God Without Limits

Jim:

Amos 9:1-10
Verse 7 asks an interesting question. “Are you not like the Ethiopians to me, O people of Israel? says the Lord. Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir?” On the one hand, the Oxford Annotated Bible says that this verse indicates that “Israel has no claim to special privilege in the moral realm, for the Lord will destroy every sinful kingdom.” On the other hand, however, does this verse not also show that the divine hand is involved in all the affairs of humanity, not just those of a select people? The God of Israel is not a tribal god, not a totem or good luck charm. God is mighty and everlasting and God’s power transcends national boarders and cultural barriers. God had a role to play in the lives of the Philistines and Arameans. God certainly has a role to play in our world and our lives as well.

Revelation 2:8-17
In the same way that God is Sovereign over all the nations, God is also Sovereign over all of the churches. John records “a word” for the churches in both Smyrna and Pergamum. No one congregation is more dear to God than any other, and no congregation is without God’s provident care, nor God’s judgment as well. I would suggest that the same is true of denominations today. God’s care and judgment are over all forms of the church, whether Protestant, Roman Catholic, or Orthodox.

Matthew 23:13-26
Most of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day likely felt that they lived in a special relationship with God. The words of Jesus in verse 13 would have greatly offended them. “But woe to you, scribes and hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven.” Those whose faith leads them to believe that they know best what God is doing, or that they have a better relationship with God should take note. God may be doing something very different.