Monday, September 28, 2009

Is. 5-8 and Amos 1-2

God is angry that his vineyard has produced wild grapes. He has plowed it, planted it, tended it, cared for it, fed it , watered it.....and now, wild grapes. He is not a happy camper, or farmer. (yes I realize this is a metaphor....)

More talk of all the bad people in Jerusalem, including the "men of strength in mixing alcoholic drinks". As a person married to a former bartender, I get this one.

He's decided that he shall stop watering his vineyard. Uh oh, this doesn't sound too good to me.

Isaiah has a vision that God comes to him and tells him to go and make the people of Jerusalem not see or hear what they should? And fatten their hearts, do this, He says until all of the city is gone. Is He cleaning out? Out with the old, in with the new?

Is meets with Ahaz, telling him to ask God for a sign. "Go ahead, ask Him!" Ahaz doesn't seem so keen on the idea, but Is insists. He goes ahead and tells him the sign that shall come. Here I'm pretty sure he blows the whole Jesus surprise.

Is's wife has a baby and God wants to name it, great....right?! RIGHT!? God naming your baby, personally...it has to be good thing. He decides the baby shall be named Maher-shalal- hash- baz. Imagine this little guy in preschool bc. I bet they call him Charlie.

Then more, "straighten up", talk.

Amos:

Amos has some visions and some direct orders and punishment for some of these guys. First Damascus, they shall have fire. Then Gaza, also a fire. They get it for being slave traders. Next up, Tyre for not helping people....they get FIRE! Edom...fire. Ammon, for ripping women to shreds, you also get F-I-R-E. Moab get fire, for having fire, and burning the bones of a king. Judah gets fire for just flat out disobeying. Israel...oh Israel, you get fire for buying a new pair of shoes......and so, so, so,so, so much more...

2 comments:

Jamie said...

Yeah, I think God had some extra fire laying around.

In here we have God getting ready to fulfill his prophecy of almost wiping Israel out and scattering them abroad. But, alas, it says that he will not utterly destroy them, and He will bring them back. We've already read that He said He'd restore them if they cried out to him once they were taken into foreign lands.

Also, we see here what some call the foretelling of the Nazis, but I'm not so sure.

We also have the foretelling of the Messiah (that would be Jesus).

Amos:

I guess Andy is the silent partner.

Jamie said...

Tomorrow is the rest of Amos.....3-9 I think.