From Amos 6-9
There will be a time when the LORD will not longer speak to them. He sent Amos, but for a time no one will come and bring to them the words of the LORD. No words of guidance. No words of judgment. No words of exhortation. No words of comfort. If your bible was taken away from you would you miss it?
This post is part of my bible in a year series.
Passage and Comments
As Amos draws to a close we see more judgment and conflict. The following two verses seem dire.
11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord,
but they shall not find it. (Amos 8.11-12)
There will be a time when the LORD will not longer speak to them. He sent Amos, but for a time no one will come and bring to them the words of the LORD. No words of guidance. No words of judgment. No words of exhortation. No words of comfort. I’m reminded the books Ezra and Nehemiah have the LORD certainly in the background, but no prophet directly revealing to them the LORD.
How important is the word of the LORD to you? Would you miss it if it were gone? What would happen if it were gone?
Story of Israel
This does eventually change and the LORD has compassion on Israel. He sends his prophets and they foretell of the coming of a new age. Israel and Judah wait for the LORD to fulfill his word.
Story of Jesus
John’s Gospel starts with the word of God;
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (Jn 1.1-18)
The word of the LORD returns in the flesh. His name is Jesus, the Christ.
Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
