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Amos 8:1-3 Amos, what do you see? - Day 323

This is an interesting passage to me because it highlights the sound of different Hebrew words that are completely unrelated.  God gives Amos a vision of a basket of summer fruit.  Now God knows what He has shown Amos, so the question is to determine if Amos accurately sees what he has been shown.  I think that Amos was probably wondering why God showed him a basket of summer fruit.  It doesn't seem to have much application to his task as a prophet.  Strong's notes that word for summer fruit sounds like the word for end.  So when Amos sees the summer fruit he is seeing the end.

Then the Lord explains that the end has come upon Israel.  Now the vision and the meaning are perfectly clear.

Note that the prophet accurately sees the vision, but still needs God to explain what it means.  Reminds me of 2 Peter1:20-21 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Amos doesn't get to interpret what he sees.  In much the same way, any one who teaches or preaches the Word is bound to stick to what God says it means. If we teach anything that conflicts with Scripture, we have gone astray  

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