HE CONTROLS THE WEATHER
1. Amos told his listeners to seek God (Amos 5:4, 6, 8).
2. The prophet then added a reason.
3. He said “seek God” [because} God made Pleiades and Orion .
4. The prophet said to seek God because He turns the shadow of death into the morning.
5. It is right to seek God because He makes the day dark with night.
6. God should be sought because He calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the earth (8b).
7. In this section of his book Amos pointed out that God controls the weather.
8. Because God’s control of the weather is so magnificent man should turn to God.
9. The reference to Pleiades and Orion obviously refers to stars.
10. The Hebrews knew that being able to see Pleiades meant it was time for spring.
11. Being able to see Orion mean that winter was coming.
12. Amos used these constellations to say God is in charge of changing the seasons.
13. God takes the shadow of death (8a) and changes it into morning.
14. This means that God changes the night into day.
15. God also makes the “day dark with night” (verse 8).
16. In other words, we have night and day because of God’s power.
17. The information in 8b is now taught to most students in science classes.
18. Amos alludes to how water evaporates on the earth and is cycled to generate rain.
AMOS 5:8 SAID TO THE NATION OF
A. The sermon preached by Amos is still relevant.
B. When we look at God and how He works in our environment
we must be impressed.
C. I am not a weatherman but I do want to relate some
information to you about God and weather.
D. When people study nature they are prompted to seek
God.
E. Some the material I have prepared is adopted from a
little book by Donald
DeYoung.
F. Mr. DeYoung is chairman of the physical science
department at
G. He is a PhD in physics.
H. DeYoung’s book begins with a reference to Ps. 19:1 –
the heavens declare the glory of God.
I. This is right.
God is spectacular.
J. The heavens declare His glorious power.
K. When we begin to consider God’s power there is only
one sensible choice: love and serve Him.
L. God’s magnificence is demonstrated by the planets He
made.
M. On our planet God created an environment that is
unbelievably diverse.
N. In Northern Chile there are places where no rain has
come for the last 400 years (p. 37).
O. In central Uganda in Africa people see an average of
242 thunderstorms a year.
P. On a mountain in Hawaii the people average 460
inches (38 feet) of rain per year.
Q. These vast differences all occur on planet earth.
R. When it comes to temperatures the God of heaven is
just as remarkable.
S. Libya has recorded a temperature of 136° Farenheit in 1922.
T. This was the temperature in the shade.
U. Death Valley, California has come close to this
temperature (it has registered 134° F).
V. The lowest temperature ever recorded was in
Antarctica (-129° F in 1983).
W. These wide variations begin to introduce us to God’s
power.
X. In 1921 6.3 feet of snow fell in Silver Lake, Co in
24 hours.
Y. In Holt, Missouri people experienced 12 inches of
rain in just 42 minutes.
2. THE GOD OF HEAVEN HAS CREATED A DIVERSE VARIETY OF WEATHER PATTERNS. WITH THE WIDE VARIATION IN TEMPERATURE AND AMOUNT OF MOISTURE GOD HAS ALSO MADE A VARIETY OF CREATURES.
A. Some creatures were designed for areas where frigid
temperature exists.
B. Others were designed to live where the weather is
hot.
C. God made diverse environments and made animals to
survive in them.
3. God’s unique creation is not limited to the earth.
A. The psalmist said the glory of God is seen in the
heavens (19:1).
B. This statement is true.
C. The moon has a high temperature of 215° F in the afternoon.
D. After dark the temperature drops to -230° F.
E. There is drop of about 400 degrees in less than 24
hours.
F. Venus is overcast with heavy clouds; the temperature
is about 900° Far.
G. We could not stand the heat that is generated on
this planet.
H. Even if we could we would be crushed because of the
high air pressure.
I. Mars has temperatures that drop to about -100° F
J. Neptune has winds that blow about 1,300 miles per
hour.
K. Summer temperatures are about -325° F.
4. God made a variety of planets and there are
significant distinctions between them.
5. Some have great heat, others are very cold, and some
are both hot and cold.
6. Some have no wind; at least one has a wind speed of
over a thousand MPH.
7. The more man learns about God’s creation the more he
is humbled.
8. Learning about God’s creation will take the most
stubborn man to his knees.
9. Even the wiseman Solomon was amazed. He said, Ecclesiastes 1:7:
10. All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not
full.
11. The glory of God is so powerful and wonderful that
Paul had to comment on it.
12. I want to take a quick look at Romans 1.
13. Paul called some people fools.
14. Rom. 1:20 refers to God’s glorious creation.
15. The creation proves that God is eternal and full of
splendor.
A. Some didn’t appreciate God’s power.
B. Verses 21-22
C. The end of the 20th verse says these
people were “without excuse.”
16. In the first century men knew enough to glorify God.
17. People had enough knowledge to say that the heavens
declared the glory of God.
18. With the passage of time and an increase in
knowledge, God’s handiwork should be more impressive.
A. We now know that rainwater soaks into the ground and
is naturally purified.
B. Water flowing in rivers is also naturally purified
unless there are too many contaminents (p. 58).
C. Got put a water purification system into nature.
D. Speaking of water, have we ever looked at the size
of our raindrops?
E. I know that we can’t get a long look at them but we
have some idea as to how large they are.
F. Have we ever considered what would happen if the
drops were larger than they are?
G. Larger drops would make erosion a terrible problem
and harm plants.
H. If the drops were smaller scientists have concluded
that they would remain suspended in the air.
I. The God of the Bible is the amazing force behind
nature.
J. Down to the smallest detail the power and glory of
God is repeatedly demonstrated.
19. DeYoung argues (pp. 83-85) that every snowflake,
blade of grass, and grain of sand is different.
20. Most of us have seen a beach of sand somewhere in
the world.
21. Perhaps we could see a strip of sand that lasted for
a few or several miles.
22. Imagine a God who created every grain of sand in the
world and every grain is unique.
23. That should humble us.
24. That kind of power should concern us.
25. When this kind of power is joined with the words,
“seek me” we need to listen.
26. Any being who can do what was just described
deserves to be heard.
27. If God can make every snowflake and star different
we need to find out more about Him.
28. In reading through Dr. DeYoung’s book I came to a
section on lighting.
29. DeYoung describes lighting as nothing more than a
giant electrical spark (p. 87).
30. That seems to be a bit of an understatement to me
but I will work with his definition.
31. I know some people who are not too interested in
working with electricity.
A. There are some people who are scared of getting
shocked or killed.
B. DeYoung cites an estimate to help us understand the
power of lightning.
C. This estimate says that lighting has 100,000 amps of
electricity at 30 million volts.
D. There are still some things we do not know about
lightning.
E. We do know that a single bolt can have a temperature
of 50,000°.
F. This temperature is about five times hotter than the
temperature of the sun.
G. Job may not have known about amperage and volts but
he knew that lighting was dangerous.
H. His knowledge allowed God to ask him a question.
I. This question is found in Job. 38:35.
J. God wanted to know what Job could do with lighting.
K. Could he make it go where he wanted?
L. Could he make it strike where he directed?
M. How would Job like to toy with something five times
hotter than the sun?
N. How would job like to direct 100,000 amps of
electricity?
O. Job said that he had better stay quiet (40:4).
P. Job couldn’t control the lighting but God could and
still does.
32. Many other passages affirm God’s power by using
weather as an illustration.
A. There is the flood that cleansed the earth, Gen.
6:5-9:19.
B. Hail and fire were used to punish the Egyptians, Ex.
9:23-29.
C. Thunder was used to disperse some Philistines, 1
Sam. 7:10.
D. 2 Sam. 21:1 records how a drought and famine were
used to punish people.
E. Jonah was chastened by a raging sea.
33. Today we often rely on weather signs.
34. There are signs of rain, heat, snow, hail, lightning, etc.
35. We let these weather signs guide us.
36. If it looks like rain we get hats, coats, and an
umbrella.
37. We take the right precautions for days that are hot,
threaten hail, or suggest that snow is coming.
38. The weather and nature as a whole remind us to take
precautions in life.
39. Amos said that weather and nature as a whole compel
us to take spiritual precautions.
40. These things tell us to seek God.
41. The various parts of the earth are a perpetual
reminder to pursue God and lovingly serve Him.
42. Is this what we are doing?