I. Summary
Yahweh promises to punish the Northern Israelites, reestablish the house of David, and bring prosperity back to the land.
II. Photo
God will send Israel into exile: “For I will give the order and shake the House of Israel — through all the nations — as one shakes [sand] in a sieve, and not a pebble falls to the ground.” (v. 9)
III. Important Verses
1-4: I saw my LORD standing by the altar, and He said: Strike the capitals so that the thresholds quake, and make an end of the first of them all. And I will slay the last of them with the sword; not one of them shall escape, and not one of them shall survive. If they burrow down to Sheol, From there My hand shall take them; And if they ascend to heaven, From there I will bring them down. If they hide on the top of Carmel, There I will search them out and seize them; And if they conceal themselves from My sight At the bottom of the sea, There I will command The serpent to bite them. And if they go into captivity Before their enemies, There I will command The sword to slay them. I will fix My eye on them for evil And not for good.
7: To Me, O Israelites, you are Just like the Ethiopians — declares the LORD. True, I brought Israel up From the land of Egypt, But also the Philistines from Caphtor And the Arameans from Kir.
9: For I will give the order And shake the House of Israel — Through all the nations — As one shakes [sand] in a sieve, And not a pebble falls to the ground.
13-15: A time is coming — declares the LORD — ¶ When the plowman shall meet the reaper, And the treader of grapes Him who holds the [bag of] seed; When the mountains shall drip wine And all the hills shall wave [with grain]. I will restore My people Israel. They shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine; They shall till gardens and eat their fruits. And I will plant them upon their soil, Nevermore to be uprooted From the soil I have given them — said the LORD your God.
IV. Outline
1a. Introduction to the vision: God standing by the altar
1b-4. God will kill the Northern Israelites, no matter where they are
5-6. Amos praises God’s might and creation
7. Israel is not unique
8-10. God will “sieve” the Israelites through exile
11-12. God will reestablish the house of David
13-15. God promises a time of prosperity in the land
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Photo taken from http://www.myspace.com/ironicphonics/blog