Bible Question:
Amos6-7 Reading these chapter having a HARD TIME understanding how many opportunities for repentance did GOd give Israel in the visions given to Amos and what does "God relented mean? Thank you so much. God Bless |
Bible Answer: Greetings Oneness Holy, The phrase "God relented" (Jonah 3:10) means simply that God would withhold the calamity that He had declared that He would bring upon the people, since they either repented of their sinful ways, as in Jonah, or someone had prayed for them (Genesis 20:7). Throughout the entire Old Testament, God shows His great, divine patience with the sinfulness of the nation of Israel, the nation that He chose for His own possession. Israel would turn to idolatry, then the Lord would pronounce judgment through one of His prophets, and then Israel would in time repent and then turn back to Him. This happened over and over again, even though the promised Messiah had not yet come. I believe that in Amos 7 when God is about to bring judgment by fire to Israel (Amos 7:4), Amos simply makes a plea to the Lord to spare Israel, since the nation would be powerless to withstand the calamity that the Lord would bring upon them. And the Lord relented, in response to the prophet's intercession for Israel (Genesis 20:7), even though forgiveness from the Lord would not be given unless they repented. Blessings to you, Makarios |