“I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lᴏʀᴅ.
“I also withheld the rain from you … yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lᴏʀᴅ.
“I struck you with blight and mildew… yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lᴏʀᴅ.
“I sent among you a pestilence … yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lᴏʀᴅ.
“I overthrew some of you… yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lᴏʀᴅ.
“Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
There comes a time when all created beings come before the LORD. For some this will be a first time experience for they have refused to know Him despite all the attempts He has made to make Himself known to them. Remember the history: the LORD created, gave all that was good, provided everything needed including relationship with Him and yet mankind went their own way. In Amos 1 and 2 we had a list of eight arrogances against the order of God but in Amos 3 and 4 the charges against Israel are expanded detailing all the affronts against Him and all the times He tried to turn their hearts back to Himself. “I gave you emptiness of food and you did not return, I withheld rain and you did not return, I sent disease so your crops failed but you did not return, I sent Egypt who plundered… and then it was time for more:
God is not vengeful, He is not short-tempered, but He persists in trying to turn His creation back to Himself. When all else fails, He allows consequence to come. The final verdict is the chilling words to those who refuse to return in relationship but as Creator restoring order albeit apart from relationship in Him:
Sorry but not every prophecy ends well for those who insist upon ‘doing it their way.’
‘All’ will stand before the LORD who created them. Those who have prepared to meet their God are recorded in His Book of Life and are not subject to this judgment for they are His and are in relationship with Him on His terms. For all those who have determined to be judged by their works, all those works are recorded and they will be judged by what they have done apart from God. Then they will depart to the place of those who have insisted on living apart from God. Actually, it sounds merciful that those who didn’t want to serve God won’t have to spend eternity with Him. But for those who do want eternity with God, that must begin now and continue rather than be an after-the-fact add-on option.