Thursday, November 21, 2013

Amos 3 - Straight to the Point

"It's not snowing!" That's one of the replies that I get from my husband, every now and then, as he responds to some of my queries about a plan for the day. This answer does not make sense and rather irritates me. I would much rather my questions are answered in a direct response; one that is understandable to me.

Today we read that God reveals His plan to us.
"Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
    without revealing his plan
    to his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7 NIV)

However, we read some pretty strange questions from the LORD in this third chapter of Amos. They are the kind of questions that make me a little frustrated and wishing that whomever was speaking like this would just get straight to the point.

"Do two walk together
    unless they have agreed to do so?
Does a lion roar in the thicket
    when it has no prey?
Does it growl in its den
    when it has caught nothing?
Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground
    when no bait is there?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
    if it has not caught anything?
When a trumpet sounds in a city,

    do not the people tremble?
When disaster comes to a city,
    has not the Lord caused it?("
(Amos 3:3-6)

It takes a while for the prophet, Amos, to get around to it; but, the point is that God has spoken against all of His people and there is going to be a consequence for the sins of His children.

Thanks be to God for Jesus the Christ, who, on the cross, bore our sin and the consequences of our sin for us. That is not confusing. That is straight to the point. Jesus died for us. Jesus died that we might live reconciled to God our Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God's Peace - Pr. J

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