I will bring about the restoration of my people Israel;never again shall they be plucked from the land I have given them, In the popular usage, a prophet foretells the future. Biblical prophecy does not work that way but Amos, the first of the prophets whose words were captured in literary form, was able to see where things were going. The way the society of the kingdom of Israel was structured would lead to its collapse. A system of haves and have nots cannot be sustained. Not foretell the future so much as remind his readers that actions have consequences. After speaking that threat Amos switches to the other role of the prophet: comforter of the afflicted. Yes, destruction is coming but God can rebuild, God can bring something good out of the disaster. Our society seems to teeter toward the abyss but we should never give in to despair because God can make all things new.
JULY62024
By Church Staff
