The Rebuilding
Buried deep in the sand of the minor prophets lies a treasure. I will admit - you kind of have to dig for it. The minor prophets are not easy books to read, and you can't just skim the surface and expect to understand what it all means. Reading the minor prophets is more like showing up on the beach with a treasure map and a shovel. You may have to dig a little, but the treasures of truth are great.
As I was reading Amos this week, God revealed one of those buried jewels. In chapter four, God speaks of His desire for Israel to turn away from their rebellion and return to Him. In an effort to draw them back to Himself, He withholds rain from their land, sends locusts to their gardens, and even causes plagues and disasters. The first time through, I found this to be pretty harsh and unreasonable, but then I caught a glimpse of the treasure buried beneath.
If God brings disaster, it is only to draw His people back to Himself. He is not harsh, unreasonable, or angry; He is absolutely loving. The thing that He wants most of all is to bring His children into His arms, and He does anything and everything He can to accomplish just that. Nothing about that is unjust. It is the amazing extent of His boundless love. Can you imagine a love so great - that the God of the universe would want His creation so close to Him?
Something else I love about the minor prophets is that destruction is never the last word for the people of God. Yes, the minor prophets are full of prophecies about the punishment on Isreal, but that is never the end of the story. After all the discipline, destruction, and demolition, there is always a final promise from the Lord that trumps all else.
"I will restore...
I will repair the broken pieces,
restore the ruins,
and build it as it used to be."
Amos 9:11
Our God loves us so vastly that He wants to draw us closer and closer into His arms and into His heart. Even though destruction sometimes accomplishes this, it never has the final word. Our God is the restorer of dwelling places and the repairer of broken walls. (Isaiah 58:12) We look forward to the destruction and the rebuilding, for through both we are brought into the love of God.
As I was reading Amos this week, God revealed one of those buried jewels. In chapter four, God speaks of His desire for Israel to turn away from their rebellion and return to Him. In an effort to draw them back to Himself, He withholds rain from their land, sends locusts to their gardens, and even causes plagues and disasters. The first time through, I found this to be pretty harsh and unreasonable, but then I caught a glimpse of the treasure buried beneath.
If God brings disaster, it is only to draw His people back to Himself. He is not harsh, unreasonable, or angry; He is absolutely loving. The thing that He wants most of all is to bring His children into His arms, and He does anything and everything He can to accomplish just that. Nothing about that is unjust. It is the amazing extent of His boundless love. Can you imagine a love so great - that the God of the universe would want His creation so close to Him?
Something else I love about the minor prophets is that destruction is never the last word for the people of God. Yes, the minor prophets are full of prophecies about the punishment on Isreal, but that is never the end of the story. After all the discipline, destruction, and demolition, there is always a final promise from the Lord that trumps all else.
"I will restore...
I will repair the broken pieces,
restore the ruins,
and build it as it used to be."
Amos 9:11
Our God loves us so vastly that He wants to draw us closer and closer into His arms and into His heart. Even though destruction sometimes accomplishes this, it never has the final word. Our God is the restorer of dwelling places and the repairer of broken walls. (Isaiah 58:12) We look forward to the destruction and the rebuilding, for through both we are brought into the love of God.
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