Theological Commentary: Click Here
In this
final chapter of Amos, we hear of the proised destruction. Amos has been told his prophecy isn’t
welcome, so he completes his work and goes away. The people will hear God’s plan, but they won’t
benefit from Amos’ gifts any longer.
What does
God promise? First, He promises
destruction. The Hebrew people will be
scattered. He promises to pursue them
with destruction. They won’t beable to
hide in the mountains or at the depths of the sea. The world will serve Him in judgment.
As is
typical with prophetic messages, though, the last word isn’t one of
judgment. The last word is one of hope
and restoration. God promises that the
Hebrew people will return. There will be
life after judgment.
This is
important to remember about prophets.
The prophetic message is always harsh.
After all, who wants to hear that they need to change? Who wants to hear about the sin in their life
that must abandon? At the same time, it
is impossible to be complete without dealing with the sin. You don’t cure a disease unless you resist
against it. The prophet doesn’t give the
harsh message because they enjoy the pain; the prophet gives the harsh message
because they know relationship with God leads through the Valley of the Shadow
of Death.
The process
of dealing with our sin hurts. It
costs. There is a sacrifice involved every
single time. However, the only way to
righteousness is through the fight with our sinfulness. It is the prophet who leads that charge.
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