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The Scriptorium

The Time of Fruitfulness

It is surely coming in Jesus. Amos 9.13-15

Amos 9 (6)

Pray Psalm 72.1-4.
Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will break in pieces the oppressor.

Sing Psalm 72.1-4.
(Martyrdom: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed)
O give the King Your judgment, LORD, and righteousness Your Son;
and let Him judge by Your good Word the need of everyone.

Let now the mountains ring with peace, the hills in righteousness.
Let justice rise, oppression cease, and all the needy bless.

Read Amos 9.1-15; meditate on verses 13-15.

Preparation
1. What did God promise to do?

2. How would His people respond to that?

Meditation
OK, first we must remember that this passage is inextricably linked to the preceding one, and whatever this passage says must be understood in that light. And we recall that the preceding passage deals with the tabernacle/temple being restored, Christ Himself, identifying as the dwelling place of God, being the end of the prophesy.

We don’t want to misinterpret this passage by tearing it out of context and trying to make it say something it does not say. So, to be blunt: This passage has nothing to do with the return of the Jews to Palestine in 1948. And there are several reasons why this is so.

First, because to understand this passage as referring to 1948 would be a clear departure from the beginning of this prophecy in verses 11 and 12. The restoration and abundance God promised in Amos 9.11-15 has its culmination in Christ and His work, all His work, including His reign and return.

Second, this passage envisions the Gentiles sharing fully in the blessings of the LORD in “the land” (vv. 11, 12). Thus, the “My people” and the abundance they shall realize—vineyards, wine, fertile and fecund fields and gardens, rebuilt cities and culture—includes Gentiles as equal sharers in the blessings of God in the land.

And “the land” here is literally “ground”— אֲדָמָה, adamah—and thus does not point to any specific country or “land” in the sense of a political entity defined by specific borders. Indeed, using this word, instead of the more typical אֶ֫רֶץ‎, eretz, “land”, points back to Adam, taken from the “ground” (Gen. 2.7), and the garden in which he was placed and charged with cultivating and keeping. In other words, the prophecy, with its many references to abundance, points back to God’s original intent and forward to the complete realization of His restoration in the new heavens and new earth.

The abundance promised here is for a restored people in a restored land where Jews and Gentiles alike share in the blessings that come from God’s true dwelling place, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
All of life, every moment, every thought, every person, place, and thing are all about God and His glory.
Kingdoms rise and fall, leaders come and go, countries change boundaries and names, and our God is LORD and KING of all the beauty, peace, and discord involved.

“When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly…
For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south.
But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another” (Ps. 75.2, 6, 7).

“I AM the LORD, that is My Name;
and My glory I will not give to another…” (Is. 42.8).

It matters not where you live, whom you know, or what you do.
How you do it is what matters to God.
“‘But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and know Me,
That I AM the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,’ says the LORD” (Jer. 9.24).

And those of us alive now, are called to work His Kingdom work, in our own sphere, to His honor and glory.
We do this: to show Him that we love Him, and that we are excited about His coming again for us. Also, because others need to know Him as SAVIOR and LORD. And that we long together, for the time that we will dwell for all eternity in His new heaven and earth.

From the last book in the Old Testament, we read:
“‘And the LORD, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple,
even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Mal. 3.1).

From the last book in the New Testament, we read:
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’” (Rev. 21.1-5).

Until all is fulfilled—we work and wait. With great anticipation.

Reflection
1. The Scriptures give us glimpses of what the new heavens and new earth will be like. How do you think about these? What do you imagine the new world will be like?

2. For now, we are called to work at restoring the world Jesus has reconciled to God. How do you pursue that effort in your Personal Mission Field?

3. Jesus is making all things new. What has He been making new in you of late?

God marvelously preserves his elect amidst the most fearful confusions and miseries. When all seems desperate, he wonderfully revives his church, and blesses her with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. And great shall be the glory of that period, in which not one good thing promised shall remain unfulfilled. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Amos 9.11-15

Pray Psalm 72.16-19.
Praise and thank the Lord for the many good things that He gives us and for the promise of a new heaven and new earth where righteousness will dwell.

Sing Psalm 72.15-19.
(Martyrdom: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed)
Let Christ be praised and all the gold of Sheba be His right;
let blessings to His Name be told, and prayers made both day and night.

And let the earth abound with grain, let fields His fame proclaim;
and may our King forever reign and nations bless His great Name.

Now bless the God of Israel Who wondrous works performs.
And bless His Name, His glory tell both now and forevermore!

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

Support for Scriptorium comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.

And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.

Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
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