Scripture Reading: Amos 8:1-14, Amos 9:1-15, Psalm 53:6, Ezekiel 37:25
I live on the west side of a Civil War town in middle Tennessee. Our kitchen windows face the setting sun, the view framed by tall oaks and the distant red barn that sits on a neighboring horse farm. My mornings begin with coffee at the table, as I watch the settled fog lift to show the glory of the day; evenings end with the sun sliding behind the treeline, welcoming the scattering of stars.
But many summer afternoons, a strong wind comes and chases away the sun, and from the west we’ll see gathering clouds that can only mean one thing: a pop-up storm. Almost without warning, it will rain so hard we can’t see past our fence. The thunder will rock the ground, and lightning threatens to strike closer and closer with every bolt.
When I read Amos 8 and 9, I feel the heavy heartbeat of a summer thunderstorm. I can imagine Amos, seeing the clouds gather, trying to warn the people that the storm of God’s judgment is coming and it will not miss them.
Amos shows us a portrait of an angry God we often shy away from as the God of the Old Testament, as if we are any less culpable than the Israelites who repeatedly turned away from Him. This passage is an important reminder that who God is will never change. His hatred of sin, His anger at those who turn against Him—these are the hard mysteries of His glory, the things we have to wrestle through as we fight our way to the New Testament where we find the unfathomable, gracious, merciful gift of Jesus.
But we have to weather the storms with our ancestors in faith. We have to feel every thunderclap and lightning bolt to understand the power of our God, which makes His great mercy and faithfulness that much more unimaginable, His promises that much more precious.
Because after all of His promises of judgment, God makes another kind of promise in chapter 9, verse 11:
“In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old.”
God promises Israel that they will never be uprooted from the land He has given them. The storm will end—maybe not for these Israelites in their lifetime, and maybe not for us in ours. The brokenness of the world walks in lockstep with the calendar, each day bringing its own grief and reminders that Christ has not yet come again. But as God promised the Israelites at the end of Amos, restoration is coming. We will not be uprooted. We know the rest of the story. We know our pure, holy, and just God could never be content with the evil and brokenness of sin. But it’s His anger toward sin that led to the greatest mercy of all: the gift of His Son Jesus Christ.
When those afternoon storms pass, our backyard is left in the humid haze of the setting sun. The world is clean, the earth watered and refreshed. God has not promised us a life free from storms, but He has promised that one day the storms will end. It’s then that we will dwell with Him in perfect peace forever.
Melanie Rainer is the director of content for JellyTelly, where she writes and edits family spiritual formation resources. She is a graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary, a passionate home baker, and makes her always-messy home with her husband, Price, and their delightful daughter, Ellie, near historic downtown Franklin, Tennessee.
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33 thoughts on "Judgment and Restoration"
God’s will for this world and all of us who live in it will be eyeopening and unexpected. But maybe at the same time we’ll say ” yes this makes total sense” I know He will bring justice and peace and I long for that so very much. On another note I was so enthralled by Amos 9-3 “and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea,
there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them.” Gives me visions of lost city of Atlantis and Greek mythology!
I’m about to be literally uprooted from my homeland in just two weeks.
Why? Cause I decided to follow God’s lead to London, UK.
I love the reassurance we have in the Lord’s promises that though we might loose our earthly home, our souls have a secure, eternal resting place and we, while we’re waiting on this side of heaven, have a mighty Counselor and Defender. Restoration is all about Him and his grace, not about what we might try to do to earn it (spoiler: there’s nothing we can do).
Happy Friday, sisters!
Amen to that reassurance!
Praying your move goes smoothly and that you adapt quickly. And that you receive daily assurance that you are walking out God’s plan for you
Agreed.
Woot, I will cenaritly put this to good use!
Hey! 8 years ago I did the same thing. Except I moved from London to the USA. May the Lord go before you!
In such troubling times is refreshing to read God’s promises. A promise of a perfect world were God will take away everything that is bad. The promise that allows us to push through and still have hope in the middle of devastating news. How awesome is it to have something to hold on to when all hope and trust in humanity seems to be lost. God bless you all sisters.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a commentary I could use when studying the Bible? Especially for passages like these in the minor prophets, sometimes I would like something with a little more explanation that I could reference.
Yes! I love the 2 volume set of The Minor Prophets by (the late) Dr. James Montgomery Boice. Very readable, insightful.
I use Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, it’s beautiful!
Here’s an online version:
http://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc
I like Warren Wiersbe
Also, Blue Letter Bible has many commentaries and study tools:)
“the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land,
and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them.”
A couple of weeks ago, God gifted me the vision of a Summit. I felt He was reminding me to push on through our family’s hard season, that we aren’t so far from our Summit point and our beautiful view. So to read in Amos that the mountains will drip sweet wine and the hills will flow with it, further brings peace because it yet again reminds me that tough seasons end and God’s vision for our life is always greater than our own. While my husband and I would just be happy with a sense or normalcy, God wants more for us and so we will continue to walk through this hard season together focused on God’s vision because we want what HE has for us in this life and while we would love a little insight or picture of what that will be, I know that in climbing to a Summit, you don’t see the peak. We will put one foot in front of the other and focus on what is right in front of us, knowing that the journey up doesn’t mean freedom from the pain of the valley, it brings its own trouble, but we know that when we reach that peak, however long the journey, it will all have been worth it because God never disappoints and I can’t wait to see the view!
Supporting you along your journey with prayer – may it be a staff that helps uphold you until you reach the summit.
❤️
Praying for you and your family in this season. May you continue to know His peace.
Wow B! Your words really inspired me this afternoon. Had to do my quiet time during my lunch hour.
The journey up doesn’t mean freedom from pain. I need to remember that. Thank you B.
As another sojourner just continuing to put one foot in front of the other, I would like to Thank you for refreshing my embattled soul with your lovely point of view. I was feeling all dusty… thanks for the water B. I’m now lighter of foot waiting to see the wonders at the top. Blessings to you sister.
Beautifully said. You are describing my season, too, and your words are encouragement for me. Thank you.
I love this. Sweet encouragement to me today. Thank you for sharing it.
The feeling to never be uprooted again. That peace. We will have that.
One day…peace forever! He IS our Prince of Peace!!
Looking forward to that day of perfect peace. For now, I rest in the promise found in His Son, Jesus Christ. As the dark clouds form, I keep my eyes on the cross. Salvation is there. Rescue is there. The Prince of Peace Himself is there. A new day will dawn. A bright and sunny day. A peaceful day that never ends. Not a dark cloud in sight ever again. Praise God. I’m comforted.
Amen!