Bible

 

阿摩司書 4

Studie

   

1 你們住撒瑪利亞如巴珊母的啊,當我的─你們欺負貧寒的,壓碎窮乏的,對家:拿酒來,我們罷!

2 耶和華指著自己的聖潔起誓說:日子快到,人必用鉤子將你們鉤去,用魚鉤將你們餘剩的鉤去。

3 你們各人必從破口直往前行,投入哈門。這是耶和華的。

4 以色列人哪,任你們往伯特利去犯罪,到吉甲加增罪過;每日早晨獻上你們的祭物,每日奉上你們的十分之一

5 任你們獻有的感謝祭,把甘心祭宣傳報告給眾人,因為是你們所喜的。這是耶和華的。

6 我使你們在一切城中牙齒乾淨,在你們各處糧食缺乏,你們仍不歸向我。這是耶和華的。

7 在收割的前,我使停止,不降在你們那裡;我降在這城,不降在那城;這塊地有,那塊地無;無的就枯乾了。

8 這樣,兩城的人湊到城去找,卻不足;你們仍不歸向我。這是耶和華的。

9 我以旱風、霉爛攻擊你們,你們園中許多菜蔬、葡萄樹、無花果樹橄欖樹都被剪蟲所;你們仍不歸向我。這是耶和華的。

10 我降瘟疫在你們中間,像在埃及一樣;用刀殺戮你們的少年人,使你們的馬匹被擄掠,中屍首的臭氣撲鼻;你們仍不歸向我。這是耶和華的。

11 傾覆你們中間的城邑,如同我從前傾覆所多瑪、蛾摩拉一樣,使你們好像從火中抽出來的一根柴;你們仍不歸向我。這是耶和華的。

12 以色列啊,我必向你如此行;以色列啊,我既這樣行,你當預備迎見你的

13 那創、造、將心意指示人、使晨光變為幽暗、腳踏在處的,他的名是耶和華─萬軍之

   

Komentář

 

Exploring the Meaning of Amos 4

Napsal(a) Helen Kennedy

In chapter 4 of the Book of Amos, verses 1-3 are talking about people who pervert the truths of the church. They will fall into falsities in outermost things.

In the Bible, fish represent "lower" things than mammals, so we can interpret the fishhooks in verse 2 as meaning being caught and held fast in natural or lower things.

Verses 4-6 are about acts of worship such as tithes and sacrifices. These look similar to genuine worship, but are only external sorts of things. We can tell because ‘teeth’ (in verse 6) represent ultimates or outermost things (see Secrets of Heaven 6380). It follows that “cleanness of teeth” would mean outermost things that look good but only imitate genuine worship. The Lord exhorts, “Yet you have not returned to me.”

Verses 7-8. Some things true will remain, when where there are too many false ideas, the truths don't get through. This can be seen where the Lord says, “I made it rain on one city; I withheld rain from another city... where it did not rain the part withered.” Again the Lord exhorts, “Yet you have not returned to me.”

Verse 9. Afterward all things of the church are falsified, shown by blight attacking the gardens, vineyards, fig tree and olive trees. The last three represent spiritual, natural and celestial things, or all the things of spiritual life. “Yet you have not returned to me,” says the Lord.

Verses 10-11. The Lord explains the devastating things he allowed to happen: plague in Egypt, death of young men by swords, stench in the camps, Sodom and Gomorrah. This is because they are profaned by sensual knowledges. Profanation means the mixing of good and evil together. (See Secrets of Heaven 1001[2]).

This extends to all things of the church, with the church being the Lord’s kingdom on earth (Secrets of Heaven 768[3]).

With profanation “as soon as any idea of what is holy arises, the idea of what is profane joins immediately to it,” (Secrets of Heaven 301).

Now there is hardly anything left. “Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord again.

Verses 12-13: Because people adamantly remain in their profane ways, they are warned, “Prepare to meet your God!”. This is the God powerful and mighty, “who forms mountains, and creates the wind,” and even more close to home, “Who declares to man what his thought is.” As intimately a knowing as that is, the Lord’s love for all humanity is contained in His exhortations for them to turn themselves to Him.

See, for example, Luke 6:44-45, and True Christian Religion 373.

Bible

 

Amos 4:9

Studie

       

9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.