阿摩司書4:6-13

4:6 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。這是耶和華說的。

4:7 在收割的前三月，我使雨停止，不降在你們那裡；我降雨在這城，不降雨在那城；這塊地有雨，那塊地無雨；無雨的就枯乾了。

4:8 這樣，兩三城的人湊到一城去找水，卻喝不足；你們仍不歸向我。這是耶和華說的。

4:9 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、橄欖樹都被剪蟲所吃；你們仍不歸向我。這是耶和華說的。

4:10 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，營中屍首的臭氣撲鼻；你們仍不歸向我。這是耶和華說的。

4:11 我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。這是耶和華說的。

4:12 以色列啊，我必向你如此行；以色列啊，我既這樣行，你當預備迎見你的上帝。

4:13 那創山、造風、將心意指示人、使晨光變為幽暗、腳踏在地之高處的，他的名是耶和華─萬軍之上帝。

“I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,

and lack of bread in all your places,

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the Lord.

  “I also withheld the rain from you

when there were yet three months to the harvest;

I would send rain on one city,

and send no rain on another city;

one field would have rain,

and the field on which it did not rain would wither;

  so two or three cities would wander to another city

to drink water, and would not be satisfied;

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the Lord.

  “I struck you with blight and mildew;

your many gardens and your vineyards,

your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured;

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the Lord.

  “I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;

I killed your young men with the sword,

and carried away your horses,

and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the Lord.

  “I overthrew some of you,

as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,

and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning;

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the Lord.

  “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;

because I will do this to you,

prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”

  For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind,

and declares to man what is his thought,

who makes the morning darkness,

and treads on the heights of the earth—

the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

*************

    以色列雖然一直心硬不肯悔改，但是上帝並沒有放棄以色列人，仍然希望他們悔改，離開罪惡歸向上帝，所以上帝稱他們為「火中抽出來的一根柴」，雖經過如地獄一般的火之考驗，上帝也會拯救他們！

    其實，我們的命運也是如此，上帝將我們從地獄之火中拯救出來，原本我們是要受地獄之刑，若不是耶穌基督代死的拯救，我們就無法脫離死亡進入永生，所以我們屬基督的人也是「火中抽出來的一根柴」！

    感謝上帝如此的拯救，使我們出死入生！

阿摩司書4章

            阿摩司書4:1-5   , 阿摩司書4章1-3節 , 

                  阿摩司書4:6-13  ,

阿摩司書4:1-5

4:1 你們住撒馬利亞山如巴珊母牛的啊，當聽我的話─你們欺負貧寒的，壓碎窮乏的，對家主說：拿酒來，我們喝吧！

4:2 主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。

4:3 你們各人必從破口直往前行，投入哈門。這是耶和華說的。

4:4 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，每三日奉上你們的十分之一。

4:5 任你們獻有酵的感謝祭，把甘心祭宣傳報告給眾人，因為是你們所喜愛的。這是主耶和華說的。

“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,

who are on the mountain of Samaria,

who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,

who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’

  The Lord God has sworn by his holiness

that, behold, the days are coming upon you,

when they shall take you away with hooks,

even the last of you with fishhooks.

  And you shall go out through the breaches,

each one straight ahead;

and you shall be cast out into Harmon,”

declares the Lord.

  “Come to Bethel, and transgress;

to Gilgal, and multiply transgression;

bring your sacrifices every morning,

your tithes every three days;

  offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,

and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;

for so you love to do, O people of Israel!”

declares the Lord God.

*******

    以色列人雖然有宗教儀式，卻仍然在罪中，所以上帝仍然要審判以色列，使世人知道上帝是公義的上帝，是恨惡罪惡的，不可以用外表的行為掩飾內在的邪惡。

    同樣基督徒也是如此，不要以為自己可以靠主耶穌在上帝面前稱義，就自以為是胡作非為，以為這一切主耶穌都會遮蓋。這是違背上帝透過耶穌基督救贖的本意，祂救贖我們是要歸向上帝脫離罪惡，而不是繼續沉溺罪中。

    也因此，基督徒要靠耶穌基督的恩典離開罪惡，成為上帝的兒女，不要讓邪惡在我們身上得勝，要順服聖靈的引導，過聖潔生活，活出聖潔生命，領受聖潔的實際。

阿摩司書3:9-15

3:9 要在亞實突的宮殿中和埃及地的宮殿裡傳揚說：你們要聚集在撒馬利亞的山上，就看見城中有何等大的擾亂與欺壓的事。

3:10 那些以強暴搶奪財物、積蓄在自己家中的人不知道行正直的事。這是耶和華說的。

3:11 所以主耶和華如此說：敵人必來圍攻這地，使你的勢力衰微，搶掠你的家宅。

3:12 耶和華如此說：「牧人怎樣從獅子口中搶回兩條羊腿或半個耳朵，住撒馬利亞的以色列人躺臥在床角上或鋪繡花毯的榻上，他們得救也不過如此。」

3:13 主耶和華─萬軍之上帝說：當聽這話，警戒雅各家。

3:14 我討以色列罪的日子，也要討伯特利祭壇的罪；壇角必被砍下，墜落於地。

3:15 我要拆毀過冬和過夏的房屋。象牙的房屋也必毀滅；高大的房屋都歸無有。這是耶和華說的。

Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod

and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt,

and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria,

and see the great tumults within her,

and the oppressed in her midst.”

  “They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord,

“those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”

  Therefore thus says the Lord God:      

“An adversary shall surround the land

and bring down your defenses from you,

and your strongholds shall be plundered.”

  Thus says the Lord: “As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part of a bed.

  “Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob,”

declares the Lord God, the God of hosts,

  “that on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions,

I will punish the altars of Bethel,

and the horns of the altar shall be cut off

and fall to the ground.

  I will strike the winter house along with the summer house,

and the houses of ivory shall perish,

and the great houses shall come to an end,”

declares the Lord.

**************

    上帝為以色列的惡行施行審判，因為以色列人故意悖逆上帝。同樣，自稱是基督徒，卻不順服基督，不遵守聖經的教導，以為自己一定得救，隨心所欲，任意妄為。這樣的人一定受到上帝的審判的，如同以色列人受審判！

    所以，我們要隨時警戒自己是屬上帝的人，要活出聖潔的生活為記號。因為活出聖潔的能力是來自聖靈，是我們靠耶穌得救的結果。我們既認耶穌基督為主，祂必賜聖靈讓我們做到，讓我們面對審判時，一定可以得上帝的接納，進入新天新地。