Amos 8:1-2 KJV
1 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit.
2 And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.

When judgment is spoken upon God's people we must look close to find something else, a basket of fruit. Why is fruit essential here, it speaks of harvest, but it also speaks of something pleasant to eat, and something easily gathered for storage. Amos was called by God to prophesy when gathering sycomore fruit and he was a herds man. He was following the sheep when God began to speak about judgment on a seer name Amaziah in Bethel. Lord spoke through Prophet Amos judgment on Amaziah and his family, that his wife would be a harlot and his son and daughters shall fall away by the sword and there be a dividing line in the city, all before Israel goes into exile. The very thing next God speaks to Amos in the passage we are studying today we see a basket of fruit. God told Amos that the end has come to his people and he would not pass by them anymore. God was going to bring judgment to his people and not exempt them from what was coming. Yet there is a basket of fruit that must either be consumed, or allowed to rot for destruction. The fruit is there that been bore fit to eat but there Israel still would meet its destruction.

The other day I got some very ripe vegetables from the grocery store, vegetables that were marked to be toss and destroyed. Vegetables at a lesser price, but vegetables that I past by at the regular price the day before. Why because it was past it prime price for sale though it was still edible. Most will not by a bag of lettuce that browning, or a head of califoower with spots though it easy to cut the bad parts away and still use the vegetable. If I was in the open garden I grab those pieces of vegetables probably first and decide to eat it before it got worse or feed it to the rabbits, or other animals.

God's people though they be ripe for harvest, ripe for picking and perservation would go to destruction as well. Lot the nephew of Abraham in Genesis escapes Sodom and Gomorrah with his family only for his daughters to sin against their father to have children. Had God saved them to sin, thought they still were righteous at the time of Sodom and Gomorrah. The answer is no. This fruit was ready to be eaten or ready to come to a point of destruction, it had not way of doing both. Israel sin had caused her to be ripe for destruction, her people that were still righteous were ripe but would be meeting destruction as well. Though the fruit was healthy it would not bear productivity with out going into exile, to see the destruction of Israel corruption because of her sin. The fruit of basket was ripe enough for those that would be tasting of that fruit in the time of destruction. The heathens of the other places would meet the remnant of God's people and taste the goodness of her fruit and find salvation in faith in him.

Are you basket of fruit fit for the heathens or a basket of fruit ripe for other believers to consume. Are you being feed to the hogs or feed to those that are consuming the word of God with a blessing. Something to ask what do you really see in that basket of fruit. but God only ask Amos what he sees. A basket of ripe fruit. And God says Israel is ready for destruction.

What are you fruit for destruction or fruit for those already serving God and doing the will of God? There are two types of ministries in the world, one to the saved and one to the lost and often either can eat from a ripen basket. Think about who are you feeding by God's Spirit? Are you fruit worthy to be consumed by either group? Are you producing fruit of righteousness or fruit of pure destruction in your life. Fruit of pure destruction is rotten to the core, vegetables that are not worth eating, tossable by most farmers and not even fit for the hogs. Are you fruit of God that been ripe to long and not picked but worth still being fruit worthy to be consumed by someone. His your love waxed old but it still love.Amaziah in the continual scripture passage was fruit of destruction, including his family that would divide the land.

Dear Heavenly Father help us to be fruitful in our life to those that will consume your word, whether for the believers or unbelievers to produce fruit of righteousness. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Amos 7:12-17 KJV
12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court.
14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
16 Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.
17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.