Songs of Howlings Amos 8:3

Amos the prophet was asked by the LORD what he saw when “a basket of summer fruit” appeared. God told him this represented “the end is come upon” His “people of Israel”, and that He would “not again pass by them any more”. In chapter eight and verse three of his prophesy, Amos shared how there would be “songs of howlings” and “dead bodies in every place” where we read:

And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, says the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.

The verse begins, “And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, says the Lord GOD:” Amos began with the words, “and the songs” or “the lyrics, religious songs or odes” “of the temple” which refers to “the sanctuary, hall or nave such as a large public building” “shall be howlings” or “wailing tones or boisterous wails” “in that day” which means “that time period or division of time”, “says” or “utters, proclaims and declares” “the Lord” or “the title spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence” “GOD” which means “which is used in the combination Lord Jehovah and speaks of Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the one true God”. The LORD declared how the “temple” would be filled with “boisterous wailing” rather than “worshipful singing” when “the end is come upon Israel”.

The verse continues, “there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence. Amos added, “there shall be many” or “great, abounding and numerous” “dead bodies” which means “corpses and carcasses” “in every place” which refers to “standing place, station, post, office or human abode”; “they shall cast them forth” or “throw, hurl or fling away or shed” “with silence” which means “with peace and keeping still”. The LORD declared “death” on many people who would be “flung away” in a “silent” manner.

When we meditate upon these words of Amos, we see the awesomeness of God's judgment. Death was to come upon many people, and the result would be “howlings” instead of singing in the place of worship. In other words, the people would sorrow deeply over the “dead bodies” which were thrown away without any care or verbiage. Jesus came to save people from future calamity, and if they reject Him as Savior and LORD, there will great consequences which will cause the same kind of “boisterous wailing”. As Jesus said, “there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12).

Next time Amos shares with those “that swallow up the needy” and “the poor”, 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.