#DailyDevotion When The LORD Starts Using All His Names

Amos 6 ⁸The Lord GOD swears by Himself. The LORD God of armies says, “I am disgusted with Jacob’s pride, and I hate his palaces. I will hand over the city and everything in it.” ⁹This is what will happen: If there are ten people left in one home, they will die. ¹⁰Their uncle who wants to take them and burn them comes to take the bodies out of the house. He asks whoever is in the inner room of the house, “Is there anyone else with you?” “No,” the other answers. “Hush,” he says, “because we mustn’t mention the LORD’s name!” ¹¹You see, the LORD has ordered it: He will break the big mansion into splinters and the little hut into bits. ¹²Do horses run on rocks, or do you plow the sea with oxen, seeing that you change right to poison and the products of righteousness into a bitter thing? ¹³You delight in nothing and say, “Didn’t we by our strength win victories?” ¹⁴“You see, I will stir up a nation against you, people of Israel,” says the LORD God of armies. “They will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.”

Now when the LORD swears by Himself there are only two outcomes, blessing and curses. Here, it is going to be curses. Then to show what sort of curse that is coming down the pike, He names Himself, first Adonai YHWH (LORD God). Adonai is a form of lord in the plural, only used of God in the Old Testament. YHWH, is the revealed pesonal name of God. Secondly, He uses the name YHWH Sabaoth. If your church sings the Sanctus before communion, you’d hear the name, LORD, God of Sabaoth. When the LORD starts piling up names, you can just remember the saying, when your mother calls you by your full name, you’re in trouble. When the LORD starts packing on names to Himself, whoever He is addressing is most likely in big trouble.

Well by the following verses, we see it isn’t for good. The LORD is disgusted by Jacob’s pride. Jacob would be the synonym for the northern tribes. He doesn’t care for their palaces or cities either. They claim they got all this wealth on their own. They do not recognize the blessing of the LORD. They do not give Him credit or thanksgiving. On top of that, they may be somewhat correct. They did get it on their own but they got it by oppressing the poor, the widow, the orphan, the fatherless, the foreigner and the priests.

The LORD is bringing swift destruction upon them. The great city of Samaria is being handed over to the enemy, namely the Assyrians. The siege against the city will be so bad the LORD speaks of it in terms of total destruction. If there are ten people in a house they’ll all be dead. There will be so many dead, they won’t be able to bury anyone. The “uncle,” the close relatives that are still alive will have to burn the bodies. When he asks, “Is anyone else with you,” if anyone answers he tells them to hush lest they accidently speak the LORD’s and draw the LORD’s attention to them and death strike them down also.

All their work is for nothing. That’s what the rest of the verses say. It’s like the private ordered to mop the concrete when it is raining outside. They thought they were building up wealth and greatness but it was for nothing. Everything will be lost. That is how it is for all who build up wealth for themselves, especially at the expense of others. God gives us wealth to be generous to others, not just to spend on ourselves. All who live and die without living for the LORD Jesus Christ will experience this loss at the end of their lives. It was all for naught. Their lives were lived in vain. Live your life for the LORD Jesus Christ and what you did will not be in vain.

O LORD God, LORD of Hosts, give us hearts that give thanks to You and live our lives in service to You through service to others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.