A Basket of Summer Fruit Amos 8:1

Because Amaziah the priest under Jeroboam II of Israel desired for Amos to stop prophesying “against Israel” and not to “drop” his “word against the house of Isaac”, Amos declared the word of the LORD upon him. He proclaimed that his “wife shall be an harlot in the city”, his “sons an daughters shall fall by the sword”, and his “land” as well as the land of Israel would “go into captivity”. In chapter eight and verse on of his prophesy, Amos shared how “the Lord GOD showed” him “a basket of summer fruit” where we read:

Thus has the Lord GOD showed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit.

The verse begins, “Thus has the Lord GOD showed unto me:” Amos began with the words, “Thus has he Lord” which refers to “the title spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence” “GOD” who is “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the one true God” “showed unto me” which means “made Amos look at, perceive and consider”. The LORD revealed another example for Amos to consider.

The verse continues, “and behold a basket of summer fruit.” Amos added, “and behold a basket” which means “that which resembles a wicker cage” “of summer fruit” or “the product whether grain or fruit within the summer or dry season”. God showed Amos a “wicker cage” that contained the “grain” or “fruit” that was harvested in the summer time.

When we consider these words of Amos, we see the LORD use another illustration with Amos with which he was familiar. The LORD Jesus often used agrarian examples to illustrate spiritual principles and ways, and in this case, God used “a summer fruit basket” to begin to share His next prophesy concerning Israel. Perhaps we should seek the LORD and discover if Jesus through the Holy Spirit might use natural examples to reveal spiritual principles in our lives, and let us always be open to hear and see what the LORD has for us.

Next time we begin a new chapter and see where the LORD shows Amos “a basket of summer fruit”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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