DAVID S FALLEN BOOTH (9:11-15)

Transcription

1 THE BOOK OF AMOS DAVID S FALLEN BOOTH (9:11-15) In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old;... Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them, says the Lord your God (9:11-15). Julius Wellhausen wrote that Amos in 9:11-15 suddenly gives out roses and lavender instead of blood and iron. 1 Truly, up to this point in his book, Amos has been announcing the blood and iron of judgment against Israel, and now, near the end of his book, he offers to Israel the roses and lavender of hope. Amos had said, I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, Go prophesy to My people Israel (7:14, 15). He is one of the most stern and pointed prophets. God was angry with His people and gave them through Amos the severest warnings possible. Amos 9:11-19 is one last effort to move Israel back to God and thus save them from the impending captivity by the Assyrian army. Amid these pointed warnings of Amos book comes a message of hope. We could say that this is a positive lesson from the Book of Amos. 1 Julius Wellhausen, Die Kleinen Propheten (Berlin: W. de Gruyter, 1963), 96; quoted in Gerhard F. Hasel, Understanding the Book of Amos (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), 116. THE PROPHECY In the Day of Destruction God said, In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old (9:11). To what day does the Lord refer? Is this some twenty-four-hour period, or is He using the word day figuratively? Obviously, He is using the word in context with what He has been saying. Earlier in chapter 9, God spoke of a time when He would visit destruction on Israel. The vision began with God standing by the altar (probably the altar in Bethel). He said at the beginning of the vision, Slay this one and that one, knock the pillars of the altar down, and destroy everyone (9:1). Sometimes the Scriptures use the word day symbolically or figuratively, not for twenty-four hours. Its use must be determined by the context. Another figurative use of the word is in 2 Corinthians 6:2, which says, Now is the day of salvation. Paul was not just referring to one twenty-four-hour time period when he made this exhortation. He was speak-ing of the age or era of salvation. In light of the context, then, God is referring to a time of destruction, not a twenty-four-hour period. I Will Rebuild God is saying, Though I will destroy you, and the destruction will be great, I have hope for you. In that day, in this destruction that is coming, there will be a rebuilding. The hope, the beauty, the character of God s love and mercy shines forth even in the middle of condemnation. 1

2 The House of David What is He going to rebuild? He will rebuild the fallen booth of David. The NIV says the tent of David, while the KJV says the tabernacle of David. What is this booth or tent or tabernacle of David? The booth or tent of David is the house of David. God is saying that the house of David will be rebuilt. God had promised David that his family would be established forever (2 Samuel 7:8-16). We are saved by the mercy of God. He treats us not as we deserve, but according to His nature, and His nature is love. The fact that Jesus is on David s throne right now, ruling and reigning in heaven, means that the promise has been fulfilled. In Luke 1:32, 33, Gabriel quoted this promise to Mary as he announced to her the birth of Jesus: He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;... His kingdom will have no end. (See also Isaiah 9:6, 7). David s house had been sustained for many years, yet it was now falling. It had already fallen to a great degree, in that Jeroboam had taken away ten of the tribes into idolatry. It had been hurt. It was being hurt even more by continued sin, because those ten tribes were still a part of his house even though they were living in apostasy. They were going further and further toward captivity, and the Southern Kingdom was going the same way. The house of David was in a poor state and soon would be totally fallen when the people were taken into captivity. God said He would rebuild it as it was in the days of old, in the glory days of Israel when David was king and during the first few years of Solomon s reign as king. David is frequently spoken of as being almost synonymous with Israel. He was the man after God s own heart. He was the house of Israel. That It May Include All Nations God promises to build them up so they can possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by [His] name (9:12). When this booth of David was rebuilt, the people of Israel did not literally and physically take over the land of Edom and the other nations. They did get their own land back, but that was all. Edom does not mean the one nation of Edom; it must mean the Gentiles. As James spoke before the council at Jerusalem, he quoted Amos 9:11, 12. Rather than translating it as Edom, he translates it as Gentiles (Acts 15:17). Why did Amos mention Edom, then, if he is referring to all of the Gentiles?God is speaking of what He will do to all the Gentiles and how He will call Christians, ultimately, from all the nations. He used Edom figuratively to signify all the nations. Amos begins to describe a beautiful time of bliss, a time of riches, in verses 13, 14, and 15. The phrases in verse 13 describe a continual harvest. I grew up on a farm, and I know when the good time is. While it is always lean during the spring and summer, in the fall farmers have money. That is harvest time. That is the good time. For farmers who eat the products that they grow, harvest time is the good time. Think of this fact as Amos says, Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will be dissolved. Continual harvest is going on, the crops are in abundance, and the good times are present. God also says, I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit (9:14). He is envisioning a time of peace and prosperity. Verse 15 says, I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them, says the Lord your God. Some teach that this verse means they would never be rooted out of that land even after all the purposes of selecting Israel as a special nation are fulfilled. They say that by the protection of God Israel still has that little piece of land at the edge of 2

3 the Mediterranean Sea. It must be noted that Israel was to hold this land until the purpose God had for Israel was fulfilled. All of the Old Testament was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. This last phrase, then, does not suggest that Israel should have today that piece of land that we call the Promised Land. When was God s purpose for Israel fulfilled? If verse 14 was fulfilled at some identifiable time in history, then we can say that verse 15 has already been fulfilled and no longer stands as a promise to Israel s descendants today. THE DUAL FULFILLMENT A basic principle of interpretation of prophecy is this: A passage can have more than one application. A passage can speak about more than one event. Admittedly, some scholars have abused this principle and scared some students of the Bible away from it. We must not, however, allow an abuse of this principle to scare us away from the recognition of its rightful use. Without seeing a dual thrust in this prophecy, we will have a difficult time understanding it, because it was obviously fulfilled first in the people s return from exile, and secondly in the church. James, in Acts 15, clearly says that it is fulfilled in the church. Let us notice both fulfillments of the prophecy that is found in 9: These words were probably spoken sometime in the 750s B.C. About thirty years later, 722 or 721 B.C., Samaria fell to the Assyrians, and the Northern Kingdom was carried away into Assyrian captivity. In 612 B.C. the Babylonians overran the Assyrians and took control of the people or their descendants, who had been carried away from different nations by the Assyrians. Also, Babylon captured other Jews when they took the Southern Kingdom in 586 B.C. Thus, this foreign land of captivity, dominated now by Babylon, contained people from all twelve tribes. Some had been recently transplanted there, and others were the children of those who were carried away over a hundred years before. In 539 B.C. Cyrus, leading the Medes and the Persians, took over the Babylonians. As the city of Babylon was taken, almost no one was killed. People were going about the streets in Babylon one day doing business or visiting with their neighbors; and before the day was over, they were back out in the streets in comfortable settings carrying on their commercial business or visiting under the rule of the Medes and the Persians. Cyrus continued his military exploits for a couple of years, leaving Darius the Mede as his viceroy in charge of his newly acquired territory for two years. Cyrus came back in 537 B.C. and began to say to all of the captives whom he had inherited, You can return to your homeland. I will help you. God put it in his heart to send the people of Israel back home. Not only did he send them back home, but he gave them money to rebuild their temple. They had tremendous wealth given to them by other nations. Do you not see the prophecy already being fulfilled? In 536 B.C. the people returned and worked on the temple for about six years. In 530 B.C. they became discouraged and quit rebuilding it. It is clear from the prophets Haggai and Zechariah that they used the money that had been given them for the temple of God to finish their own houses. In 520 B.C. God sent a young prophet and an old prophet, Zechariah and Haggai, who called for them to start working again. The people heeded the call of God through the two prophets, and the temple was completed in 516 B.C. Notice that as people came back and rebuilt the temple and as they came back in 457 B.C. with Ezra, in 445 B.C. with Nehemiah, and in 432 B.C. with Nehemiah again, that all twelve tribes were represented. Their dwelling in the land of Israel again was David s tent, or booth, rebuilt. What is the significance of this fulfillment? Simply this, God promised that He would bring them back to that land, and He did. His purpose had not yet been fulfilled, however. His reason for selecting Israel as a nation and dealing solely with them, as is indicated in chapters 1 and 2 of Amos, reflects His concern for all nations. His purpose was to have a people who were pure not from a bloodline viewpoint, but from a spiritual viewpoint, free from idolatry to bring the Christ into the world. Until He came into the world, that nation had to continue so that the promise to Abraham could be fulfilled. God had to rebuild the fallen booth of David, or else the gospel could not have been preached to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost and to the Gentiles at Cornelius house (Acts 2). 3

4 GOD S MERCY REVEALED God did rebuild the fallen booth of David. The gospel was preached, beginning on the Day of Pentecost, and later to Gentiles at the home of Cornelius (Acts 2 and 10). When some of the Jews began to say that these Gentiles had to be circumcised and had to keep the law of Moses, the brethren assembled in Jerusalem to resolved the question (Acts 15). The apostles and the elders discussed this matter with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. At the conclusion of the meeting, James addressed the brethren with something of a summary-type conclusion. He was guided by inspiration as he spoke. We read, And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, Brethren, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, in order that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old (Acts 15:13-18). James said that all this was accomplished and all was rebuilt in order that a prophecy might be fulfilled. The prophecy specifically was that mankind would be pulled from all of the nations of the earth to seek God, and Gentiles could be in that precious covenant relationship with Him. Most of us are Gentiles. Look what God did for us. James says that is how God s purpose was fulfilled. A considerable difference in the wording of Acts 15 and that of Amos 9 is observed. Luke is probably quoting from the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. Translating from one language to another is going to result in the changing of a few words. The message is the same, even though the words are slightly different. This prophecy of Amos is a marvelous picture of divine love. God has done everything to get Israel to change, but they will not. He tells them He will send them into captivity and bring them back from it. As we began looking at the book, we found different nations condemned for their sins. While eventually God could no longer revoke punishment, He had previously revoked His punishment repeatedly. They had deserved punishment, but because of His mercy God had not given them what they deserved. He treated them according to love, not according to justice. Finally, an end came to the patience of God. He comes to His people whom He has chosen for a purpose that has not been fulfilled, and He pleads with them. He says to them, Seek the Lord and live, but they will not. He says, I am going to stand by the altar and order destruction. But God also tells them that He is not going to fail to fulfill His purposes. Amos sees this vision and tells them. It is as if He has said, I will punish you, but I will still rebuild. My purposes will still be fulfilled. Except for the grace and mercy of God, none of us would be alive today. Once He cleaned the earth and destroyed everyone except Noah and his family. Noah and his family were not sinless, but they had walked before Him in faith and obedience. If it were not for mercy extended through their faith and obedience, God would have killed them too. At a time like this when Amos is saying that all of the world, including Israel, seems to be evil, if it had not been for the mercy of God, He would have killed all of them. Is there anyone today who is not guilty of sin? Is there anyone who can say that his heart has always been totally committed to God and that there are no shadows or hidden areas? We are saved by the mercy of God. He treats us not as we deserve, but according to His nature, and His nature is love. That does not mean that everyone will be saved or that He is like an indulgent grandfather who says, I know you have sinned, children, but come on home. Think nothing of it. No, we have responsibilities. We have commands to obey. If we continually go away from Him, eventually we will incur His wrath as did ancient Israel. We will not be carried away into captivity. The destruction that awaits sinful people today is nothing short of hell itself. I plead with every person to turn to God, become a Christian, and live His way. You will still make some mistakes, but you will be the recipient of His mercy. Come to Him as the great Creator, the one who is in charge now, and the one who is the judge at the end. Come to Him to recognize His authority. Obey His commands. Then, as you have a tendency to go your own way, respond to His pleadings and in- 4

5 struction, and return to Him. EXEGETICAL NOTES While the emphasis of the whole book is on the destruction which the people had deserved, the promise of hope for the future needs to be mentioned to be faithful to the text. Soggin sees a messianic tone in verse David s booth is a reference to the fact that the people belonged to God, and their history was in David, Moses, and Abraham. Lewis believes that the promise is that Zerubbabel would lead back exiles and re-establish them in the land. 2 The Book of Acts finds James announcing that the Gentiles were acceptable to God, and his proof text is Amos 9:11, 12 (Acts 15:16-18). The passage must be understood to have a dual fulfillment (primary and ultimate), or verse 15 would 1 J. Alberto Soggin, The Prophet Amos: A Translation and Commentary, trans. John Bowden (London: SCM Press, 1982), 150. have to be understood as saying that Israel as a nation would always enjoy God s protection and always occupy the land known as Canaan. This would present great difficulties with the happenings of A.D. 70 and with the teachings of Paul, especially in Romans. 9:11 In that day. This is the day of destruction just described in the preceding verses. God s love, His promise of rebuilding is found in the midst of the promise of destruction. 9:12 The remnant of Edom. While Edom had hurt Israel more than other nations had (see 1:11, 12), it stands for all the Gentile nations. This is seen in Acts 15:17. 9:13, 14 These verses describe a time of plenty. It is a such a good harvest that it never stops. The harvesting is even going on while the sowers are preparing for the next crop. Jim McDoniel 2 Jack P. Lewis, The Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966), 21. Honoring Our Covenant With God (Amos 3:1-15) Israel entered into a covenant with God as a couple enters into a marriage agreement (Exodus 19:5). God would protect and provide for Israel, and they would love and obey Him. Christians likewise enter into a covenant with God (Galatians 4:24; Ephesians 2:12; Hebrews 8:13; 12:24). Even worse than failure in marriage would be failure to keep our covenant with God. Amos depiction of Israel s failure to keep their covenant with God (3:1-15) reminds us that we must honor our covenant with God today. Israel failed to honor their covenant with God through moral iniquity. God said, But they do not know how to do what is right,... (3:10; 3:2). Our call to holiness (1 Peter 1:14-16) demands that we love our neighbor as ourselves (James 2:8). Amos reminded Israel that God had not judged them without reason (3:2-8). Amos asked, Can two walk together without agreement? Does a lion roar when he has no prey? Can you catch a bird without bait?... Will God act in judgment before He warns through the prophets? Israel faced captivity by the Assyrians because of their broken covenant. Let us honor our covenant with God by holding to His code of ethics and morality. Israel broke their covenant with God through religious insolence. His altar was to be in Jerusalem, but Jeroboam set up altars at Bethel and Dan. He devised a new priesthood and new holy days. Israel practiced Jeroboam s religious wickedness until Amos day (3:14). We are asked not only to worship God, but to worship in His way (John 4:24). Let us be guided only by God s Word in our worship and service to Him (Acts 17:11). Israel broke their covenant with God through spiritual indifference. God said that He would smite all their luxurious houses (3:14). Israel was smug and complacent. Instead of pursuing spirituality, they sought luxury. Our covenant calls us to seek things that are above (Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1, 2). Christ s church is to preach the gospel to the whole world (Matthew 28:19, 20). When we pursue selfish ambitions, we break our covenant with God through spiritual indifference. God told Israel that judgment was coming. Amos pictures a wolf attacking a lamb and leaving only a leg or a piece of an ear (3:12). Israel s remnant would be similar. Israel s punishment reminds us that Jesus must be Lord of our lives and possessions. Let us renew and honor our covenant with God. 5

6 BIBLIOGRAPHY Auld, A. G. Amos. Sheffield, England: University of Sheffield, JSOT Press, Barton, John. Amos s Oracles Against the Nations: A Study of Amos 1:3 2:5. New York: Cambridge University Press, Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. Interpreting the Minor Prophets. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, Academie Books, Cripps, Richard S. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Amos. London: SPCK, Deane, W. J. Amos Malachi. The Pulpit Commentary. Vol. 14. Edited by H. D. M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., de Waard, Jan, and William A. Smalley. A Translator s Handbook on the Book of Amos. Stuttgart, West Germany: United Bible Society, Harrelson, Walter. Interpreting the Old Testament. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Hayes, John. Amos, The Eighth Century Prophet: His Times and His Preaching. Nashville: Abingdon Press, Hulst, A. R. Old Testament Translation Problems, Helps for Translators. London: United Bible Societies, James, Fleming. Personalities of the Old Testament. New York: Charles Scribner s Sons, Lewis, Jack P. The Minor Prophets. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, Mays, James L., and Patrick D. Miller, Jr., ed. and O.T. ed. Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, Hosea Micah, by James Limburg. Atlanta: John Knox Press, Morgenstern, Julian. Amos Studies. Vol. I, Parts I, II, and III. Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, Routtenberg, Hyman J. Amos of Tekoa: A Study in Interpretation. New York: Vantage Press, Sampey, John R. The Heart of the Old Testament. Nashville: Broadman Press, Schultz, Samuel J. The Old Testament Speaks: A Complete Survey of Old Testament History and Literature. San Francisco: Harper and Row, Soggin, J. Alberto. The Prophet Amos: A Translation and Commentary. Translated by John Bowden. London: SCM Press, Steven, William. Judgment Upon the Nations: A Study of the Prophet Amos. Richmond: Outlook Publishers, Weiser, Artur. The Old Testament: Its Formation and Development. New York: Association Press, Willis, John T. My Servants the Prophets. The Way of Life Series. Editor, J. D. Thomas. Abilene: Biblical Research Press, Wolff, Hans Walter. Amos the Prophet: The Man and His Background. Translated by Foster R. McCurley. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, Wolff, Rolland Emerson. Meet Amos and Hosea, The Prophets of Israel. New York: Harper and Brothers, Young, Edward J. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., The Two Kingdoms The Northern Kingdom, including ten tribes, about two-thirds of the population, and, with the region east of Jordan,... would seem to have had all the elements of greater strength. The areas of the two kingdoms were respectively, Israel about 9,375 square miles, and Judah about 3,435. On the other hand, Judah retained the capital, the center of the organized system of government and of the material interests of the nation, together with the accumulated treasures of Solomon. And, to say nothing of the energy of the tribe of Judah, which was perhaps equaled by Ephraim, Zebulon, and Naphtali, all the moral and religious elements of greatness were on the side of the Southern Kingdom.... The sentence of captivity was executed upon Israel about 130 years sooner than on Judah; and while the ten tribes never returned to their land, and only a scattered remnant of them shared the restoration of Judah, the latter became once more a small but powerful nation, not free from the faults of their fathers, but worshiping God with a purity and serving Him with a heroic zeal unequaled since the days of Joshua, and preparing for the restoration of the true spiritual kingdom, under the last great son of David. G. L. Robinson, Quoted in William Smith, Old Testament History 6 Copyright, 1992, 1998 by Truth for Today ALL RIGHTS RESERVED