The people of “Israel”
had forsaken the commandments and ways of the LORD, and although Amos
the prophet was commissioned to share God's punishment upon
“Israel's” enemies, he turned His attention toward God's
own people. In chapter two and verse eleven of his prophesy, Amos
continued to remind them about the LORD's provision and protection
for “Israel” as he wrote concerning God choosing their
“sons for prophets” and their “young men for
Nazarites” where we read:
And I raised up of your
sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites.
Is it not even
thus, O you children of Israel? says the LORD.
The
verse begins, “And I raised up of your sons for prophets,
and of your young men for Nazarites,...” Amos
began with the words, “And I raised up”
which means “stood up, fixed and established” “of
your sons” or “from your
male children and grandchildren” “for prophets”
which refers to “spokesmen, speakers and inspired men”, “and
of your young men” which means
“youthful males” “for Nazarites”
which means “consecrated and devoted” and were “those males who
were separated and consecrated from the rest of the people by a vow
of drinking no wine nor cutting their hair”. The LORD separated out
certain “sons” and
“young men” to be
the “prophets” and
“Nazarites” who
lived among them.
The
verse continues, “...Is
it not even thus, O you children of Israel? says the LORD.”
Amos added, “Is it
not even thus” or “Isn't
this the way it is”, “O you children”
which refers to “sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters”
“of Israel” which means “God
prevails” and was “the name of the descendants and the nation of
the descendants of Jacob”? “Says” or
“utters, declares and proclaims” “the LORD” which
refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the
proper name for the one true God”. The LORD requestioned the
“Israelites” concerning
the validity of how He raised up “sons”
and “young men”
among them as “prophets and Nazarites”.
When
we think through these words of Amos, we see God's appeal to the
people of Israel as He reminded them of Him choosing their “sons”
to be the “prophets”
and the “Nazarites”
who lived among them. They were not without the LORD's constant care,
and these offices were meant as reminders of His constant presence.
Today the LORD reminds us of His Son Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the
cross that we might continue in a relationship with Him. Should we
stray, we only need to think of the cross of Jesus, and it will bring
us back into a relationship with Him again. May the LORD quicken our
hearts and minds toward the manner in which He has cared for us, and
lest we need reminding of His constant provision, may we think daily
upon the sacrifice He made on the cross.
Next
time we see
how the Israelites conducted themselves with their “Nazarites”
and
“Prophets”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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