Nowhere to hide
There is nowhere to hide from God.
For God is everywhere. God is in everything. God created all things.
There is nowhere to hide from God.
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.
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.
Though they are driven into exile by their enemies,
there I will command the sword to slay them. Amos 9:2-4
Nowhere to hide. No escape.
Not one will get away,
none will escape. Amos 9:1
Sometimes we make God small. To make Him accessible and attractive to people, we underplay His capacity. We focus on His love and compassion and forgiveness and conveniently ignore His passion and power. God is awesome. Awe-inspiring. God has an immense capacity to create but also destroy. God is to be approached with the greatest respect.
God is God. Let us never overlook that.
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;
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 9:5-6
God is God. God can do anything,
.For I will give the command,
and I will shake the people of Israel
among all the nations
as grain is shaken in a sieve,
and not a pebble will reach the ground. Amos 9:9
There will be a remnant spared. Only the good will remain.
And a day will come when Israel will be restored. Some take that to mean now and are forcing the issue with tragic consequences. Without waiting for God’s way and God’s time. But in His way and in His time, God’s people will be restored. Things will be as they always should have been, His kingdom will come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The broken walls will be repaired. The ruins will be restored. The new wine will flow abundantly. The people will be brought back from exile.
Declares the Lord, who will do these things. Amos 9:12
There is no doubt about it. If God says He’ll do something, He’ll do it. In an ever-changing landscape, God is the only constant. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He’s the only one we can rely on to keep His word.
‘They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.
They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;
they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
I will plant Israel in their own land,
never again to be uprooted
from the land I have given them,’ Amos 9:14-15
You can understand how God’s people could interpret this passage to mean they have rights to their land right here, right now. How they could cling to these promises to justify their actions. But how can the atrocities taking place in Israel be of God? How can the God of justice and love for all people be OK with this? It’s complicated, I know, but it’s hard to see how this can be God’s way. God’s way is the best way and how can what is currently happening to the Palestinians be seen as the best way?
We can all cling to God’s promises, because God is God and God will bring to pass all that He has promised. Not in our time though, but in His time. Not when we think He should, but when He knows the time is right. That’s where trust comes in.
We need to trust. We need to obey.
Trust in the God of the universe. Obey His command to love as He has loved.
Trust in His timing.
