And everyone mourn who dwells in it?
All of it shall swell like1 the River,
Heave and subside
bLike the River of Egypt.
a“That I will make the sun go down at noon,
And I will darken the earth in1 broad daylight;
bAnd all your songs into lamentation;
cI will bring sackcloth on every waist,
And baldness on every head;
I will make it like mourning for an only son,
And its end like a bitter day.
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But aof hearing the words of the Lord.
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall anot find it.
Who say,
‘As your god lives, O Dan!’
And, ‘As the way of cBeersheba lives!’
They shall fall and never rise again.”
| << Amos 8:8 | Amos 8:10 >> |
What Does Amos 8:9 Mean?
Amos 8:9-10
These are signs of a “ripe” society, indicating profound instability. When an earthquake strikes, a person feels profoundly unstable because he is not sure if the building will collapse and kill him. A similar type of instability occurs when society is rocked by crime, violence, immorality, and injustice. Amos describes the insecurity, bitterness, and death that result from failing to hold to God's absolute standards.
Within living memory, most Americans could leave their houses unlocked. But when society became unstable, they had to start locking their doors. Until the middle of the last century, Americans infrequently read about violence on the streets. Now society is so unstable that violence fills the news reports, and this constant source of worry produces more instability.
In such a nation, all kinds of unstable factors constantly increase as everyone runs here and there in confusion. The confusion results from the lack of absolute standards of what is right and wrong, moral and immoral, ethical and unethical. Thus, everybody does his own thing. Violence, divorce, deviance, suicide, and mental illness increase. We see this in our societies every day.
John W. Ritenbaugh and Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Prepare to Meet Your God! (Part Seven): The Prophesied Blow Falls
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Amos 8:9:
Genesis 15:12
Revelation 6:5-6
| << Amos 8:8 | Amos 8:10 >> |
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