Amos 5:4–9

For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel:

“Seek Me and live;
But do not seek Bethel,
Nor enter Gilgal,
Nor pass over to Beersheba;
For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
And Bethel shall come to nothing.
Seek the LORD and live,
Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
And devour it,
With no one to quench it in Bethel—
You who turn justice to wormwood,
And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!”

He made the Pleiades and Orion;
He turns the shadow of death into morning
And makes the day dark as night;
He calls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the face of the earth;
The LORD is His name.
He rains ruin upon the strong,
So that fury comes upon the fortress.

The key to understanding this passage is verse seven, which specifies the target audience. You who turn justice to wormwood, and lay righteousness to rest in the earth! Wormwood is a bitter herb containing the chemical thujone, which excites the central nervous system. It can even cause seizures. While it has modern medical uses, back then it was simply nasty and potentially poisonous. The point in verse seven is that these folks meted out unfair justice and tamped down righteousness.

There’s a way out of the prophecies described previously; they’re not cast in stone. “Seek Me and live.” Great cities won’t protect you.

God isn’t impressed by cities.

The Pleiades (AKA “The Seven Sisters”) and Orion are beautiful examples of why God isn’t impressed by cities. They are magnificent celestial wonders. You can see them best in the fall and winter.

https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/how-can-i-see-the-pleiades-star-cluster/

The Pleiades are awe-inspiring enough to the naked eye. But look again with binoculars and the sight will almost knock you over. You’ll see countless stars where you had seen fewer than a dozen.

These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Weekend DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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The weekly study guides, which include the Monday–Friday devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.