Restoration

Amos 9:11-15 

I do not read Amos very often, but before ‘grabbing’ a midweek walk out in Surrey recently, I did read it... Immediately I remembered why I don’t read Amos very often! (… until I got to the end in chapter 9!)

Amos is not a comfortable read. The word ‘judgement’ appears in 1:3 and the theme is unrelenting! Amos was a ‘southerner’ from Judah, sent to the northern kingdom (Israel) sometime around 760 - 750BC. He was no-one special, in fact from quite a lowly background, but God called him, and he was faithful in bringing a very unpopular message of looming judgement for the northern kingdom. Imagine going to your neighbours and proclaiming a message of judgement! That is what Amos was called to do. Sadly, the call to repentance was ignored, as so often, and within thirty to forty years, judgement did fall and the northern kingdom was no more.

The thing is, God puts up with rebellion and sin for so long, but in the end as a holy God, He must judge. To come under His wrath is a dreadful thing, but the bible is clear. God is immeasurably loving and patient, but also holy and awesome and pure, and He does judge! No-one can withstand or resist Him. The incredible thing is that despite most of Amos being about judgement, this last section in chapter 9 is about restoration. One thing God has never done is to abandon His plan to have a people for Himself. So, beyond judgement comes restoration. That is the way and pattern of God.

Our biblical history tells us that not only the northern kingdom, but also the southern eventually fell to foreign armies. God’s judgement came, yet already God had decreed what would happen beyond that. The northern kingdom was never restored physically but a remnant of His people (representing the whole nation) returned from exile in Babylon and Jerusalem was restored once more. God always restores. His plans never fail.

Of course, we live in the shadow of the cross and do not have to fear judgement of the kind that the Old Testament people of God experienced. Jesus’ death covered our sin, past, present, and future. He came as the culmination of God’s plan of salvation to bring a people to Himself. Jesus opened the way not just for Jews but for all peoples to be part of His family, His kingdom, His purpose, His eternity. We do not deserve His mercy and grace, yet He has chosen to pour out not only forgiveness to those who repent, but ‘life in all its fullness’ by the power and in-dwelling of His Spirit given to all who believe and trust in Jesus.

Sometimes in life, we feel like things are falling apart. We feel that we have suffered loss that can never be replaced or restored. Sometimes we yearn for things to be as they were in what seemed like ‘happier’ or ‘easier’ days, but were they? We sometimes use a phrase to encourage someone: ‘Your best days are ahead of you’. For the believer trusting in Jesus, that is always and totally true! No matter what we go through in this life, no matter what trials may come, no matter what suffering we go through, our best days are always ahead. His promises never fail. We have an eternal future, safe in His loving care and presence, free from this life’s cares and woes. That is not belittling the trials of this life; it is looking to Jesus and knowing He is all-sufficient.

I heard a preacher in Swansea a few weeks ago speak about the fact that Jesus IS coming back. He suggested that Christians can sometimes fall into two errors in relation to the truth of that. Some get so engrossed in the how and when that they neglect what they should be doing for Jesus right now. Others allow the cares of this world to so overwhelm them that they live as if Jesus was not coming back and neglect the calling to live distinctive and expectant lives now, ready for His return. The preacher suggested we don’t hear enough teaching on the second coming of Jesus! He may well be right!

In Amos, the restoration spoken of was very much ‘of this world’. God did bring His people back to their land, albeit many years later – He kept His promise. For us, the promise is just as real. Sometimes He does graciously give us restoration in this life beyond suffering, loss and grief, but ultimately, His restoration will be in the next life, starting when Jesus returns or when we meet Him in heaven before His return.

It is easy to look at the world right now and say, why doesn’t God do something, right now? The truth is that He is always at work, but it doesn’t make the six o’clock news! He is building His eternal kingdom right now in the hearts and lives of all those who have confessed and believe (Romans 10:9). I have been reading this week about how He is building his Church in Iran and North Korea, despite seemingly ‘impossible’ odds. The truth is He will judge all people and all nations. No-one is beyond His view, His concern, His arm is not too short to reach, His power is awesome beyond any power. Those who oppose Him right now are ripe for judgement and that could fall at any time, and sooner than they think certainly.

As for us, we of all people have hope – real hope. We of all people are those who can look forward to a restored earth and eternal life beyond this short and sometimes weary existence.

So perhaps Amos isn’t such a bad read after all, summarised as: God sorts out the bad and restores and keeps His chosen people for Himself in a glorious future! – sounds good to me!

‘And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Peter 5:10-11)