Amos 5:18

(Amos 5:18)
“Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light.”

In today’s text, the prophet Amos delivers a powerful warning to the people of Israel.

At that time, the Israelites boasted about their privilege as God’s chosen people and eagerly anticipated the day of the Lord.

They thought the day of the Lord would be a day of victory and blessing for them alone.

However, Amos awakens them to the reality that the day would be a day of darkness, a day of judgment.

This message carries a profound warning and teaching for us living today as well.

The Israelites believed that the day of the Lord would destroy their enemies and bring them triumph.

But God saw their sins.

Although they offered worship and sacrifices outwardly, their lives were full of injustice and corruption.

Assuming righteousness solely because of their identity as God's people would not exempt them from judgment.

We, too, often take God's love and grace for granted and fail to examine ourselves.

Through the written Word,
instead of embracing the assurance of salvation that God gives, some may fall prey to Satan's false assurance of salvation.

Those who fail to conform their lives to the image of Christ through tangible sanctification

will find the day of the Lord to be a fearful day,

when they realize the vanity of the empty words they relied on,

words from deceivers masquerading as angels of light.

Those who believed the flattering and deceitful words of false preachers and ministers words that satisfied their fleshly ears like sweet honey will see the harsh truth on that dreadful day.

In the text, Amos declares, "The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light." This means that the day of the Lord is not merely a day of joy and blessing but also a day of God’s justice being executed—a day of judgment.

God’s judgment is to punish wickedness and establish righteousness.

It is a solemn day that no one can escape.

Light represents God’s grace and blessings, while darkness symbolizes judgment against sin.

However, Amos’s warning is not to bring despair but to offer an opportunity for repentance.

Before longing for the day of the Lord, we must examine our lives sincerely. Is my life worthy of the gospel?

Or am I merely outwardly godly, while lacking the true power of godliness?

We must scrutinize ourselves thoroughly.

Repentance is more than acknowledging sin; it involves a complete turning of direction in life.

The day of the Lord will come to both the livin those who have been saved and given eternal life and the dead those destined for the second death.

For the living, the judgment will be based on how they glorified God and pleased Him after their salvation.

For the dead, their eternal punishment will be determined according to their sinful deeds, as recorded in the Scriptures.

Even we who are among the living, if we fail to prepare for that day, will face not the commendation, glory, and rewards from the Father, but stern rebuke from the Father to His children.

A day of grace has dawned.

Today, as we diligently read, hear, and meditate on God's Word, may the sharp sword of the Spirit that penetrates the soul, spirit, joints, and marrow help us examine our spiritual lives.

I pray that today will be a blessed day for you to reflect on your faith journey.

I bless you in the name of the Lord!
Amen!

Church Everyone - P. Timothy Kim