Judgment at the Altar | Amos
By Rev. Jeremiah Cheung
From Amos 9:1-6
9:1 I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of all the people; those who are left I will kill with the sword. Not one will get away, none will escape. 2 Though they dig down to the depths below, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens above, from there I will bring them down. 3 Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. 4 Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. “I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good.” 5 The Lord, the Lord Almighty— he touches the earth and it melts, and all who live in it mourn; the whole land rises like the Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt; 6 he builds his lofty palace in the heavens and sets its foundation on the earth; he calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the Lord is his name.
Amos 9:1: “I saw the Lord standing by the altar.” This is the last vision that the prophet Amos saw, and it is a vision of judgment. As recorded in the Scriptures, this altar is most likely the altar in the temple because it had pillar tops and thresholds. The Lord wants to strike the tops of the pillars, shake the thresholds, bring them down on the heads of the people, such that no one will be able to escape. This is a terrible judgment because the judge is God himself. Amos 9:6: “he builds his lofty palace in the heavens and sets its foundation on the earth; he calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land—the Lord is his name.” The Lord is the creator of the heavens and the earth. He is the Lord Almighty. Who can oppose him?
Paul said in the Book of Romans asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” But if God attacks us, who can help us? In Amos 9:2-4, God said five times, “Though they [do something], I will [do something]” No matter what the circumstances, no matter what they do, I will bring them down, I will take them down, I will seize them, I will slay them because judgment from the altar has come.
The people of Israel took pride in the temple. They claim that they are God’s chosen people because they have the temple and the law. Yet now, the temple altar has become the place where they meet their judgment.
Church, we should also take heed! What do we boast about? Do we claim to be more pious than others? Do we claim to be more moral than others? Do you love the Lord more than others? Be careful; these might be the reasons for God to pass judgment upon us. Those who are arrogant will be humbled, and those who are humble will be exalted. Let us always stay alert because it is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God.
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祭壇的審判 | 阿摩司書
張國強牧師
阿摩司書 9:1-6
9:1 我看見主站在祭壇旁邊, 他說, 你要擊打柱頂, 使門檻震動, 打碎柱頂落在眾人頭上, 所剩下的人我必用刀殺戮, 無一人能逃避, 無一人能逃脫。2 他們雖然挖透陰間, 我的手必取出他們來, 雖然爬上天去, 我必拿下他們來。3 雖然藏在迦密山頂, 我必搜尋捉出他們來,雖然從我眼前藏在海底, 我必命蛇咬他們。4 雖被仇敵擄去, 我必命刀劍殺戮他們, 我必向他們定住眼目, 降禍不降福。5 主萬軍之耶和華摸地, 地就消化, 凡住在地上的都必悲哀, 地必全然像尼羅河漲起, 如同埃及河落下。6 那在天上建造樓閣, 在地上安定穹蒼, 命海水澆在地上的, 耶和華是他的名。
9:1 我看見主站在祭壇旁邊。這是先知看見最後一個異象, 這是審判的異象, 這個祭壇從經文中的記載, 這應該是聖殿裡的祭壇, 因為有柱頂, 有門檻, 這都是指在聖殿裡的建築, 但神要擊打柱頂, 使門檻震動, 打碎柱頂落在眾人頭上, 而沒有一個人可以逃避, 這是非常可怕的審判, 因為審判者是神本身。9:6 那在天上建造樓閣, 在地上安定穹蒼, 命海水澆在地上的, 耶和華是他的名。耶和華是創造天地的主, 祂是全能的主, 有誰能敵擋祂呢?
保羅在羅馬書說, 神若幫助我們, 誰能敵擋我們; 但神若攻擊我們, 又有誰能幫助我們呢？9:2-4神先後五次說: 他們雖然⋯⋯我必。無論任何的情況, 他們無論作了任何的事, 但我必要將他們拉下來, 我必要將他們打下來, 因為祭壇的審判出現了。
聖殿是猶大人引以為傲的地方, 他們自稱神的選民, 他們有聖殿, 他們有律法, 但聖殿裡的祭壇卻成為他們審判的地方。教會, 我們也當以為戒, 我們誇口什麼? 比別人更虔誠嗎? 比別人更有道德嗎? 比別人更愛主嗎? 小心啊, 這些也會不會成為神審判我們的原因呢? 凡自高的必要降為卑, 凡自卑的都要升為高。願我們一生儆醒, 因為落在永生神手中是可怕的。