阿摩司書5:10-13

5:10 你們怨恨那在城門口責備人的，憎惡那說正直話的。

5:11 你們踐踏貧民，向他們勒索麥子；你們用鑿過的石頭建造房屋，卻不得住在其內；栽種美好的葡萄園，卻不得喝所出的酒。

5:12 我知道你們的罪過何等多，你們的罪惡何等大。你們苦待義人，收受賄賂，在城門口屈枉窮乏人。

5:13 所以通達人見這樣的時勢必靜默不言，因為時勢真惡。

They hate him who reproves in the gate,

and they abhor him who speaks the truth.

  Therefore because you trample on the poor

and you exact taxes of grain from him,

you have built houses of hewn stone,

but you shall not dwell in them;

you have planted pleasant vineyards,

but you shall not drink their wine.

  For I know how many are your transgressions

and how great are your sins—

you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,

and turn aside the needy in the gate.

  Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time,

for it is an evil time.

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

    這裡說到以色列人的罪惡：「怨恨那在城門口責備人的，憎惡那說正直話的」、「踐踏貧民，向他們勒索麥子」、「苦待義人，收受賄賂，在城門口屈枉窮乏人」，也因此「用鑿過的石頭建造房屋，卻不得住在其內；栽種美好的葡萄園，卻不得喝所出的酒」。

    因為這樣導致「通達人見這樣的時勢必靜默不言，因為時勢真惡」。這樣下來會有惡性循環，因為人越沒有人警告，越任意而為，也就更得罪上帝，離上帝越遠。

    因此，在教會裡要有謙卑的心，願意接受上帝所差來之傳道人的警戒，讓他們所傳獎給我們的話，謹記在心，尊主耶穌為大，一生以討主喜悅為我們生活的目標。

阿摩司書5章

                      阿摩司書5:1-9   , 阿摩司書5章1-3節  ,

                      阿摩司書5:10-13    ,

                      阿摩司書5:14-17     , 阿摩司書5:14-15   ,

                      阿摩司書5:18-27   ,

阿摩司書5:1-9

5:1 以色列家啊，要聽我為你們所作的哀歌：

5:2 以色列民（原文是處女）跌倒，不得再起；躺在地上，無人攙扶。

5:3 主耶和華如此說：以色列家的城發出一千兵的，只剩一百；發出一百的，只剩十個。

5:4 耶和華向以色列家如此說：你們要尋求我，就必存活。

5:5 不要往伯特利尋求，不要進入吉甲，不要過到別是巴；因為吉甲必被擄掠，伯特利也必歸於無有。

5:6 要尋求耶和華，就必存活，免得他在約瑟家像火發出，在伯特利焚燒，無人撲滅。

5:7 你們這使公平變為茵蔯、將公義丟棄於地的，

5:8 要尋求那造昴星和參星，使死蔭變為晨光，使白日變為黑夜，命海水來澆在地上的─耶和華是他的名；

5:9 他使力強的忽遭滅亡，以致保障遭遇毀壞。

Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:

  “Fallen, no more to rise,

is the virgin Israel;

forsaken on her land,

with none to raise her up.”

  For thus says the Lord God:      

“The city that went out a thousand

shall have a hundred left,

and that which went out a hundred

shall have ten left

to the house of Israel.”

  For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:      

“Seek me and live;

  but do not seek Bethel,

and do not enter into Gilgal

or cross over to Beersheba;

for Gilgal shall surely go into exile,

and Bethel shall come to nothing.”

  Seek the Lord and live,

lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,

and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,

  O you who turn justice to wormwood

and cast down righteousness to the earth!

  He who made the Pleiades and Orion,

and turns deep darkness into the morning

and darkens the day into night,

who calls for the waters of the sea

and pours them out on the surface of the earth,

the Lord is his name;

  who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,

so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

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

    上帝是看重公平與公義的上帝，所以祂希望祂的子民能夠尋求祂，靠祂的大能恩典來實踐公平與公義，才不至於落入祂的憤怒之中，遭受極大的災難與管教，以致充滿令人難過的事情。

    這也再次警惕我們自稱為基督徒的人，也要按照上帝的公平與公義來生活，這樣才能蒙上帝喜悅，並且真正見證上帝的榮美，而這樣的生命是蒙上帝重生的人才能活出來的生命，是順服與謙卑的人才能活出這樣的生命。

    也因此，基督徒要靠聖靈活出重生的生命，來見證主耶穌的拯救與榮耀上帝。

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  ,