Exiit qui seminat - God will not abandon them!
In our first reading from the Book of the Prophet Amos, we hear spoken the land of Judah and the nation of Israel. It can be a little confusing at times because these terms can be used interchangeably as part of the same people. But in this case, Judah and Israel are two entirely different places. Amos was a prophet during the time period designated by biblical scholars as the Divided Kingdom. Remember that Saul, the first king of Israel, was the first person to bring all of the 12 tribes together into one nation. That nation only lasted through the reigns of King David and his son, Solomon. After Solomon's death in 930 BC, Solomon's son, Rehoboam, takes over. Because Rehoboam is a harsher king than Solomon, his father, the 12 northern tribes turn to Jeroboam, not part of the line of David, to be their king. The Northern Kingdom becomes known as Israel and the Southern Kingdom, which comprise the two tribes of David, is called Judah and contains not only the city of Jerusalem, but also the temple and the true worship of God. Jeroboam, as King of Israel, creates a parallel religion to Judaism and does things that are contrary to the commands of the Lord. Jeroboam creates a priesthood that is not from the line of Aaron or Levi. He creates altars for sacrifice in places other than Jerusalem, like Bethel and Samaria. Yet even though the Northern Kingdom of Israel totally rejected the proper worship of God, the Lord does not abandon them and constantly calls the nation of Israel back to Him. That's why the Lord sent prophets like Elijah, Elisah, Amos and Hosea to the North, not to condemn them, but to save them. Through all of this, God reminds us that there are no such things as hopeless causes, because even though a large group of His Chosen People totally abandon the Lord, He does not abandon them!
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Fr. Rob Sinatra
