Scripture Reading : Amos 2:6-3:15
Theme : Judgment and Justification
- Oracle against Israel (2:6-16). At the end of God’s seven oracles against Israel’s surrounding nations, Israel would have been at the height of their self-righteousness and rejoicing at the judgment of God and agreeing with God. But God shatters their self-righteousness by ending His oracle against Israel, who is the main recipient of the series of oracles. Their agreement with God’s judgment against other nations’ sins would also force them to agree with God’s judgment against their own sins. God does not just highlight one of Israel’s sins, He highlights multitude of sins, which meanings Israel has become worse than all of its neighbours, so God will severely punish them.
- Justification of the Oracle (3:1-15). At the end of the oracle against Israel, some may think God’s judgment is too harsh and doubt Amos’ message. Others many think the calamities will not be God’s doing, but the devil or some other more powerful supernatural forces. To put these doubts away, God gives a series of evidently clear examples of cause and effect (Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing?…), in order to make it clear that Amos’ message is from God and it is God who will make this calamity happen, not the devil or idols. God will destroy their luxuries and their pleasure seeking lifestyle (summer, winter and ivory houses), which further corrupted their souls. “As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear” means evidence that a hired shepherd would produce to proof he did not steal a sheep, but was devoured by a wild animal. So the few survivors of Israel in exile will testify to its ruin. God often employs graphic and easily understood imageries in order to warn them of judgment.
Praying the Scripture
- Let us not look down on Israel with self-righteous pride, but to realize that, apart from God’s grace through Jesus, we would all be capable of committing the same sins as Israel. Apart from a relationship with God, any human heart will continue to degenerate and be capable of committing atrocious sins like the Jews. Give thanks to God for His grace and humble yourself before God. Be compassionate and gracious to sinners and share the gospel to them.
- God is impartial. He does not have a double standard of holiness: one for His people and another one for ignorant gentiles. All are accountable to Him; all have fallen short of His glory and all need His grace (Rom. 3:9-20). God’s impartiality is a testimony to the divine quality of the Bible. The God of the Bible is not a man-made god, who always sides with his people, no matter how evil they are. Nor is He a god who does the bidding of the idol maker (cf. Josh. 5:13-14).
经文：阿摩司书2:6-3:15
主题：审判与称义
- 对以色列的审判（2:6-16）。神对以色列周遭列国做出了七项审判后，以色列会特别自义，心中欢喜并同意神对他们的审判。可是，神最后也审判了以色列，且是这一系列审判下来的主要对象，从而粉碎了他们的自义。他们既然同意神对列国的审判，就会被迫同意神对他们自己的罪所做的审判。神不只将以色列其中的一项罪晾出来，还摆出了她的众罪，意思就是以色列还不如她所有的邻居，所以神会重判他们。
- 审判的公义性（3:1-15）。审判以色列后，有人或许认为神未免太苛刻了，从而对阿摩司的预言产生质疑。许多人认为灾难并不是神的作为，而是恶魔或其他更大的超然能力在作祟。为了摆平这些疑惑，神给予一系列清晰的因果之例（网罗若无所得，岂能从地上翻起呢？……），表明阿摩司的预言确实是从神而来的，而神日后就是降灾难的那一位，不是魔鬼或偶像。神会毁灭他们奢华、只想宴乐的生活（过冬、过夏和象牙的房屋）；那些只会进一步腐蚀他们的灵魂。“牧人怎样从狮子口中抢回两条羊腿或半个耳朵”，就是被聘用的牧人会拿出的证据，证明自己没有偷羊，而羊是被野兽吞噬的。同样的，以色列流放后仅存的生还者将见证她的废墟。神常常使用图画及易懂的比喻警告他们未来的审判。
用经文祷告
- 让我们不要以自义的骄傲轻看以色列，而是领悟到，若无神藉着耶稣施恩，我们也能犯下与以色列同样的罪。若与神隔绝，人心只会继续败坏，犯下与犹太人相同的大罪。让我们为神的恩典感谢祂，并在神面前谦卑。让我们对罪人含怜悯和恩慈，向他们传福音。
- 神不偏袒人。祂的圣洁绝无双重标准，即一个为祂的子民，另一个为无知的外邦人。每一个人都要向祂交账；世人都亏缺了神的荣耀，都需要神的恩典（罗3:9-20）。神的公正是对圣经神圣特质的见证。圣经中的神不是人造的神；祂不会不顾自己子民的罪恶，一直偏袒他们。祂也不是听从制造偶像之人吩咐的神（参亚5:13-14）。
