What Is the Day of the Lord?Sýnishorn

No exception for Israel

Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light. (Amos 5:18)

Yesterday, we discovered how God will save Israel by judging the nations on the day of the Lord. This does not mean, however, that Israel will always escape God’s punishment. God made it clear that the Israelites, too, will be judged, if they follow the sinful ways of the surrounding nations (see Deuteronomy 28:15). Even though the Israelites in Amos’ time did exactly that, they still expected God to save them from oppression. They believed that God would punish the nations around them, just like He punished the Egyptians in Exodus. They therefore longed for the day of the Lord.

Amos had none of it. He warned them that the day of the Lord will be darkness for them, so there is no reason to look forward to it. God will “pass through their midst” to pour out His wrath, just like He did to Egypt (Exodus 12:12). Israel will be the one punished like Pharaoh. They will suffer the consequences of their sins. The righteous God doesn’t overlook sin, not even the sin of His people.

This should function as a warning to all of us. Amos makes it clear that God is gracious not to those born in a Christian family or to the one that goes to church, but to the one who seeks good and loves justice. It is dangerous to believe that God will save and bless you if you reject Him and ignore His will.

So let us examine ourselves and ask: Do we just want His blessings, or are we willing to submit our lives to Him?