Series: Shepherds Roar
Message: Promises of Hope
Preacher: Alex Bryan
Reflection: Nathan Brown
Live Wonder: Zan Long
Live Adventure: Jess Lee
Editor: Becky De Oliveira
Refresh: Begin with prayer. Ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to new understanding and for God’s character to be revealed.
Read: Amos 9 in the New Living Translation (NLT). Note 1–3 insights or questions.
Reflect: The Bible story tends to follow a long line of God’s activity in the history of our world and this story usually does not stray far from the succession of people that fit into a single genealogy (see, for example, Matthew 1:1–17). This is God’s special relationship that Amos had pointed out earlier: “From among all the families on the earth, I have been intimate with you alone” (Amos 3:2).
But as we noted earlier in this series—as do other glimpses throughout the Bible story—the message of Amos gives hints at other histories in which God has been and is intimately involved: “‘Are you Israelites more important to me than the Ethiopians?’ asks the Lord. ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Crete and led the Arameans out of Kir’” (Amos 9:7). Little is known of these “exoduses” of the Philistine and the Arameans—or of what dealings God had had in the history of the Ethiopians—and there are different readings of this verse offered by commentators, but there are two important principles in this glimpse of God’s other histories.
First, “the God of Israel is the God of all nations, and all [peoples’] history is His concern” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Prophets, p. 40). From the stories of the small nation of Israel to the letters of the early Christian minority in the Roman Empire, the Bible is itself a minority history. But a faithful reading of the Bible must consider these unexpected and often-unknown stories in the margins. We must be alert to these stories in history and in our world today.
Second, as has been evident in God’s concerns through Amos’ messages, God is always active on behalf of the oppressed. In bringing the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and perhaps these other nations out of nations in which they were oppressed or marginalized, God’s priority is always in favor of those who are not the privileged and the powerful, those who usually make and write history.
Recalibrate: How do these hints that God has acted in parallel with the Bible story challenge your understanding of Christian history? What additional questions does this raise for you?
Respond: Pray these words: “God, may our recognizing You as the God of all nations, challenge and change our hearts, attitudes and actions toward people who are different from us.”
Research: Using a Bible dictionary or online search, explore the history of the Philistines and Arameans. What does this information answer or raise further questions about Amos 9:7?
Remember: “I will bring my people Israel back from captivity. They will build the ruined cities again. And they will live in them” (Amos 9:14, ICB).
Nathan Brown is a writer and book editor at Signs Publishing Company, near Melbourne, Australia. Nathan is author/editor of 16 books, including two this year—Of Falafels and Following Jesus and For the Least of These.
With your little one, line up all of their favorite toys. Ask them what they love about each toy. Can they remember when they got that toy and who gave it to them? Look at how different the toys are. Talk about how your little one plays with that toy. Take a group photo of your child and their toys. These toys are special because your child loves them. We are special not because of what we can do but because God loves us.
When I was younger I had a dog called Rommel. Rommel was a big dog and he liked to run everywhere. He would follow me around the house all day and if I sat down he would try to sit on top of me. When I got home he would come running down the hall and jump all over me because he was so excited to see me. Have you ever had a dog like this? Our dogs can’t talk to us and tell us that they love us but they show us their love through their actions—by licking us and following us around. Just like Rommel showed me his love through his actions, God wants us to show others that we love them and show them His love through our actions.
Zan Long is GRC director for faith development for ages 0-17. She lives in Sydney, Australia, and serves at her local church in nearby Kellyville.
Jess Lee is an education consultant for the New South Wales Adventist education system. She lives in Sydney, Australia, and attends Kellyville Church.