SIFTING THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
“For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.” (Amos 9:9 NKJV). Speaking through His holy prophet Amos, God indicated His intention to sift His people, Israel, among all nations where they were scattered. Much like grain is passed through a sieve in order to separate and remove the fine stones and other debris from the kernels, God intended for His people to be sifted by adversity to separate all of the impurities and uncleanness from them and present them as a holy and righteous nation among the nations of the world. Sifting is but one of the four-part processes used in preparing grain for human consumption. Threshing, winnowing, sifting and milling must all be applied before the fine flour can be baked into breads and cakes of various types. The goal is to have a loaf that is free from any foreign objects: a pur...