© Matthew Tuel — 2025
Psalm 2:9 (NET, 2nd Ed.)
9 "You will break them with an iron scepter;
you will smash them like a potter’s jar!"
Isaiah 63:1-6 (NET, 2nd Ed.)
1 Who is this who comes from Edom,
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah?
Who is this one wearing royal attire,
who marches confidently because of his great strength?
“It is I, the one who announces vindication,
and who is able to deliver!”
2 Why are your clothes red?
Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat?
3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;
no one from the nations joined me.
I stomped on them in my anger;
I trampled them down in my rage.
Their juice splashed on my garments.
and stained all my clothes.
4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,
and then payback time arrived.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support.
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on.
6 I trampled nations in my anger;
I made them drunk in my rage;
I splashed their blood on the ground.”
Matthew 11:5 (NET, 2nd Ed.)
5 The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.
Amos 7:10-17 (NET, 2nd Ed.)
10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent this message to King Jeroboam of Israel: “Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of the kingdom of Israel! The land cannot endure all his prophecies. 11 As a matter of fact, Amos is saying this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.’ ” 12 Amaziah then said to Amos, “Leave, you visionary! Run away to the land of Judah. Earn your living and prophesy there! 13 Don’t prophesy at Bethel any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here.” 14 Amos replied to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. No, I was a herdsman who also took care of sycamore fig trees. 15 Then the LORD took me from tending flocks and gave me this commission, ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 So now listen to the LORD’s message! You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach against the family of Isaac!’
17 “Therefore this is what the LORD says:
‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets
and your sons and daughters will die violently.
Your land will be given to others
and you will die in a foreign land.
Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.’ ”
With Calvin, we see the God as ruler. One day, willingly or not, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord of all.
With Spurgeon, we see the God's word will not be contained. Scripture and Theology are not topics confined to Academia or Seminary. Everyone is able to study the Word should they be willing. Amos here is a layman, a shepherd, and yet God called him out to preach and prophesy to the nation of Israel. There is something to be said for studying the word through Seminary, but God qualifies the called, he doesn't call the qualified.