 |
Warning Visions
7 This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings. When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,
“O Lord GOD, please forgive!
How can Jacob stand?
He is so small!”
The LORD relented concerning this:
“It shall not be,” said the LORD.
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, the Lord GOD was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. Then I said,
“O Lord GOD, please cease!
How can Jacob stand?
He is so small!”
The LORD relented concerning this:
“This also shall not be,” said the Lord GOD.
This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold, I am setting a plumb line
in the midst of my people Israel;
I will never again pass by them;
the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Amos Accused
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said,
“‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel must go into exile
away from his land.’”
And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”
Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ Now therefore hear the word of the LORD.
“You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’
Therefore thus says the LORD:
“‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city,
and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,
and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line;
you yourself shall die in an unclean land,
and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’”
(ESV)
Amos 7 Commentary
by Hank Workman
This chapter looks like a story right out of Jeremiah’s life. The prophet Amos has 3 visions – locusts, fire, and plumb line. Representing God’s destruction of Israel, amazingly the first two are halted by God after Amos pleads for mercy. What a powerful note to pause on – the prayers of a true Believer were answered by God. Even in the midst of anger, His mercy shines through when His faithful Followers intercede!
The third vision, however, is not objected by Amos and the chapter strangely goes in a different direction in verse 10, talking about Amaziah and his problems with Amos. Why such a strange twist? My interpretation is that Amos, being a prophet, delivered the message from the third vision God had given him. It is the plumb line vision. We see in the message that God is “raising his sword against Jeroboam.” (King of Israel) Just like we saw in Jeremiah, the people don’t like to hear the warnings of God, only what sounds good to their ears.
Amaziah, a pagan priest, challenges Amos’ word by sending a letter to the king. He also directly confronts Amos personally. He tells him to go back to Judah (Amos was from Judah but was a prophet called to Israel), and orders him to stop preaching at Bethel.
Amos’ words are direct and strong as he relays what God really thinks about him and his ways:
“‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city,
and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,
and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line;
you yourself shall die in an unclean land,
and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’”
The Message translation is even more shocking.
Your wife will become a whore in town.
Your children will get killed.
Your land will be auctioned off.
You will die homeless and friendless.
And Israel will be hauled off to exile, far from home.”
Shocking. The wrestling match is what application does it bring for us today?
- The power of prayer is front and center. Amos pleaded with God over Israel and He listened.
- Amos was courageous to say what needed to be said even in the face of adversity. He didn’t back down from his calling or what God had instructed him to speak to the pagan priest at that time.
Here is the challenge:
“A plumb line was a device used to ensure the straightness of a wall. If a wall was not straight it will eventually collapse.”
The Life Application Bible
It is imperative we are all individually right with God to be used by Him fully and in whatever situation He has brought us into. As the Holy Spirit works continually, besides the comfort and strength He brings; He also is prevalent and works through conviction of things in our lives that are not pleasing. Sin tends to make us crooked and we can and will collapse if we don’t align ourselves with the plumb line of God.
This is where the Word of God must be sewn into our hearts every day. For the plumb line of His Word makes us aware of the sin in our lives and upon confession of where we are struggling or where He has revealed thoughts not pleasing, There is simply no other option but to align ourselves with Him or we will fall.
As God’s plumb line dangles beside your life this day, how are you measuring up and being shored up to the straightness of which He calls?
Amos 7 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
In Genesis, Abraham pled with God over Sodom. In Exodus, Moses interceded for Israel. Here, Amos does the same. Although Amos would later give a prediction for God’s people, he first would go to his knees over their sin. This is important and we can’t overlook it’s relevance today.
Amos saw what Israel did not. They believed they were strong and mighty; Amos knew they were small and weak. They were blind to the coming judgment of God; Amos knew the vivid details that the Lord had planned against them. Amazingly, God relented in response to Amos’ prayer.
“This is another amazing example of how much rests upon prayer. We may debate endlessly how this incident reflects on the issues of predestination and human responsibility, but clearly we are left with the impression that the plague either came or was held back based on the prophet’s prayer.”
David Guzik
Just like Amos, we are called to intercede for others. This includes those who aren’t saved and are continually blinded by their own sin. I am often baffled at the thought of what our world would look like if the Church took the Bible seriously enough to intercede with this kind of passion and fervor. Many of us resort to complaining about someone before we will pray for them. Many of us will simply stop investing in others when we encounter one who lives in the same vicious cycle of sin.
Amos interceded for a wicked generation. He charged into a spiritual battle for people who honestly deserved to be wiped off the face of the Earth. Jesus did the same for us and called us to follow. Who are you currently interceding for?