NO ESCAPE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and He said:

“Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of all the people; those who are left I will kill with the sword. Not one will get away, none will escape. Though they dig down to the depths below, from there My hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens above, from there I will bring them down. Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them.”

“I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good.”

Amos 9:1-4

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever watched a real scary movie where someone was in danger and had to try and hide from their assailant?

Those who are good in their craft of making horror films will have you running right along with the person being pursued, frantically trying to get away or find a concealing place to stay safe until the danger has departed. You will find your heart racing and pulse quickening, feeling fear and fright, hoping your life will be spared, hoping this won’t be the way your life will end.

In today’s scripture passage taken from the first verses in the final chapter of Amos, we find ourselves ushered into a scene of terror as the Lord provides details to His prophet about the deadly punishment He would soon bring to the Israelites. Look again at this passage here:

I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and He said:

“Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of all the people; those who are left I will kill with the sword. Not one will get away, none will escape. Though they dig down to the depths below, from there My hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens above, from there I will bring them down. Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them.”

“I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good.”  Amos 9:1-4

Put yourself in the middle of this scene. You are being attacked from all sides, anywhere you go, and in any number of ways. The thresholds are shaking and falling rocks threaten to smash you to death. As you dash to avoid the falling rocks, you look around you and see others doing the same only to be impaled by sword, escaping one peril to only encounter another. You try and escape but no matter where you go, danger and death await. There is nowhere to flee, nowhere to hide, no place where you can find safety or refuge.

In other words, there is no escape.

This is the judgment picture God is painting here and I don’t know if there could be a scarier scenario than God issuing His death sentence on someone. For our Lord is a Lord who sees everything, nothing is hidden from His sight and so there would be no chance of concealment if He would choose to go after someone, if He would choose to keep His eye on someone for harm and not for good. Any attempt to run away would be completely useless because a person can no more outrun God than they can defend themselves against Him. Facing His termination would be a place where hope would not exist.

Think this sounds like some fantasy, some Old Testament Bible mumbo-jumbo that has no relevance for you today?

Think again.

For God has already put a death sentence in place and there are millions of people today who are under it, millions who have decided to not accept Jesus Christ as Savior. The scriptures promise there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) but there is no such assurance for those who reject the Son of God, the One who is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). The “no condemnation” promise is a clause in the salvation one gains through Jesus, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29), to justify anyone who places their faith, trust, and hope in Him.

Indeed, when Jesus returns again (and He is returning), the whole world will be judged, even the dead, as a great resurrection happens and all come back to life for all eternity. Those found to have placed their belief in Jesus as Savior will be taken with Him to live with the Father forever, abiding in the new heavens and earth (Revelation 21:1-8). Those who rejected Jesus, those names not found in the Book of Life, will live eternally in damnation, cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

You see, even death and the grave will not keep someone from the judgment God will send through His Son who He placed in all authority over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). There will be no escaping what is yet to come.

Make sure you have accepted Jesus as Savior before that happens. It’s the only way you’ll ensure your future will be bright, beautiful, and glorious, the only way you can live with hope and peace in the midst of a fallen world.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark
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