David & Goliath

John considers the story of the basket of ripe fruit in Amos 8:1-14.A Basket of Ripe Fruit1 This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: a basket of ripe fruit. 2 "What do you see, Amos?" he asked. "A basket of ripe fruit," I answered. Then the LORD said to me, "The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 3 "In that day," declares the...

Richard reflects on Amos 7:10-17 and the amazingly named Amaziah.Amos and Amaziah10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: "Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11 For this is what Amos is saying: " 'Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile...

"There are a lot of us out there — people who know what they SHOULD think about the Bible, but who actually think something quite different. We're told the Bible is the inspired word of God; then we read bits which are violent, disgusting or utterly weird. We're told it should fill us with joy and gratitude, only to encounter significant chunks that seem irrelevant, incomprehensible...