Amos 9:1-11
"Israel to be destroyed"
Okay, not a happy image... this prophecy definitely trumps last night's one for toughness... the Lord literally says that he will bring the house down on Israel - "strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of the people." not a happy image. Amos goes on further relaying the Lord's words - no-one will escape. He describes it as follows: they cannot dig into the earth, climb to the heavens, go to the mountains or the bottom of the sea. They will not be able to escape the Lord's wrath. they will even be killed while in exile!
Who is he that says he can do this? the Lord. He then gives a list, a description of Himself showing his power and might. He who made the oceans and the land, the heavens and the earth...
The Lord then continues. he describes how the Israelites made the exodus into just a journey, like that of the Philistines from Caphtor or the Arameans from Kir. He will sift Israel like a grain in a sieve, sifting out all the impurities, leaving only the grain. all the sinners will die.
But, the Lord also says that he will not totally destroy the house of Judah (for through that house He will fulfill the prophecies of the Messiah), leaving hope for Israel.
(on a side note, the 10 tribes of Israel have since been lost. All Jews today are traced back to only the two tribes in Judah, Judah and one other one which I cannot recall at the moment - If anyone can tell me the tribe's name it would be much appreciated)
Even out of a pronouncement of utter destruction comes a thread of hope for Israel and the rest of the world...
No comments:
Post a Comment