旧约 - 阿摩司书(Amos)第7章

Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.
And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.
Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.
Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.
Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the LORD stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.
And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the LORD, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:
And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.
For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.
Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court.
Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.
阿摩司书第七章   第 7 章 

  摩 7 章 > 这一章充满了异象…… 

  7 章 以下一连串的异象,是利用百姓熟悉的景像传递神的信息,包括蝗虫、火及准绳。 

  阿摩司的异象 

  摩 7:1-6> 神要降罚,先知遂即祷告;对于我们的国家社会,我们又…… 

  7:1-6 神两度把将要降临到以色列的惩罚,藉异象预示给阿摩司看。阿摩司即时的反应都是祈求神不降罚与以色列。祈祷是带有能力的特权;阿摩司的祷告提醒我们,要多为自己的国家祈求。 

  摩 7:7-9> 圣所不合神的准绳而荒废,我的生命若不合神的准绳…… 

  7:7-9 准绳是用来量度墙壁是否垂直的工具;倾斜的墙最终必倒塌。神希望百姓能与祂一同站立,因此,那些使我们弯曲的罪要立刻清除。神的话语就是准绳,叫我们察验自己的罪。在神的准绳以下,你的表现如何? 

  7:10 像阿摩司这样的先知,往往会被人看为是乱党,是卖国贼,因为他们总是针对王和王的谋士,质疑他们的权柄,揭露他们的罪行。所以,列王总会视先知为敌人,而非真心帮助他们及国家的人,也不承认先知是来自神、代表神发言的人。 

  摩 7:10-17> 亚玛谢身为祭司,竟不听神的真理,是为了一己的权位吗?我不会如他一样吧…… 

  7:10-17 亚玛谢是伯特利的大祭司,代表以色列的官方宗教。可是,他并不关注神的信息,只在乎自己的地位是否稳固──保障一己的地位,竟然比认识真理更为重要。切勿让你自己的欲望(如对声望、权力及金钱的追求)把你捆绑在本来应该离开的工作或位置上。切勿让任何人或事物阻隔你与神的关系。 

  摩 7:14-15> 我虽不配,但我愿顺服──这是阿摩司的态度,也是我的态度吗? 

  7:14-15 虽然没受过特别的训练、教育或培养,阿摩司却顺服了神的呼召:“你去向我民以色列说预言”。顺服是测试神的仆人是否忠心的灵药。你是否顺服神向你所发的呼召?──《灵修版圣经注释》