Amos
4:13
This is an interesting and powerful chapter. God has been dealing with Israel and they have not responded. Five times we read, “yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.” (6,8,9,10,11) And then v 12, “prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.” Then,
13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.
While this is good, what does this say about Christ? Glad you asked! This is how the Septuagint (LXX, Greek translation of the Old Testament) translates v 13:
For, behold, I am he that strengthens the thunder, and creates the wind, and proclaims to men his Christ, forming the morning and the darkness, and mounting on the high places of the earth, The Lord God Almighty is his name.
proclaims to men his Christ – Wow! But, as amazing as this is I have to confess that I have never come across a single reference to this verse in the Fathers. Oh well...
This is not the case with our next passage
9.11-12
11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
the tabernacle of David is a reference to Messiah.
This prophecy is quoted in the New Testament and this provides us all the insight we need. The first church council was held in Jerusalem and dealt with the question of the salvation of the Gentiles. After hearing the presentation of both sides, James gave his verdict:
Acts 15:15-18
15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
At first glance you notice a difference between what James quotes and what our Bibles have. Our English Bibles are translations from the Hebrew. When you compare this to the Septuagint it becomes obvious that James was quoting from that version:
LXX Amos 9:11-12
11 In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and will rebuild the ruins of it, and will set up the parts thereof that have been broken down, and will build it up as in the ancient days:
12 that the remnant of men, and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called, may earnestly seek me, saith the Lord who does all these things.
I know the KJV says residue of men while the LXX has remnant of men, but that’s just a word choice, for it’s the same phrase in Greek, οι καταλοιποι των ανθρωπων, which means something like the remaining men.
The point is, James was quoting this passage to verify that in Messianic times Gentiles will be saved, all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called.
You see, there was a great controversy in the Church in those days, Can Gentiles be saved? Or more precisely, Must Gentiles become Jews to be saved? Let’s back up in Acts and see what was going on.
Acts 14:26-27 And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
Paul and Barnabas returned to their home church in Antioch and had a Missions Conference. They shared what God had done, including opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. This is exciting! Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus as the Christ.
Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
This is contrary to what Paul and Barnabas had been teaching. Houston, we have a problem.
Acts 15:2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
There was a great stir in the church and it was proposed that they go to Jerusalem. The gospel is at stake – Is it possible for Gentiles to be saved and what must they do to be saved? In other words, as I said before, Do Gentiles need to become Jews in order to be saved?
Acts 15:4-5 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Here it is: Paul and Barnabas are saying Gentiles are being saved but there is a group that says, “Not so fast.”
Acts 15:7-9 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Paul has said that Gentiles are believing in Jesus and being baptized in his name. Peter agrees with this and adds, “and receiving the Holy Spirit just like we did on the day of Pentecost.” He concluded, But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (15:11)
Acts 15:12-15 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets...
And it is at this point that James quotes Amos 9. This is a really important point to notice: neither the experience of Paul, Barnabas, and Peter, nor of the Gentiles themselves was the determining factor; this issue was settled by the Word of God, and to this agree the words of the prophets. The experience of the Apostles and the Gentiles lined up with the Word, it actually verified the prophetic promise. Therefore Gentiles do not have to become Jews and keep the Law to be saved, they shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Actually, through Christ God has put no difference between us [Jews] and them [Gentiles], purifying their hearts by faith.
This satisfied the council and settled the matter. This is great news for us!
But there is something that often gets overlook in all this, just a little sentence with huge implications:
14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
Take out of the Gentiles a people for his name. This is God’s purpose in the world by the Gospel, take out a people for his name. We are not called to take over the world. We’re not conquering, we’re called out. This is the Church. We are an assembly of the called out. Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord.
God dealt first with Israel and through them prepared the way for Christ. When the Apostles preached the Gospel it was to the Jew first and also to the Greek. but through their rejection of Christ Israel has been set aside while God visits the Gentiles and calls out a people for his name. The question then becomes, Is God finished with Israel? As John Chrysostom explained in his homilies on Romans 9-11:
“’When the fulness of Gentiles,’ he says, ‘shall have come in, then shall all Israel be saved,’ at the time of his second coming, and the end of the world…It is clear that the natural course of things was this, that they should be the first to come in, and then those of the Gentiles; but since they disbelieved, the order was reversed.”
This is where we are in God's program: God is visiting the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
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