “understanding” of the things in our lives today and the things going on in this world.

We can see much of God’s wisdom in His creations, especially in the nighttime sky. However, we can also see the great wisdom of God in childbirth and new life and all other of His creations.

He created humanity, we did not come from monkeys.

The theory of evolution is the doctrine of Athiests!

The Bible tells us that “wisdom” is the principal thing, or the most important thing, for understanding the things of this world and of course God’s World to come.

Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

The Bible says that without wisdom, we cannot even apply our hearts to understanding.

The Bible tells us where to find this wisdom:

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

So, what are these 7 pillars of wisdom so that we can build our house of understanding?

Let’s jump right into our lesson today.

*Pro 9:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

James, the Half-Brother of Jesus, gives these seven pillars of wisdom to us:

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

1) The wisdom from Heaven and God is first “Pure”:

In other words, these 7 pillars of wisdom must first be built upon Jesus Christ:

Jesus Christ is our foundation for wisdom:

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Remember, it is not Peter that is the “Rock,” it is what Peter had just said!

Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

This can happen only one way:

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Without the purity of Jesus Christ, the other pillars will fall.

2) The wisdom from God is next “Peaceable”:

The Bible says:

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2Ti 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
2Ti 2:6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

3.) The man of wisdom must next be “Gentle”:

Every child of God must be a gentleman or gentlewoman.

Again, the Bible says:

Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

4) The man of wisdom must next be “Easy to Be Entreated”:

This is being reasonable when it comes understanding the Word of God.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

5) The man of wisdom must next be “Full of Mercy and Good Fruits”:

This is always helpful and considerate!

The Bible says:

Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

6) The man of wisdom must next be “Without Partiality”

The word “race” is not in the Bible. The word “tongues” meaning languages suggests only other cultures, and “race” is irrelevant!

God does not look at the color of our skin; He looks into the heart.

The Bible says:

1Ti 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

7) And the man of wisdom must be without “Hypocrisy”

Again, the Bible says:

1Pe 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Being a Christian is not putting on a show, but “It Is” being sincere in speech and our actions.

We must be “doers of the Word,” not hearers only!

There is no “Wisdom without the Lord,” and your house of “Wisdom” will fall without these “Seven Pillars”!

Here again, we see wisdom in the sense of a female, and King Solomon shows us two females, or we could say hostesses serving up a meal to guests in their homes.

As we are filled with the Holy Spirit of Jehovah, we also have the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
Isa 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

With the wisdom of God as described by James, the stepbrother of our Lord Jesus, we begin to see that wisdom is the source of life-giving nourishment.

The woman of wisdom is the builder and the dweller of a beautiful house who has prepared her meal and sends her maids out to invite guests.

The woman of folly is pictured as a lewd woman who sits on a chair at the door of her house and lures passersby to come to her, and she has also prepared her feast.

True wisdom is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ: Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

*Pro 9:2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
Pro 9:3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,
Pro 9:4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Pro 9:5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
Pro 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

All those who lack wisdom are searching for something, but they do not understand what it is.

They do not know that they need this wisdom to live, but are easily influenced by foolishness.

To accept the woman of wisdom is to have life and have it more abundantly; pleasure is not mentioned.

To accept the woman of folly means to enter into the realm of the dead. Pleasure is mentioned so she can hide the death that is in the end.

The woman of wisdom addresses all those who are without discernment to all who would attend.

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Those who accept the invitation of the woman of wisdom, which results in a major life change.

They choose to forsake their foolish ways of the world and go in a different direction.

It is called to repent.

Wisdom’s house is not on the path to destruction but upon the road of life.

Those who are simple are those who are foolish, who are traveling on the road to destruction and every foolish way.

To accept the woman of wisdom is to make a choice.

To accept the foolish woman to remain on the path they are already traveling on the road of pleasure that leads to death.

*Pro 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

Who are those who will now be called foolish? Those who reject the wisdom of God!

They are the scorners.
They are the wicked souls of mankind.

2Ch 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

There is no remedy for those who reject the wisdom of God.

Pro 15:12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

As we have found out, not many will accept the truth of the Messiah.

Not many will accept the truth of God.

Most people will refuse to change their lifestyles just because we tell them they must be saved.

They will get angry, and God’s messengers, and we know that Christian persecution is on the rise.

Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

They remain lost because they refuse to believe that they are lost!

There is only one path to tru life, and there can only be one path!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Then how are we to continue as the messengers of God?

*Pro 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Pro 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

1) Do not reprove or rebuke a mocker, someone who is unteachable and filled with pride.

The Lord Jesus said: Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

2) Rebuke only those who humbly acknowledge their sinful condition and accept that they need to repent of their sinful ways.

3) Instruct the wise, and they will grow wiser. This is discipleship.

4) Teach the righteous, and they will seek to know more.

5) We must all know the beginning point of wisdom, which is the fear of the Lord. We must trust the Lord as we begin a personal relationship with Him. We begin to know by experience as we see what He has done in our own lives.

Wisdom will reward its messengers.

*Pro 9:11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
Pro 9:12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

We must be real with ourselves! Every person will bear the consequences of the choices they make in this life!

Wise choices will produce good fruit.

Foolish choices will result in decay and death.

For all those who accept wisdom’s invitation will receive sweet fruit.

One of the rewards for accepting this wisdom is long life, many days, and additional years.

Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Pro 3:16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand, riches and honour.

Pro 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

We do not know how many more days or how many more years are still in the hands of God, but we know they all are.

Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Pro 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

We can be sure that the wisdom from Heaven will enrich every day we have left upon us.

What do we know for sure?

1) The Lord Jesus is building a house for all those who accept Him.
2) Our Father’s house can hold many mansions.
3) The Lord has extended an invitation to anyone who believes in the marriage supper of His Son.
4) The Lord Jesus Christ is the embodiment of wisdom.
5) Every believer is commissioned to deliver the Lord’s message to the world.
6) Every believer can expect to be persecuted in this world.
7) The way of the foolish is death!

*Pro 9:13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
Pro 9:14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
Pro 9:15 To call passengers who go right on their ways:
Pro 9:16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Pro 9:17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
Pro 9:18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

The woman of Folly, the foolish, also has her house.

This woman is loud, boisterous, and noisy.

She is naive and gullible, and lacking in judgment.
She is prone to pitfalls. just like those who are taken by her.
She knows nothing.
She is ignorant of the truth.
She does not have good sense.
She is ignorant of the fear of the Lord.

She sits in her doorway to lure in her prey.
Her house sits on a hilltop, so she can be easily seen.
She loves to be seen and heard as passersby go past her.
Her house is neither spacious nor is it safe to enter.
She has prepared nothing for those who enter.
She is lazy and selfish.
She is always on the lookout for her next victim.
She always sits in the best location.
She calls out to all who pass by, even those who are minding their own business.
She invites them all into her house of doom, especially those who are trying to find her.
She lives on the road to destruction.
She especially tries to distract those who ignore her.
She finds many on this road to destruction who do not know where they are.
She targets those who are simple and lost.
She entices them all with her secret sin.

Her folly fulfills all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wisdom is a life built upon the “Fear of the Lord” and the repentance from our sin nature!

Folly is a life built upon the rejection of the Lord.

Jesus gives us a description of the sin that cannot be forgiven: Jhn_16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Jhn_16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Folly is a deceptive harlot and an unworthy wife.

She serves only water and makes it thrilling by the fact that she has stolen it.

There is no substance in her drink, nothing of lasting value.

There is good reason to believe that these things speak of immorality, but we will not go there for now.

She is wicked and immoral, and those she traps are doomed to Hell.

So, we can see this lesson is about the choices we make in this life.

The woman of wisdom and the woman of folly are both trying to capture souls.

If we choose wisdom, we will live wisely by building our lives around the “Fear of the Lord”.

We will turn away from all paths to destruction.

God will reward us!

If we choose folly, we will build our lives around sin, we will reject the Lord Jesus, and we will continue traveling that road to destruction.

We will remain separated from our Creator and our God!

The only choices that we need to make are:

1) Choose wisdom.
2) Choose Christ Jesus.
Choose Life.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We should know that Satan is the king of folly.

Satan offers nothing to those caught up in his grasp.

He is a thief and a counterfeiter.

He takes what he steals from God and then corrupts it.

He will tell the same lies that he told Eve.

Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

We need to be aware of the choices we make in this life and just choose our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

LESSONS IN GOD'S WORD

Taking time to read the Bible

The Lord Jesus Christ

Jonah the Rebellious Prophet

Like this:

Forgiveness Is the Reward for Repentance

Like this:

Restoration

Like this:

The Logic in God’s Judgment

Like this:

Passover to Betrayal and Denial

Like this:

The Great Banquet

Like this:

Jesus Continued to Heal and to Teach

Like this:

The Message of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus

Like this:

An Open Invitation

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: