Renewed Hope: Reflection on Amos' Message of Restoration
July 6, 2024 - Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Amos 9:11-15
It was 5 in the morning. I was queuing for bread, but the bakery would not open until 7 am. I brought a book with me to escape the harsh reality of life into a fictional story of adventure where good always triumphs over evil. The queue was already long, but I hoped that I could still get a loaf of bread for my family. Everywhere, people were talking about the economic crisis we were in, and everyone blamed the government officials for it. But nobody offered any words of consolation—most of us thought it could never end. But then John Paul II came and ignited hope in us.
Amos: The Prophet of Social Justice
Today, we conclude our journey with Amos, the prophet of social justice. Until now, we have heard how Amos exposed the sins of his people and prophesied the incoming national disaster. Today, however, as the book concludes, we hear the message of restoration: "I will plant them upon their own ground; never again shall they be plucked from the land I have given them, says I, the LORD, your God" (Amos 9:15).
The Biblical Pattern of Renewal
The Bible is a unique book in many different ways, but one aspect that is worth highlighting in relation to Amos' message is the pattern of renewal that follows a disaster. We see it for the first time in the story of the Flood and then repeated in the story of Israel's tragic year of 586 BC when the Babylonians burned the magnificent temple built by Solomon. This pattern is also found in the New Testament, particularly in the second letter of Peter and the book of Revelation, where the old creation, after an "apocalyptic end," gives way to a new creation.
Embedded Hope in Jewish Tradition
This pattern is so embedded in the Jewish religious tradition that the editors of the Jewish Bible even amend the endings of those books which end with a message of judgment. For example, the book of Isaiah in the Christian Bible ends with a terrible vision of the fate of those who rebelled against God: "The worms that eat them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never be put out. The sight of them will be disgusting to all people" (Isaiah 66:24). But the Jewish Bible never ends in this way. Instead, a previous verse that is part of a prophecy about the new creation is repeated after verse 24, and the book ends on a positive note: "And new moon after new moon, and sabbath after sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship Me, says the Lord" (Isaiah 66:23).
Sustaining Our Hope
The Bible is the book that sustains our hope. A punishment is always an educational punishment that teaches us to take responsibility for our decisions because our choices have consequences. But punishment does not have the last word in the biblical story. As the sun rises after a thunderstorm, so renewal comes after a tragedy. And so, it is said that some rabbis did not mourn over the tragedies that befell their people because they firmly believed that God's restoration was coming next and it would surpass our imagination. God is faithful to His covenant and will never abandon His people.
Conclusion
Amos speaks about the renewal of Israel despite the historical tragedy of his people being crushed by the mighty Assyrian empire in 721 BC. But his message, which is part of the larger biblical narrative, is relevant to us as well. Let us never lose hope in God's providence and His governance. He is not only capable of rebuilding "the fallen hut of David" (Amos 9:11) or providing bread to a country in its worst economic crisis. He is capable of giving us new hope that will sustain us in rebuilding the destroyed cities, planting the vineyards and gardens, and experiencing life in its fullest abundance (see Amos 9:14).