The Bible Study Podcast, episode 752.

Today, the Bible Study podcast continues a study of the book of Amos with chapter four.

Welcome to the Bible Study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

Amos, as we've said, is one of the minor prophets, and he has been sent to Israel in particular to tell them to return to God, because

they have been unfaithful and have been serving other gods. And this particular chapter is titled,

Israel has not returned to God.

Hear this word, you cows of bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and

crush the needy, and say to your husbands, bring us some drinks.

The sovereign lord has sworn by his holiness.

The time will surely come when you will be taken away with hooks,

the last of you with fish hooks. You will each go straight out through the breaches in the wall,

and you will be cast out toward Harmon, declares the Lord. Go to Bethel and sin, go to Gilgall and

sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes

every three years, burn leavened bread as a thank offering, and brag about your free will offerings,

boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do, declares the sovereign Lord.

I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town,

yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord. I also withheld rain from you when the harvest

was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had

rain, another had none, and dried up.

People staggered from town to town for water, but did not get enough to drink. Yet you have not

returned to me, declares the Lord. Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, destroying

them with blight and mildew, locust devouring your fig and

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