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| Photo by Jim Tracy |
1 Listen to this, you cows of Samaria, who oppress the poor, and crush the needy, who say to their husbands, “Bring us more drinks!”
The cattle of Samaria were known to be very sleek and fat because of the superior pastures.
This is actually referring to the women of Israel, however. They were living in luxury while the poor of the land suffered. Usually the women of the rich have at least some compassion for the suffering poor. Not in Israel.
These women were even bossing their hubbies around, treating them like slaves instead of the heads-of-the-household they were supposed to be help-meets to.
2 The Master Boss GOD has sworn by His own holiness, that the days will come on you, that He will take you away with hooks, and your children with fishhooks.
God is promising an end to their richness. The enemy will not be nice about it. In fact, Babylon did use hooks through the flesh to lead their captives away, instead of shackles around the ankles, arms or necks.
3 And you will go out straight through the broken down wall, every cow of you, and you will be thrown into a high fortress, says the I AM.
4 Go ahead and go to Bethel to sin, and to Gilgal multiply your sins, and then bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:
The Mosaic Law commanded that all the tithes be saved up and brought to the Temple every three years.
5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with yeast, and brag about the free-will offerings you make, because this is what you like to do, O ye children of Israel, says the Master I AM.
Just go ahead and keep sinning. You’re sure enjoying it.
6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your homes, yet have you not returned to Me, says the I AM.
Your teeth stay very clean when you don’t have any food to eat. God had sent famines but it didn’t cause repentance.
7 And also I have withheld the rain from you, when there were still three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain on one city but not another one; one piece was rained on, and the piece where it didn't rain withered.
8 So two or three cities wandered to one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: and yet you still have not returned to Me, says the I AM.
God has been selective about His blessings to try to get their attention but it hasn’t worked.
9 I have smitten you with disease and mildew. When your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the locusts devoured them. Yet you have not returned to Me, says the I AM.
He tried sending disease and locusts. Didn’t work.
10 I have sent among you the plagues just like I did to Egypt. Your young men I have killed with the sword, and have taken away your horses, and I have made your camps stink, yet you have not returned to Me, says the I AM.
He has tried plagues (probably of insects), war and many other things, all to no avail.
11 I have overthrown some of you, like I did Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a burning stick snatched out of the fire, yet you have not returned to Me, says the I AM.
12 And so this is what I am going to do to you, O Israel, (and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel.
This is not “prepare to enter into the blessings of heaven.” It’s “prepare for your punishment.”
13 Pay attention! The One who shaped the mountains, and created the wind, and tells men what His thoughts are, who turns the morning light into darkness, and walks on the highest places of the earth, the I AM, His name is The God of Heaven's Armies.
The Creator of the universe is mad.