The Virgin of Israel is Fallen Amos 5:2

The people of Israel forsook the ways of the LORD, and therefore judgment was to come upon them. The LORD showed in various ways why they should “return to Him”, and yet they resisted His offerings. In addition to the LORD's “lamentation”, in chapter five and verse two of Amos' prophesy, the LORD declared “the virgin of Israel is fallen” where we read:

The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise:

she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

The verse begins, “The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise:” Amos began with the words, “The virgin” or “pure and unspotted so called as being separated and secluded from intercourse with men” “of Israel” which means “God prevails” and was “the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob ” “is fallen” or “be cast down, lie and fail”; “she shall no more rise” which means “never address, increase, be joined to stand, become powerful, proven, valid or fulfilled”. The LORD's declaration to Israel was their “purity” was defiled and never to be recovered again.

The verse goes on to say, “she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.” Amos continued, “she is forsaken” or “Israel is permitted, cast off, rejected, suffered, joined, spread abroad, loosed, ceased, abandoned, quit, hung loose, cast down, made a raid, lean, fallowed, let fall, forgone, drawn” “upon her land” which means “upon their ground, territory, country and region”; “there is none” or “no one” “to raise her up” which means “to increase, be joined to stand, become powerful, proven, valid or fulfilled”. The LORD added how no one would be able to help Israel to “stand” again because she was rejected, spread abroad and abandoned from their relationship with Him.

When we consider these words of Amos, we can almost hear the LORD's lament as He described how the “purity” of Israel was now defiled, and no one could recover what they lost. God continued to love Israel even though they rejected Him, and He loves people this way today. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to save people from their sins, and everyone has lost the “purity” He originally designed to be within them. Since everyone has, (it's called “sin” or “missing the mark” of perfection), it was necessary to have Jesus come to pay the penalty for their “impurity”. Only God Almighty could restore Israel though she was “forsaken” and He only through Jesus Christ is able to save all who simply believe and trust in Him and His salvation plan.

Next time Amos shares how the numbers in Israel shall be reduced, 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.