Amo 5:8 | KingComments | STEP | The connection between and is as follows. In the actions of people are described. This is in stark contrast with Him to Whom they are accountable, namely the LORD the Almighty, as describes Him. He is able to bring a sudden judgment about them. From the twisted state of man, Amos’ gaze goes to the Almighty in His incorruptible majesty, who only needs to speak one word and man is no more. God’s actions are completely different from those of man. With Him everything runs via a fixed pattern. His actions are transparent and not crooked like those of man. You can rely on Him. Just look at nature and at His hand in history. “The Pleiades” is a galaxy that consists of seven big stars and a large number of smaller ones. The Hebrew name for “Orion” means ‘strong’, ‘hero’, ‘giant’ and seems to indicate that it is a mighty constellation. Both names also occur in Job ( ). In the ancient East these two constellations served to indicate the change of seasons. God also took care of the alternation between day and night, a process that continues without anyone being able to stop it. This is also how it goes with the cycle of the rain, which is controlled by Him ( ). What happens in nature is an illustration of the judgmental action of the LORD and can be applied to our daily lives. He can change the deepest misery and sadness into joy and happiness. It can also change the bright day of prosperity into a night of woe and disaster. In “deep darkness” the horrors of the night ( ), especially those of death itself ( ) and of spiritual misery ( ), are recognized. The Almighty can change the deep darkness into the light of a new morning, and the deepest misery into happiness and salvation. He can also darken the bright day of happiness into the dark night of misfortune. He is also able to summon the waters of the sea – like once the deluge – and pour them out over the earth and annihilate the wicked. The words of this verse refer to the judicial acts of the Almighty in the world’s space. F.B. Meyer sees in this verse an exuberant invitation from God to seek Him. He makes the following beautiful application of this verse: ‘God made the Pleiades, which introduces spring and from which the word goes: Seek Him when life is full of wonderful perspectives and promises, in days of love and joy. But He also made the Orion, the harbinger of the storm. This speaks of autumn, where the message sounds: Be sure to seek Him when the sky is covered with clouds and He forces you to get in the boat and brave the storm.’ He also changes “deep darkness into morning”. That is, He changes the shadow of death into the light of the dawning day. He gives relief in hopeless matters or illnesses. When that happens, we may seek Him to thank Him for that. We may also seek Him when He darkens day into night. When the waters overflow us and all the works of man are destroyed, we may flee to the Name of the LORD Who is a strong tower.

‏ Amos 5:8

God’s Majesty

The connection between Amos 5:7 and Amos 5:8 is as follows. In Amos 5:7 the actions of people are described. This is in stark contrast with Him to Whom they are accountable, namely the LORD the Almighty, as Amos 5:8 describes Him. He is able to bring a sudden judgment about them.

From the twisted state of man, Amos’ gaze goes to the Almighty in His incorruptible majesty, who only needs to speak one word and man is no more. God’s actions are completely different from those of man. With Him everything runs via a fixed pattern. His actions are transparent and not crooked like those of man. You can rely on Him. Just look at nature and at His hand in history.

“The Pleiades” is a galaxy that consists of seven big stars and a large number of smaller ones. The Hebrew name for “Orion” means ‘strong’, ‘hero’, ‘giant’ and seems to indicate that it is a mighty constellation. Both names also occur in Job (Job 9:9 ; Job 38:31). In the ancient East these two constellations served to indicate the change of seasons.

God also took care of the alternation between day and night, a process that continues without anyone being able to stop it. This is also how it goes with the cycle of the rain, which is controlled by Him (Jer 14:22).

What happens in nature is an illustration of the judgmental action of the LORD and can be applied to our daily lives. He can change the deepest misery and sadness into joy and happiness. It can also change the bright day of prosperity into a night of woe and disaster. In “deep darkness” the horrors of the night (Job 24:17), especially those of death itself (Job 3:5 ; 10) and of spiritual misery (Isa 9:1), are recognized.

The Almighty can change the deep darkness into the light of a new morning, and the deepest misery into happiness and salvation. He can also darken the bright day of happiness into the dark night of misfortune. He is also able to summon the waters of the sea – like once the deluge – and pour them out over the earth and annihilate the wicked. The words of this verse refer to the judicial acts of the Almighty in the world’s space.

F.B. Meyer sees in this verse an exuberant invitation from God to seek Him. He makes the following beautiful application of this verse:

‘God made the Pleiades, which introduces spring and from which the word goes: Seek Him when life is full of wonderful perspectives and promises, in days of love and joy. But He also made the Orion, the harbinger of the storm. This speaks of autumn, where the message sounds: Be sure to seek Him when the sky is covered with clouds and He forces you to get in the boat and brave the storm.’

He also changes “deep darkness into morning”. That is, He changes the shadow of death into the light of the dawning day. He gives relief in hopeless matters or illnesses. When that happens, we may seek Him to thank Him for that. We may also seek Him when He darkens day into night. When the waters overflow us and all the works of man are destroyed, we may flee to the Name of the LORD Who is a strong tower.