Amos 9, 13-15

13. The LORD gives Amos a vision of the future. It is a future in which there is no waiting for the good things that we must wait for in this life. The good things will come immediately.

Instead of plowing and sowing and waiting and reaping--actually, this would make more sense if it said "the reaper will overtake the plowman"--but it says the reverse.

The treader of grapes overtakes the one who sows seed--that makes more sense as a way of describing immediate results.

"The mountains will drip sweet wine"--I guess that means that we will get wine without having to do the work of producing it.

"The hills will be dissolved"--I'm not sure what that means. Elsewhere I think it refers to the proud being humbled.

14. Here, the LORD says that He will "restore the captivity of My people Israel." Is that referring to a remnant of the northern kingdom--or is it a remnant of the southern kingdom? I thought the northern kingdom was under total condemnation, no one excepted, with no future restoration.

Here the LORD speaks of people returning to the land and planting vineyards, making gardens and enjoy the fruit thereof.

Which ruined cities will they be rebuilding? Those of the northern kingdom?

15. In the final verse, the LORD says that the LORD will plant the remnant back in the land and they will never again be removed from it, the land that the LORD gave them.

Is this a message of hope for the northern kingdom? Is there a faithful remnant? Or will the descendants of the scattered ones be a faithful remnant who will then return?