Does God Favor Just Certian Ones

Does God have favorites ? Why does it seem some have much and others

so little ? It seems in the bible God favors some over others ? Does God favor

the rich, over the poor ? Why are some born into wealth, while others are not?

So does God favor others and is He a respecter of persons after all ?

This topic seems to be a popular one . Does God have favorites ? It appears often in the

bible that it seems that way .But , we need to examine scripture to actually see the truth behind

such matters . For as I have said in prior posts, the Bible is an autobiography of God and a

manual, for our daily living . God and His word are the same, they can not be separated .So by

reading and study of His Word ( The Bible) we can find out the answer to these questions .

We will start at the beginning in the Book of Genesis .We can examine the difference there

with the story of Cain and Abel . Two Brothers, the sons of Adam and Eve . In Time as they grew

Cain was a worker of the field ( farmer) while Abel attended animals ( Shepard) . As the story goes

they were to make sacrifice to God as the custom was. (Genesis 4) . It came to pass that Cain

brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel,he also brought of the

firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof . And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering .

But unto Cain and to his offering He had no respect. And Cain was very wroth and his countenance

fell. And the Lord said unto Cain,”Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen?

Here it would appear God favored Abel over Cain,but read what the Lord said to him about why

it came about that way in verse 7 . “ If thou doest well,shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou

doest not well,sin lieth at the door. “

So by this many still conclude God favored Abel and not Cain. But in reality Cain gave of his

fruit, what he wanted God to have, Abel gave his firstlings the best he had . And the Lord told Cain

“if you do well will you not be accepted?”, and everyone knows Cain slew Abel and he was cast out

from there. The same choice is ours. If we do well, will we not be accepted? But if we do not well

sin lies at the door . We have to obey and abide in God and His word, then are we accepted of Him.

But even in Christ we still live in a fleshly, sinful body that we struggle with to overcome . We all

face temptations and trials and issues and problems, and that is how we grow in the faith and mercy

and grace of God. IF everything was smooth sailing we would turn away from God, or like Cain

do our own thing and be cast out.

Job ,was a man of God who abode in the things of God in every way. But even, while Job

was doing his best and the will of God turmoil and trouble came upon him . He lost family, his

possessions , his health and all at the same time. But what did Job do, he simply said, “the Lord

giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” His friends keep telling him

he must have done something awful bad for all that to befall him, but Job kept his integrity and     

   

    

never sinned against God with his mouth by blaming God foolishly. And even tho all that

took place to Job, did God favor others over Job , causing this to take place? Job was ignorant

of Gods actions, like we are most of the time. God questioned Job and asked how everything was

formed and how was it done and God layed it out to Job simply by stating He was God. “Shall he

that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him? He that reproveth God,let him answer it.”

And Job answered the Lord and said,” I am vile;what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand

upon my mouth. God declared to Job, He was God and He was righteous and did things

according to His righteousness .Job later answered God by saying,” I know thou canst do everything

and that no thought can be withheld from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge?

Therefore have I uttered that I understood not, and things too wonderful for me,which I knew not.

I have heard thee by the hearing of the ear,but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself

and repent in dust and ashes . God chastised Job and showed His truths unto Him, and also his

friends who came to Job, God made them sacrifice only because of Jobs uprightness not theirs

because they spoke things contrary to God and God restored Job and Job also prayed for his

friends, and God gave Job twice as much as he had before .

So we see God did not respect Abel over Cain nor Job over his friends, God abides in

righteousness and He is God and God alone . Mans contention with God is a learning process

and God is the instructor. God allows things in peoples lives for many reasons. God knows the

heart of man, and knows exactly what it takes for them to learn and come to the knowledge of

who He is. Like Job stated,I hear with my ear, but now I see you .He finally realized and

came to a revelation of who God really was . Understand that God hates sin .He does not want

mankind to be destroyed because of it .God is long suffering and patient with everyone .

We as human beings expect God to just jump and fix our mess and stop others from having

or doing cause we do not like it or we want something different .God is the Holy one, He is the

Righteous and Merciful God . He knows what you can handle and what you can't . He also

knows what you have need of and what you do not. Many want riches, but what if those riches

caused you to go against God and lose your soul? Would it still be worth it to have?

We only have today, we can not see tomorrow. God does . And because He does, we have to

put our confidence and trust totally in Him . Does He respect Jews over Gentiles ? Men over

Women? Rich over Poor? So far we see that answer is No. But lets go further shall we?

WE could read many books of the bible to illustrate this issues over and over. The Book of

Amos is a good book to see this answer in clear terms. This book basically declares the impartiality

of God. God does not play no favorites, what He will do for one ,He will do for all . God makes

Promises throughout the entire bible . I believe that number is over three thousand or more .

But in all those Promises, He never states ,He only gives to certain people while leaving

everyone else out, However there are conditions to obtain those Promises, but they are equal

to all people . There is no appearance, or skin color, or personality,or any ingredient man has or

can give or do, to change Gods standards for all people.

Anyone who meets the conditions given to all mankind, can receive the Promises of God,

simply by meeting those conditions, and having the blessings of God poured out to them, regardless

of who they are,and any who presume upon these conditions,will find Him setting in judgment

upon them and His Word condemning them no matter who they are . This is the message of Amos.

It's hard for us to believe that isn't it? We are so conditioned to believe that God reacts the way

man does ,and if you can get in his favor you can presume upon his goodness. Or we think we

can get by and not face the same kind of judgment that someone else will,or we can win certain

positions,special privileges from God that no one else can have. Both extremes of this attitude

are reflected in various groups and individuals at times. I heard ministers, say they were going

to get a higher place in heaven because of what they do and some greater possessions and

higher ranking then others. I heard one Minister tell a story about his Dad who passed away and

because his Dad did not do some particular thing where he was concerned that he did not

receive a crown in heaven but because he did something he would have one,and assuming his

meaning,he set himself above his Dad because of it. But many preach and teach various things

concerning heaven, when as the Bible tells us ,No Man knows nor has entered into their hearts

the things God has in store for us .( 1 Cr.2:9)

The Book of Amos clearly shows God is not like that at all. If you really think you are in

a privileged position,especially with God, this book comes with a shocking wake-up call. The

tendency with human hearts is either to regard ourselves as favored or the exact opposite. We are

either so great God can't do without us, or so vile, God won't have us at all. I believe the later is

the most popular. “why should this happen to me?” or we say, “ Why shouldn't it happen to me?”

The prophet Amos went to the northern kingdom of Israel, and that's the reaction he got from

them,Why us? Why not go someplace else? The Book opens up like this ,” The words of Amos,

who was among the herdsman of Tekoa which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah

king of Judah,and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the

earthquake.”(Amos 1) That dates the book and the prophet Amos as a contemporary of the prophet

Hosea and also Isaiah in the southern kingdom. He was one of the earliest prophet writers.

What is unique is,Amos was not a trained prophet, he was a layman. He called himself a herdsman,

or cattleman, translated Shepard . He was the first in a long line of “cowboy preachers” . That may

have bought about why the people disfavored him, and at any rate his message was not

accepted.

In chapter 7 , Amos adds a personal note,here is a reaction to his message in the northern

kingdom. “ Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos

hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all

his words. For thus Amos saith,Jeroboam shall die by the sword,and Israel shall surely be led away

captive out of their own land.” (Amos 7:10-11) That was the burden of the prophet. God was

going to exile Israel and Judge the Nation and the king. ( Remember Israel was Gods “chosen”

people as everyone knows ) But here we see God not favoring people He said was His own.

After all these were the ones He bought out of captivity when they were in Egypt and gave them

the land of Israel and Promised them with a Covenant, so what happened to change it? Were they

not blessed by God for years and years? That land flowed with milk and honey and everything

they could ever want or need , God gave it to them,now here someone claims God is going to

take them away from it? How dare he? Are they not Gods favorite? Lets read on shall we?

And Amaziah said unto Amos, “O seer , go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there

eat bread, and prophesy there.” (Amos 7:12) Amaziah says,”Don't come to us,go back to your own

home town .Go back to country you came from and prophesy down there. “ But prophesy not again

any more at Bethel; for it is the kings chapel, and it is the kings court.” (Amos 7:13) But O rugged

Amos with his bluntness said, ” I was no prophet, neither was I a prophets son; but I was a

herdsman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit. And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and

the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.”

Now you can see the opposition to the message of this man as he came declaring the

burden of the Lord in the land of Israel in the northern kingdom. They found his message hard

to accept. Amos went about delivering Gods message in an interesting way. If you had a map

Israel an could locate the countries mentioned here, and you put Israel in the center, you would

find Amos going around the boundaries of Israel in various directions delivering a message

concerning all the neighboring Nations . He began chapter 1 with Damascus, he shows Israel

how God has judged Damascus, especially for their cruelty. Then he moves down the west coast

to the ancient land of Philippiansistia, or what is called here the land of Gaza. And reminds

Israel once again that God has judged this land. Why? Because the people have participated in

an active slave trade . He then moves back up the coast to the land of Tyre, on the north west side

of Israel. Here he points out how God had judged this country because the people had broken

their agreements.

Then he moves down to the far south of Israel to the land of Edom, the ancient country

of Esau, and here he points out how Gods judgment has fallen upon this nation because of the

peoples unforgiving spirit. And their implacable hatred of Israel. Then he moves back up the east

side of Israel to the land of Ammon .( note: Ammon is now the Nation of Jordan and it's capital

is the capital of ancient Ammon ) here he points out that God had judged this section of the country

because of it's cupidity ( definition;excessive desire,greed,lust,covetousness ) it's hunger for the

land of others. Then he went south to Moab, still on the side of Israel, God had judged Moab,

he says, because of its hatred against Israel . Then he comes to the Southern Kingdom ,

Judah itself, and in brief reference points, that because Judah has despised Gods law, the Judgment

of God had fallen on it. At last he arrives at the ten-kingdom northern nation of Israel, and

here he announces that God is going to judge them for corruption and for injustice in their hearts.

As you read this account, you can see that the people of Israel were not troubled as long

as Amos was talking about the other nations. They took it very complacently, more or less with

the attitude, “ They got what was coming to them.” But when the prophet moved home to zero

in on Israel, the people got angry and said, “ Why don't you go away and preach someplace else?”

This is almost inevitably the result when preachers are faithful to the message of God. But the

rest of the Book focuses on this Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Beginning in chapter 3 you have the prophets words that God addressed to His Nation.

He begins by pointing out to them that they were a people who had a special privileged

position before God. “ Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of

Israel,against the whole family which I bought up from the land of Egypt, saying , You only

have I known of all the families of the earth : therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

They wanted to hear they were privileged and special, and full of pride and arrogance, O but

then came that shocking wake-up call, see their faces fall (Remember Cains countenance),

that which was the mark of their pride was the very reason God says they were peculiarly

subject to judgment. Light creates responsibility. Privilege exposes to the keenest of judgment

And as these people had been called into such a relationship, they were also, therefore, subject

to the severest and sternest forms of judgment.

Now that's what peter means in the New Testament when he says, “ For the time is come

that judgment must begin at the house of God;and if it first begins at us,what shall the end

be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” ( 1 Peter 4:17 ) God always starts out with His

people and then moves out to those round about them. The prophets word is that because we are

people of God, this does not mean that God's word does not set in judgment on the wrong in

our lives. On the contrary, it is all the more apt to be borne home to us. Then Amos points out

how close this special relationship with God is, “ Can two walk together,except they be

agreed?” ( Amos 3:3 ) Here is God's walk with His people and the His talk with them, “ Surely

the Lord God will do nothing,but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.”

These were the things that marked their peculiar relationship and privilege before God . They

walked with God,they talked with God, but for this reason,the prophet says, God is going to

send judgment.

Then he announces what it is. Do you remember the story of the two golden calves

that were erected by King Jeroboamd in the cities of Bethel and Dan? ( 1 Kings 12:28)

Israel was sent to worship there and the people called those calves Jehovah . And they worshiped

and bowed down before those golden images. Now those two calves represented two basic

ideas in Israel, for which God was perennially in judgment against the people. And they are

ideas which are prevalent among people today. Those golden calves, in that they were made of

gold, represented the hunger of these people for material gain,the love of wealth, materialism,

the god of gold.( cupidity). And because they were calves, or young bullocks, they were

representative of the pagan god of sex, the fertility gods of the nations round about them who

worshiped the bull as a sign of fertility or sexual potency. So the worship of these twin calves

made of gold was symbolic of the people's worship of materialism and sex. That sounds

exactly like today doesn't it ? And the prophets word to this people was that because of that

kind of worship, the nation of Assyria was being raised up by God to come sweeping down

from the north to carry Israel away into captivity.

In the patience of God it was almost two hundred years before that took place. Yet God

announced it this early so that the people might have a space to repent. And He declared

that this was certain to come unless they turned to Him. Even in this account the prophet

shows how God had patiently tried to awaken them. In chapter 4 we read of five different

times when God had sent something to wake them up, to make them think, to jar them,

to arrest them, and stop them in their downward course. He says, “ I also have gave you

cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet have ye not

returned unto me,” saith the Lord .”And also I withheld the rain from you, when there were

yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain,

upon another city; one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not, withered.”

( God spaced the rain so they would know it was by His divine hand)

“ So two or three cities wandered unto one city,to drink water,but they were not satisfied, yet

have ye not returned unto me,” saith the Lord. “ I have smitten you with blasting and mildew,

when your gardens and vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the

palmerworm devoured them, yet have ye not returned unto me, “ saith the Lord. “ I have sent

among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt; your young men have I slain with the

sword, and have taken away your horses, and I have made the stink of your camps to come up

unto your nostrils; yet have ye not returned unto me,” saith the Lord. “ I have overthrown

some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye was as a firebrand plucked

out of the burning; yet have ye not returned unto me,” saith the Lord. ( Amos 4: 6-11 )

Again and again God says this. Here is an indication that God often sends things into

our lives to shake us up, to awaken us. I have seen this happen many times. Accidents, sickness

loss , financial,physical,emotional, spiritual stirrings that rattle us and gets our attention

in one manner or another, as if God were saying,” Stop and think,where you are going, and

what is happening to you.” For God in great patience, is constantly trying to make us

see things they way they really are. And then as the prophet moves on, he puts his finger

on the very thing that is wrong. “ Therefore as your treading is upon the poor,and ye take

from him burdens of wheat, ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in

them, ye have planted pleasant vineyards,but ye shall not drink wine of them. For I know

your manifold transgressions, and your mighty sins,they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and

they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence

in that time, for kit is an evil time.” ( Amos 5:11-13 )

People here think if they just stop doing what they were doing and do something

different and go to a different place and or different congregation or crowd and change

the routine this somehow will cause the issue to be resolved. I am a good person, I do

not hurt anyone, I believe in social justice, and stopping social evils. It doesn't just say

“ stop doing those things, “, it does but that is not all it says. It is How to stop doing them

that is the message. Changing the situation is not stopping it, going elsewhere a different

group or job or associations, nope that simply will not change anything nor stop it.

Here is the ONLY way to stop it and change it, in chapter 5 the prophet spells it out.

For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel,” SEEK YE ME,AND YE SHALL LIVE.”

( Amos 5:4 )

Do not go to the calves, nor to Bethel, nor a new job, a new crowd, a new church, a new

set of friends, no new outfits, cars, homes,hobbies ,etc etc etc.......NO, Go to God .

“SEEK THE LORD,and YE SHALL LIVE; LEST HE BREAK OUT LIKE FIRE”

in the house of Joesph and devour it and there be none to quench it in Bethel ( Amos 5:6 )

What is an answer to a wondering heart? The answer isn't just to clean up your life,

it is to come back to God. It is to repent, and turn around and come back to the lord of your

salvation. Call upon Him ( all that call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved ).

That is always Gods appeal. Come back into relationship with the Only one who loves us

as no other and is always seeking and trying to awaken us and stir us , and is patient and

long suffering, not willing that any shall perish . That is why it seems so many prosper

while living wicked lives, and it seems they have everything, but when in reality, without

the lord they have nothing .You may think they have the great home, great family, and

a spouse and the perfect scenerio, you had hoped and wished and prayed for, but in truth

they are blind and naked, and hungry and thirst and they are simply lost and undone and

in misery, even if they are smiling and laughing, inside they are lonely,empty and crying

and most not knowing why and what to do or where to turn. But God in His Wisdom and

Mercy, still calls out with loving Grace and patience trying to wake them up and get their

attention to turn to Him, the Only hope of mankind.

But as we read on we see Israel not turning and the prophet appealing to them.

This people who were Gods chosen people favorites you say? Now here are two distinct

views by this people and its that way today. Here were those we might call pious hypocrites

who first came under the judgment of God. “ Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord!

To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.” See there are

people going about saying,” Oh, isn't this a terrible day, Oh God is so hard, things are so

terrible.” They wring their hands, appearing to be mourning, going through all kinds of

rituals and religious ceremonies and saying,” Oh there is no hope for anything. Oh if God

would come at last, Oh that the day of the Lord would come. We could go home to heaven.”

Have you ever heard that ? And the prophet thunders,” Woe to you that desire the day of

the Lord.” Amos says, “ Do you know what that day is going to be like?” “ Do you know

what your saying?” “ It is darkness and not light.”, it's as if a man fled from a lion and a

bear meet him, or he went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent

bit him. You talk about the day of the Lord, you do not know what your talking about,

Woe to you.”( Amos 5 :18-19 ) God says,” I hate; I despise your feast days, and I will not

smell in your solemn assemblies. (religious activities) Thou you offer me burnt offerings

and your meat offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I regard the peace offerings

of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs, for I will not hear

the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a

mighty stream.” ( Amos 5 :21-24 )

Do we ever get away from this? God desires truth from within, in the center of life,

not outward conformity. God sees through that sham, and pretense without the slightest

difficulty and it does not impress Him when we go through the religious activity.

“ Thou desireth in the inward being” ( Psalm 51:6)

The other group simply didn't and don't care.” Lets eat drink and be merry, for

tomorrow we die.” Lets have as much fun as we can and enjoy life. But the prophet

says,” Woe to those who are at ease in Zion.” Amos asks,” how can you be so restful

when the nation is restless?” “ How can you be content with wealth and the good things

of life when people are lying in distress outside in the streets and judgment is taken away

from the courts.?” So here comes the powerful message, “ Woe to those who are at ease

in Zion, that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches,and eat

the lambs out of the flock,and the calves out of the midst of the stall. That chant to

the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music,like David.”

( Amos 6:4-5 )

In the midst of the threatening judgments of God, these are two extreme groups.

As Amos goes on, he shows in a series of visions that were given to him that the nation

is rapidly ripening for judgment. At last there comes a final scene , almost always

pictured by the prophets, a scene of beauty, peace, and glory. It reveals what God and

therefore , why God is angry at hypocrisy . Listen to these words , “ In that day I will

rise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close of the breaches thereof; and I

will raise up his ruins, and I will build is as in the days of old.” ( Amos 9:11)

Do you remember where that was quoted at in the New Testament? In the first

council at Jerusalem, in Acts 15, when they were wondering whether God would save

the Gentiles without the law of Moses. James stood up and quoted this verse from

the Book of Amos, “ The Prophets”, he said,” have declared that God is going to send His

grace out to the Gentiles,” and he quoted this verse.( Acts 15:15-18) Gods word was that

He would raise up the tabernacle of David which had fallen, and repair its breaches. That

is a picture of the coming of Christ, representing the house of David . And in the rising

up of the Lord Jesus, the word was to go out to all the peoples. God would bless the

world through Him.

“That they may posses the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen( Gentiles)

which are called by my name,” saith the Lord that doeth this.(Amos 9:12 ) And here

comes a beautiful scene.

“ Behold the days come,” saith the Lord, “ that the plowman shall overtake the

reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed;and the mountians shall

drop sweet wine,and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity

of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them.

And they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof, they shall also make

gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they

shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, “ saith the Lord

Friends that is happening TODAY. Jews have been going back to Israel from

every nation they were scattered to. In the Fields in Israel today, in the same Field

one side is being harvested, while on the other seed is being planted and in the middle

the crops are growing. Irrigation in Israel has turned the once dry and parched barren

ground to lush, green and rich soil, with fruits and gardens and trees as prophesied

in Isaiah are growing, where once they never grew before. Gods promises never fail.

Gods people are of EVERY nation and tongue and kindred. No, God is Not

a respecter of persons . Here His chosen people from the beginning was cast away

no different then the nations that God destroyed from before Israel. What God

Promises and Blesses for one, He does for all, and what Judgment He brings to one

He brings to all . Favoritism?, God ? No way . God hears and blesses and does for any

and all that will obey and do His will and abide in His word and be obedient. Makes No

difference, what nationality, ethnicity, upbringing, rich, poor, short, tall, large or small,

God gave His son for us all. And its through that very simple act of obedience, that

Christ took our place and our sins upon Himself and took our punishment, so that

ALL could come, anyone who wants to and who will believe and accept that

Atonement for ALL us. “For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten

son that whosoever will, believe in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

( John 3:16 )

So to answer the questions, No there is No favorites in God. What He did or

does for one , He will for all . But, it must be His Will, His ways, by His word.

If anyone misses that, it's no ones fault but themselves. Line up with Gods truths

and All of His Promises, you will receive, deny His truths and all His Judgments

you will receive . Friends it is just that simple a fact . God is NOT a respecter

of persons.

        There are countless other scriptures and stories in the Bible that shows these same

truths, from Genesis to Revelations . Simply read and study and you will see the

Word of God is true.

The Bible Man.