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Amos 4

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1 Hören detta ord, I Basans-kor på Samarias berg, I som förtrycken de arma och öven våld mot de fattiga, I som sägen till edra män: »Skaffen hit, så att vi få dricka

2 Herren, HERREN har svurit vid sin helighet: Se, dagar skola komma över eder, då man skall hämta upp eder med metkrokar och eder sista kvarleva med fiskkrokar.

3 Då skolen I söka eder ut, var och en genom närmaste rämna i muren, och eder Harmonsbild skolen I då kasta bort, säger HERREN.

4 Kommen till Betel och bedriven eder synd till Gilgal och bedriven än värre synd; frambären där på morgonen edra slaktoffer, på tredje dagen eder tionde.

5 Förbrännen syrat bröd till lovoffer, lysen ut och kungören frivilliga offer. Ty sådant älsken I ju, I Israels barn, säger Herren, HERREN.

6 Jag lät eder gå med tomma munnar i alla edra städer, jag lät eder sakna bröd på alla edra orter. Och likväl haven I icke omvänt eder till mig, säger HERREN.

7 Jag förhöll regnet för eder, när ännu tre månader återstodo till skördetiden; jag lät det regna över en stad, men icke över en annan; en åker fick regn, men en annan förtorkades, i det att regn icke kom därpå.

8 Ja, två, tre städer måste stappla bort till en och samma stad för att få vatten att dricka, utan att de ändå kunde släcka sin törst. Och likväl haven I icke omvänt eder till mig, säger HERREN.

9 Jag slog eder säd med sot och rost; edra många trädgårdar och vingårdar, edra fikonträd och olivträd åto gräsgnagarna upp. Och likväl haven I icke omvänt eder till mig, säger HERREN.

10 Jag sände ibland eder pest, likasom i Egypten; jag dräpte edra unga män med svärd och lät edra hästar bliva tagna såsom byte; och stanken av edra fallna skaror lät jag stiga upp och komma eder i näsan. Och likväl haven I icke omvänt eder till mig, säger HERREN.

11 Jag lät omstörtning drabba eder, likasom när Gud omstörtade Sodom och Gomorra; och I voren såsom en brand, ryckt ur elden. Och likväl haven I icke omvänt eder till mig, säger HERREN.

12 Därför skall jag göra så med dig, Israel; och eftersom jag nu skall göra så med dig, därför bered dig, Israel, att möta din Gud.

13 Ty se, han som har danat bergen och skapat vinden, han som kan yppa för människan hennes hemligaste tankar, han som kan göra morgonrodnaden till mörker, och som går fram över jordens höjder -- HERREN, härskarornas Gud, är hans namn.

   

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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.

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The Lord # 49

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49. 3. “Spirit” means the life of those who have been regenerated, which is called spiritual life.

Jesus said, “Unless you have been born of water and the spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

I will give you a new heart and a new spirit. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

God will give a new heart and a new spirit. (Ezekiel 11:19)

Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a strong spirit within me. Bring back to me the joy of your salvation, and let a willing spirit uphold me. (Psalms 51:10-12)

Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 18:31)

You send out your spirit, and they are created; you renew the face of the earth. (Psalms 104:30)

The hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23)

Jehovah God gives soul to the people and spirit to those who are walking on [the earth]. (Isaiah 42:5)

Jehovah forms the human spirit within us. (Zechariah 12:1)

With my soul I have awaited you in the night; with my spirit within me I have awaited you in the morning. (Isaiah 26:9)

On that day Jehovah will become a spirit of judgment to the one who sits in judgment. (Isaiah 28:6)

My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. (Luke 1:47)

They have given rest to my spirit in the land of the north. (Zechariah 6:8)

Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me. (Psalms 31:5)

There was not one, even among the remnant who had spirit. (Malachi 2:15)

After three and a half days the spirit of life from God entered the two witnesses who had been killed by the beast. (Revelation 11:11)

I, Jehovah, form the mountains and create the spirit. (Amos 4:13)

O God, the God of the spirits for all flesh... (Numbers 16:22; 27:18)

I will pour a spirit from on high upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:10)

... even until he has poured out upon us a spirit from on high. (Isaiah 32:15)

I will pour out waters upon those who are thirsty and streams upon the dry land; I will pour out my spirit upon your seed. (Isaiah 44:3)

I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; also upon my male and female servants I will pour out spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28-29)

To pour out the spirit means to regenerate, as does to give a new heart and a new spirit.

[2] “Spirit” refers to the spiritual life of people who have been genuinely humbled.

I dwell in a crushed and humble spirit, to bring to life the spirit of the humble and to bring to life the heart of the crushed. (Isaiah 57:15)

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; God will not scorn a crushed and broken heart. (Psalms 51:17)

He will give the oil of joy in place of mourning, and a garment of praise in place of a confined spirit. (Isaiah 61:3)

... a woman abandoned and afflicted in spirit. (Isaiah 54:6)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. (Matthew 5:3)

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.