Amos 7

7: 1 Thus the Lord God shewed me: and, behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings. And it came to pass that when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small. The LORD repented concerning this: It shall not be, saith the LORD. Thus the Lord God shewed me: and, behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire; and it devoured the great deep, and would have eaten up the land. Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small. The LORD repented concerning this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord God. Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more: and the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-el sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land. Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: but prophesy not again any more at Beth-el: for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house. 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 dresser of sycomore trees: and the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. 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; 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 thyself shalt die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.

8: 1, 2 Thus the Lord God shewed me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. 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 Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God: the dead bodies shall be many; in every place shall they cast them forth with silence. Hear this, O ye that would swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail, saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat? making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit; that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes, and sell the refuse of the wheat. The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works. Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? yea, it shall rise up wholly like the River; and it shall be troubled and sink again, like the River of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and the young men faint for thirst. They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, As thy God, O Dan, liveth; and, As the way of Beer-sheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

WITH the closing of the sixth chapter the record of the preaching of Amos ceases. He has found that his work has been in vain. There now comes before him a series of visions which disclose in broad outlines the future of the Hebrew people, especially of the kingdom of Israel. These visions are five in number. The first four differ from the last in that they teach in allegory, while the fifth is a direct manifestation of the Lord Himself. Succeeding these visions is the promise to the faithful. The first and second visions, of the locusts devouring “the latter growth after the king’s mowing,” and of the fire from the great deep that “would have eaten up the land,” show God’s mercy in that He saves Jacob at the prayer of Amos because “he is small.” The lessons of the third and fourth make known the approaching end of the national life. The nation tried by the plumb line is found deserving of destruction. As to a basket of summer fruit, to Israel the end is near.

Between the narratives of the third and fourth visions there is told an incident by which we may learn something of the times. Because of his fearless preaching Amos has aroused the fear and hatred of Amaziah, “the priest of Bethel.” Amaziah seeks to stir up King Jeroboam by saying that the bold peasant is engaged in conspiracy against the throne. To the priest’s command to flee out of Israel into Judah Amos replies that it is the Lord’s errand on which he has come, and closes by renewing his prophecy of evil for the priest and his family, and of captivity for Israel. It is the old story, how the wicked are self-convicted when they stand in the presence or hear the message of the good.

After the fourth vision follows that terrible prediction, “Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing of the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” Chancellor.

Chap. 7. This chapter records three successive visions, shown to the prophet, each indicating the judgments impending over the land (verses 1-9); then an attempt made by Amaziah, an idol priest of Bethel, to prevent Amos from prophesying more in Bethel, and to send him back into Judah; with the defence made by Amos, and the response made by the Lord (verses 10-17).

1. That this is a vision presented to the spiritual eye of the prophet is indicated by the language, “Thus did the Lord God show me” -i.e., cause me to see. He saw the Lord forming grasshoppers. They were young, but fast coming forward for their work of destruction; and he saw God’s hand in them. The time was just when the meadows were putting forward their second growth—the after math. 2. He prayed that the Lord would forgive the sin for which this scourge was sent, and used this plea: “By whom else shall Jacob arise”—i.e., stand, live; “for he is weak” and without strength against God, and against such agents of destruction as these. H. C. 3. The Lord repenteth for this. He suspended the full execution of His purpose, listening, as it would seem, to the prophet’s supplication. It was after the locusts had eaten what they could find, that this concession was granted. The word this therefore points, not to what was past, but to some greater, unnamed calamity that was to follow. A respite was granted. B. C.—The Lord heard his prayer and changed His purpose, sparing the land the judgments which this vision portended. A clear and striking case of prevailing prayer, even when God’s purpose to destroy was not only formed, but made known. H. C.

He that foretold the judgment in his preaching to the people, yet deprecated it in his intercessions for them. He is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee. It was the business of prophets to pray for those whom they prophesied to, and so to make it appear that though they denounced they did not desire the woeful day. Therefore God showed His prophets the evils coming that they might befriend the people, not only by warning them, but by praying for them, and standing in the gap to turn away God’s wrath, as Moses, that great prophet, often did. H.

4-6. In the second vision he heard the Lord calling for the action of fire. The original words imply a controversy, or legal judicial issue by fire, probably only in the general sense of a judgment on the people for their sins. Appalling to behold, this fire seemed to devour the great deep, and to eat up the dry land also. I construe this as a vision, and symbolic of some all-consuming desolation, doubtless by war and conquest. Again the prophet prays, but not in this case as before—“forgive”—which, if answered, would have averted the judgment; but, “desist,” cut short this judgment; let it be arrested midway. He uses the same plea as before, in the same words; and the Lord answered to the precise extent of his request. He desisted, after the judgment had run a part of its course. The scourge of war and indeed of captivity came, but probably with the less severity because of the prophet’s prevailing prayer. These cases, as thus recorded, must have been designed of God to encourage His people to come before Him with most importunate prayer that He would avert, either in part or wholly, the judgments which He seemed about to inflict on a guilty people. H. C.

6. “The Lord repented for this.” He did not change His mind, for He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? But He changed His way, took another course, and determined to deal in mercy, and not in wrath. He said again, This also shall not be. The caterpillars were countermanded, were remanded, a stop put to the progress of the fire, and thus a reprieve was granted. See the power of prayer, of effectual, fervent prayer, and how much it avails, what great things it prevails for! A stop has many a time been put to a judgment by making supplication to the Judge. This was not the first time that Israel’s life was begged and so saved. See what a blessing praying people, praying prophets are to a land, and therefore how highly they ought to be valued. Ruin had many a time broken in if they had not stood in the breach and made good the pass. See how ready, how swift, God is to show mercy, how He waits to be gracious! Amos moves for a reprieve, and obtains it, because God inclines to grant it, and looks about to see if there be any that will intercede for it (Isa. 59:16). Nor are former reprieves objected against further instances of mercy, but are rather encouragements to pray and hope for them. This also shall not be any more than that. It is the glory of God that He multiplies to pardon, that He spares and forgives to more than seventy times seven times. H.

Amos, in point of efficacious prayer, as well as earnest desire, is to be numbered with Abraham, and Jacob, and Moses, and Elijah, and all the rest who have had power with God and prevailed. Oh, wonderful proof of that law of love which dwells in the bosom of Jehovah, the ground and guide of all other law—that the helplessness of the creature has power with the omnipotent Creator—that the great God saves Israel because Israel is small! And (marvellous encouragement to prayer!) the confession of this, not lengthened arguments, but the simple, earnest cry of conscious feebleness, arrests the arm of Omnipotence! And what a reason to intercede for one’s church, one’s country, one’s household, one’s wife, one’s child, one’s friend, is this, that the Tekcan herdsman cried, the man oppressed and hated by kings and courts, the poor peasant on whom the nobles at Bethel looked down with scorn—he cried, and his cry went up to Him, and there came down, if not a reprieve, a respite for a whole guilty land! Stoughton.

7-9. The third vision will be better understood if we consider that the prophets speak of a measuring line as marking off for destroying as well as for creating; for casting down, no less than for building up. (See 2 K. 21:13; Isa. 34:11; Lam. 2:8) So here, this plumbline evinces the moral obliquity of the people and their consequent fitness for destruction. God will not any more pass by them, but will take them in hand for scourging and for ruin. The “high places of Isaac” were those elevated sites so constantly chosen for idol temples and idol worship. The “sanctuaries of

Israel” were their idol temples and shrines. These were doomed to utter destruction, and at least by implication the whole land as well. The “house of Jeroboam” the Lord would cut off by the sword. He did so; Shallum (2 K. 15: 10) conspired against Zachariah, son and successor of Jeroboam, and thus ended the royal line of his house. It should be noted that in this third vision nothing is said of the prophet’s interceding by prayer for the removal or even the mitigation of this judgment. He saw that it was most righteously deserved, and fully fixed in the counsels of Jehovah, and therefore he forebore to press any plea for its reversal. Essentially the same answer must be given to the question, Why did he pray “forgive” in reference to the first threatened judgment, and only “desist” upon the second? “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.” The conditions of acceptable prayer being fully met on our part, the Lord, on His part, will lead our minds in prayer, aiding us thus to ask for those things, and only those, which He is pleased to grant. H. C.

7. A wall made by a plumb-line is a wall made according to such a line, straight, perpendicular. It had been built with care and judgment, by rule and measure. By the same should it be destroyed. I will set a plumb-line, and that in the midst of Israel, for the overthrow was not to be limited to a part, but was to embrace all. In other passages the plumb-line is spoken of as employed no less in destruction than in erection. B. C.

The wall here we may regard as representing the law of God. That law was made by a plumb-line. It was squared to correspond with the immutable justice of the builder. All its sides are perpendicular; all its angles are right angles. There are no leaning towers about it; no nooks or corners where a sinner can hide; no curves in which strength is sacrificed to beauty. The law stands, massive and firm, like a solid cube, every stone in it fitted perfectly to all the other stones. No part of it can ever totter or crumble. Till heaven and earth pass away not one jot or tittle of the law can fail. But why does He who built the wall stand by it still holding the plumb-line in His hand? Surely not to test the wall itself and see if it is plumb. He knows that it is on such solid foundations and so solidly built that no variation, not even the slightest, is possible. He stands there to test the conformity of men to the requirements of the law—to see how far their characters and lives vary from its standard of perfection.

That is the position of the great Law-giver from age to age—not under the old dispensation merely, but also under the new—standing by His law with a plumb-line in His hand. He is holding that plumb-line beside each one of us. While we talk, while we toil, while we think, He is measuring our “want of conformity” to His holy law. And He notes all the variations. Now it is written that we leaned so many degrees toward the world; now that lust or passion warped and twisted us; now that, moving from the true foundation, our little wall settled, and it would have fallen if He had not upheld it by His grace. Solemn is this vision of the Holy One standing with the plumb-line in His hand. It is a vision that Christians need to study. Interior.

9. “The high places of Isaac” were the altar and grove of Beersheba, where Isaac dwelt and built an altar; this place was afterward abused to idolatry (chap. 5: 5). “The sanctuaries of Israel” were the places set apart for idolatrous worship, such as Bethel, Gilgal and Beersheba. The word “sanctuary” is used for an idolatrous temple (Isa. 16: 12). I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. This was fulfilled when Shallum conspired against Zechariah, the son of Jeroboam, and slew him (2 K. 15: 10); he was the last that reigned of that family. W. Loeth.

10-17. Amaziah, high priest of the calf-worship at Bethel, alarmed both at the stern menace of these predictions and at the deep effect which they are exercising upon the people, carries to the king an exaggerated and distorted version of the words of Amos, and reports him as a traitor. The king apparently does not personally interfere, but Amaziah, on his own authority, orders Amos to leave the royal chapel and city of Bethel, and return to his herds at Tekoah. Amos, before he shakes the dust of Bethel off from his feet, denounces on Amaziah the awful judgment. He has been called from his peasant-toil to prophesy, and the priest has forbidden him to “drop” God’s Word against the house of Isaac. Farrar.

10. He makes a calumnious charge against Amos. He asserts that he had conspired against the king. There does not appear to have been the slightest ground for this accusation. The prophet had not questioned the king’s power, nor made any attempt against his life. He had not entered into any secret league with others; but as God’s messenger he had denounced idolatry, and foretold the extinction of the royal house. This was constructive treason in the eyes of Amaziah, and he availed himself of this false plea against an obnoxious opponent, simply because he thought it would have most weight with the king. From the words of the message we may infer that the preaching of Amos in the midst of the house of Israel had not been fruitless.

11. For thus Amos saith.** Amaziah speaks of Amos as of one who utters his own words and thoughts, not of one claiming Divine authority. He sends the king a summary of those words with which the land had been filled. But brief as it is, part is false, and the remainder an unfair account of the prophet’s teaching as a whole. Amos had not said that Jeroboam should die by the sword. It was the house of Jeroboam, his family, that was so threatened. Had he really predicted the king’s violent death, a jealous ruler might have suspected him of treason, of taking measures to make his words good. Hence this perversion of his prophecy by Amaziah. For the rest, Amos had indeed foretold the captivity of the people, but there is no mention of the crying sins denounced, which were its cause, or of the encouragement offered to the penitent. B. C.

12,13. Amaziah then seeks to dissuade Amos from any further prophecy against Israel, and urges him to return to the land of Judah. B.—Retire home to thy own country of Judah, and there bestow thy pains and admonitions; but venture not any more to vent thy prophecies in Bethel; for thou knowest the condition of this place; it is both the king’s sanctuary for his devotion and the king’s court for state; meddle not any more with prophesying here lest thou provoke the king’s anger against thee. Bp. Hall.—Flee thee away thither with all speed, and there eat bread and prophesy there; there thou wilt be safe, there thou wilt be welcome, the king’s court and chapel there are on thy side; the prophets there will second thee, the priests and princes will take notice of thee, and allow thee an honorable maintenance. How willing wicked men are to get clear of their faithful reprovers, and how ready to say to the seers, See not, or see not for us. H.

14,15. Amos first gives his own personal defence. With beautiful simplicity he replies: “I was no prophet; I did not come up unto this profession because my father was a prophet before me; but I was earning my bread by honest labor when the Lord took me from following the flock, and said, ‘Go, prophesy unto My people Israel,’ not Judah, as you propose, but Israel. How could I do otherwise than obey this Divine mandate?” H. C.

The answer of Amos is a calm refutation of Amaziah’s insinuations. He did not belong to the order of the prophets, nor was he a prophet’s son, he had not been trained in any school of the prophets. He did not prophesy for the unworthy motives attributed to him, but simply in obedience to the command of God, who had called him to be a prophet, while engaged in an humble occupation. His aim was not bread, or profit, or honor, but merely to do God’s bidding. He was a simple herdman when the summons came. He uses a term commonly restricted to those who took charge of the larger cattle. But the context shows that he was a shepherd—the Lord took me as I followed the flock—and with this agrees the rare word with which, at the opening of his prophecy, he had described his occupation (see on 1:1). He adds that he was a gatherer of sycamore fruit, or more exactly, a dresser, cultivator of sycamores. B. C.

16,17. The rest of his reply comes directly from the Lord Himself. Thou hast forbidden me to prophesy against Israel; for this impiety the Lord reveals to thee thy doom—thy wife a harlot in the city; thy sons and daughters falling by the sword; thy landed estates divided by line to others; thou thyself shall die in a foreign and so in a polluted land, and the nation shall be carried away into captivity—a fearful warning against interfering with the Divine mission of God’s faithful prophets! This captivity was to Assyria, effected by Tiglath-pileser n.c. 722, or sixty-two years after the death of this Jeroboam. H. C.

Amos closes all by using the exact words which he was charged with having uttered (verse 11). Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land. The words are the very same in Hebrew, though they have been varied by our translators. The people so often reproved for idolatry and other sins, but all in vain, shall be carried away by the enemy, and settled in a foreign land. B. C.

Chap. 8. This chapter opens with the last vision in this series of four (verses 1, 2), which is followed by further details of the great and damning sins of the people, and of the terrible judgments then impending. H. C.

Three times Israel had been summoned by Amos to hear this word of warning and rebuke (chap. 3:1; 4:1; 5:1); then came (in chap. 6:1) the startling cry of Woe! As Augustine has said, “With what a crash is it hurled, as it were, to awaken their stupefied senses!” And then had followed (in chap. 7) the series of visions in which they had been shown the

meaning of God’s repeated judgments, His longsuffering toward them. It shall not be, saith the Lord (verse 3); This also shall not be, saith the Lord (verse 6); but at last the certain punishment, I will not again pass them by (forgive them) any more.