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Amos 9 (ESV)

The Restoration of Israel

¹¹ “In that day I will raise up
the booth of David that is fallen
and repair its breaches,
and raise up its ruins
and rebuild it as in the days of old,
¹² that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my name,”
declares the Lord who does this.

¹³ “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when the plowman shall overtake the reaper
and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it.
¹⁴ I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,
and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,
and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
¹⁵ I will plant them on their land,
and they shall never again be uprooted
out of the land that I have given them,”
says the Lord your God.

REFLECTION:

• Verses 11-15 just reflect the common ground of the prophets’ message. After all kinds of disasters and hardships, it brings God’s promise of blessing. This promise mainly emphasizes material abundance, including the rebuilding of the kingdom, the growth and harvest of all crops, which shows that God cares about the needs of human body and life. In addition, “the booth of David that is fallen” (11) also implies that a decaying religious system can be re-established, and the presence and blessing of God can be restored.
• James once quoted these verses (see Acts 15:16-17) and pointed out that the promise was fulfilled through the resurrection of Christ and the church (including Jews and Gentiles). “The remnant of Edom” (12) means that the kingdom of Messiah is universal, including Gentiles. When God brought in the Gentiles, he re-established the destroyed. After the Gentiles were also called, God wanted to restore the glory of the new Israel. All the territories of Israel will become part of the kingdom of God in the future.
• We must not be contented to join the church and be a good people on the surface. God expects our belief in Him to penetrate into every aspect of our life, manifest in every behaviour, and extend to the surrounding environment and the people we come into contact with. We should take the words of Amos as a warning, and live faithfully to the Lord according to the will of God.
• The prophecy and announcement of the prophet Amos come to an end. In his words, we see the greed and stubbornness of man; we also experience God’s patience, tolerance, and finally His righteous judgment, which is truly a warning for the spiritual life of believers today.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for always enduring my stubbornness. Please let me know that I should always be in Your love, I will not go my own way and make You angry. Remind me to take the words of Amos as a warning and live faithfully for You.

HYMN:

Christ Our Hope in Life and Death – youtu.be/OibIi1rz7mw