Discipline, the Necessary Path to Restoration

In the last couple of chapters of Amos, a commentary explained that God’s people had gotten so far off track in their relationship with God, He promises destruction for forsaking God. In Chapter 7 God shows Amos three different images foretelling destruction. Twice Amos pleads with God to relent, and He does.  By the third vision, Amos gets the point that this is inevitable and sees this is necessary as part of the process to bring the people back to God. 

In 8:11, he prophesies a “famine of hearing the words of the Lord”.  They have rejected God’s words when he spoke, so now there will be no more. This is most likely referring to what is known as the “400 years of silence” that occurs between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning New Testament.

This vision might feel harsh but zoom out and remember what Israel had done.  Yes, it’s hard, but it’s not unjust.  Despite all the sin, God still preserved a remanent.  God still promises mercy.  Judgement isn’t the end; destruction isn’t the point.  God’s goal in punishment is restoration.  These are steps on the path to restoration.  The Israelites are suffering the consequences to their actions, but God still loves them.  Discipline is part of His love.  In a time that most likely felt like great rejection, He gives a vision as a reminder of the great love He has for them.

Amos 8:8-10 should ring a bell for you.  Verse 8 says, “Will not the land tremble”.  Verse 9 says, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.” Verse 10 says, “I will turn your religious festivals into mourning” and “I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.”

700 years after this was written, in the middle of a Passover, this happened when God the Son died. Everything God is about to put Israel through He went through Himself.  He did it for them and us.  Yes, sin requires severe punishment, and it may seem unfair, but what is really unfair is that I and anyone who has put their faith in God won’t receive that punishment because Jesus took it for me and you.

Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash