Amos and Ellie

Chapter 11

NIV
God’s Love for Israel
1“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2But the more they were called,
the more they went away from me.
They sacrificed to the Baals
and they burned incense to images.
3It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
it was I who healed them.
4I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love.
To them I was like one who lifts
a little child to the cheek,
and I bent down to feed them.
5“Will they not return to Egypt is
and will not Assyria rule over them
because they refuse to repent?
6A sword will flash in their cities;
it will devour their false prophets
and put an end to their plans.
7My people are determined to turn from me.
Even though they call me God Most High,
I will by no means exalt them.
8“How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
How can I make you like Zeboyim?
My heart is changed within me;
all my compassion is aroused.
9I will not carry out my fierce anger,
nor will I devastate Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man—
the Holy One among you.
I will not come against their cities.
10They will follow the Lord;
he will roar like a lion.
When he roars,
his children will come trembling from the west.
11They will come from Egypt,
trembling like sparrows,
from Assyria, fluttering like doves.
I will settle them in their homes,”
declares the Lord.
Israel’s Sin
12Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
Israel with deceit.
And Judah is unruly against God,
even against the faithful Holy One.

Grace: the freely given, unmerited favor of God; the spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.

To regenerate

2 Timothy 1:9
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

To love

A right environment to grow and flourish.

To be blessed

To be a blessing

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Ephesians 1:6
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Each of us may be sure that if God sends us on Stony paths he will provide us with strong shoes.

Alexander MacLaren

Credit: Youversion Bible app. NIV, KJBO. His grace, The clever factory.