Time will not allow me to explore the true riches of the following verse, so I will only discuss a small part of it.
Amos 5: 5 But do not seek Bethel,
Nor enter Gilgal,
Nor pass over to Beersheba;
For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
And Bethel shall come to nothing.
These three locations, Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba were highly respected by the Jews. Everyone knows the significance of Bethel and Gilgal, but what's so significant about Beersheba? The answer is simple, but incredibly beautiful.
1. Beersheba is the place that Hagar went to when Sarah kicked her out of the house. When she was out of water, she cried out in fear and God heard the cries of her son. He opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.
2. The second place in scripture I want you to look at is Genesis 21:25-36. Here Abraham reproves Abimelech over a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. They make a covenant and in verse 33 says, "And Abraham planted a grove at Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God."
3. Isaac and Abimelech also made a covenant at Beersheba in Genesis 26:31. It seemed like no matter where Isaac went, he couldn't dig a well without someone trying to steal it from him. However, he built a well in Beersheba and found plenty of water there. It was also at Beersheba that Isaac received a visitation from the Lord. (Genesis 26:23-24)
4. In Genesis 45, we read about Joseph reconnecting with his family. When Jacob heard that Joseph was alive, he refused to believe the news until he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to him, and "the spirit of Jacob revived." It was more than just his human spirit that revived that day. From the time of Joseph's departure until this portion of scripture, we never read of Jacob ever received another visitation from the Lord. But notice what happens in the next chapter:
Genesis 46
1And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
2And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
3And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
4I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.
I don't believe for one minute that Jacob just thought, "Oh, there's Beersheba. I guess we'll stop here since it's the closest place." No, Jacob was well aware of his father and grandfathers experience at Beersheba. That's why he stopped there and that's why he received a visitation from God in that place. Thanks to Abraham's prayer, Jacob received a visitation from God at a time when he desperately needed it.
Notice that Jacob didn't bother to dig a well at Beersheba. Isaac, Abraham and Hagar sought to quench their physical thirst, but Beersheba wasn't just about the physical need. Jacob needed something much greater than water to quench his thirst and he received everything that he needed at Beersheba.
Brethren, when we come to the house of God, let's forget about our physical need. We can pray about our financial problems, health problems, exc., but we've got a much deeper need than all of that. We need the Holy Ghost to do a work in our lives. Forget about the water that comes from Jacob's well, and start praying for the living water that dwells inside of you. Let the Holy Ghost revive your spirit today!!!
Jordan Mills
Monday
Amos 5
