The Bible

 

阿摩司書 9

Study

   

1 見主站在祭壇旁邊;他:你要擊打柱頂,使門檻震動,打碎柱頂,落在眾人上;所剩下的人,我必用刀殺戮,無一人能逃避,無一人能逃脫。

2 他們雖然挖透陰間,我的必取出他們來;雖然爬上去,我必拿他們來;

3 雖然藏在迦密山頂,我必搜尋,捉出他們來;雖然從我眼前藏在底,我必命咬他們;

4 雖被仇敵擄去,我必命刀殺戮他們;我必向他們定住眼目,降禍不降福。

5 ─萬軍之耶和華就消化,凡上的都必悲哀。必全然像尼羅河漲起,如同埃及河落下。

6 那在建造樓閣、在上安定穹蒼、命水澆在上的─耶和華是他的名。

7 耶和華以色列人哪,我豈不看你們如古實人嗎?我豈不是領以色列人埃及,領非利士人出迦斐託,領亞蘭人出吉珥嗎?

8 耶和華的眼目察看這有罪的國,必將這國從地上滅絕,卻不將雅各家滅絕淨盡。這是耶和華的。

9 我必出令,將以色列家分散在列國中,好像用篩子篩穀,連一粒也不落在上。

10 我民中的一切罪人:災禍必追不上我們,也迎不著我們。他們必在刀下。

11 到那日,我必建立大衛倒塌的帳幕,堵住其中的破口,把那破壞的建立起來,重新修造,像古時一樣,

12 使以色列人得以東所餘剩的和所有稱為我名下的國。此乃行這事的耶和華的。

13 耶和華:日子將到,耕種的必接續收割的;踹葡萄的必接續撒種的;大要滴下甜酒;小都必流奶(原文是消化,見約珥三章十八節)。

14 我必使我民以色列被擄的歸回;他們必重修荒廢的城邑居住,栽種葡萄園其中所出的酒,修造果木園,其中的果子。

15 我要將他們栽於本地,他們不再從我所賜他們的地上拔出來。這是耶和華─你的的。

   

Commentary

 

Sea

  

Water generally represents “natural truth,” or true concepts about day-to-day matters and physical things. Since all water ultimately flows into the seas, then, it follows that a sea represents a huge agglomeration of such natural truths -- usually all of the natural truth a person has, or all the natural truth a church has. Water in the sea mixes freely, and is easily stirred up by winds and currents. This is also true of the concepts we hold about natural things -- they are not all related to each other, and when relationships do exist they usually can change without damaging the concepts themselves. Many of the concepts are easily disputed, and arguments can arise like waves on the ocean -- generally with little effect other than a mixing of waters. But the sea also offers great bounty. We draw fish from it (spiritual food), float ships (doctrinal systems) on it, bathe in it (using true concepts to purify ourselves), and the water that evaporates from it and falls as rain (purer forms of truth that can attach to desires for good) makes life possible.