SCRIPTURE: Amos 9
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills, and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. 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,”says the LORD your God. [Amos 9:13-15]
Yes, God is angry at the violent and immoral behaviour of His people, no different from the corrupt, perverse lifestyles of their neighbours.
Yes, God will punish them, just like He punishes their neighbours.
But His ultimate plan still stands – to raise up a new and holy people and to grant them eternal blessing in His new, restored creation.
God symbolizes this paradise with the image of abundant, overflowing wine!

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” [Matthew 26:28-29]
The symbol of wine continues in the new testament, a symbol both of judgment (the blood of the covenant) and restored creation (drinking the fruit of the vine in the Father’s kingdom).
We need to remember that God’s justice and mercy go hand and hand, and that He cannot deny one for the other.
God cannot simply overlook sin – say to the abuser that his abuse is simply forgotten, what would this say to the abuse victim?
Every sin must be punished for justice to be maintained…
But in mercy God is prepared to pay the price for that injustice, to sacrifice His own ‘blood’ in order that we might be restored to His kingdom paradise, and drink with Him in eternity the blessing of the vine.

God’s plan has always been to allow His family to enjoy creation paradise.
The bible begins and ends in paradise; the middle section (where we live) is where we ruin paradise and God restores it – through Jesus death and resurrection.
Through His death (symbolized by wine/blood) sin is punished; through His resurrection creation and humanity are restored (symbolized by wine/feast).
God does not want anyone to suffer; He is prepared to suffer to fix the mess we made.
But those who refuse Him, who refuse His act of justice and mercy on their behalf, His only option is judgment.

PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for enduring the punishment for me. Remind me that if I accept the wine of Your blood, I will drink with You the wine of God’s blessing!