Visions of Divine Retribution: Locust, Fire, Plumb line and Confrontation (7)

Introduction:

As we move into the final chapters of this great Old Testament book of Amos, we were reminded in the last two messages that there comes a point in God’s economy where there is no turning back from his judgment on sin. We saw that instead of repenting of their sins, Israel pretended to worship God as they combined their half-hearted worship with paganism, and then we also saw that the nobility instead of repentance, just became complacent and pretended it wasn’t going to happen, leading the whole nation into complacency.

We will be introduced to, this morning, three out of four visions given to Amos in regard to how God will judge his people; next week we will look at the fourth. We will see here a dialog between the righteous judging hand of God and the pleading intercession of Amos on Israel’s behalf. We will also see, that even though Amos has faithfully proclaimed God’s word to the people, those who knew better and should have welcomed his warning, opposed him bitterly. With that in mind, turn in your bible s to Amos 7, were we will learn of the Visions of Divine Retribution: Locust, Fire, Plumb line and Confrontation.

Text: Amos 7

Amos 7 ESV

1 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. 2 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!” 3 The Lord relented concerning this: “It shall not be,” said the Lord. 4 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. 5 Then I said, “O Lord God, please cease! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!” 6 The Lord relented concerning this: “This also shall not be,” said the Lord God. 7 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. 8 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; 9 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.” 10 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. 11 For thus Amos has said, “ ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’ ” 12 And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.” 14 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. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 Now therefore hear the word of the Lord. “You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’ 17 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.’ ”

Main Idea: Since the attributes of God establish him as the ultimate authority, power, and standard in the universe, we his people should tirelessly engage in all things that magnify him.

I. Three Visions (1-9)

The first two visions have the following structure: (1) the Lord gives the vision; (2) Amos intercedes; (3) the Lord relents. This Conversation between the Lord and His prophet is an integral part of the visionary experience.

A. Locusts (1-3)

(1) 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.

locusts. This Hb. word, occurring only here and in Nah. 3:17, denotes swarming locusts just hatched.

latter growth ... king’s mowings. This verse seems to indicate that the first crop (the “king’s mowings”) represents the king’s share (cf. 5:11; 1 Kin. 12:4), while the farmer and his family depend on the second harvest for survival. Destruction of this second crop by locusts places the population at risk of starvation.

(2) 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!”

eating the grass of the land. The Hb. word for “grass” is general; all vegetation is destroyed, not just crops. In Hebrew, the whole phrase echoes the description of the locust plague in Ex. 10:12, 15 (“every plant in the land”). The Lord will punish Israel just as He punished Egypt before the exodus.

O Lord (adonay) God (Yahweh) - the one and only ultimate authority/master, who keeps makes and keeps his covenant with his people.

please forgive. Amos mediates and then pleads for God to show compassion on Israel.

(3) The Lord relented concerning this: “It shall not be,” said the Lord.

relented. Moved by intercessory appeal, the Lord is willing to relent concerning an intended punishment (cf. Ex. 32:12, 14; Joel 2:13; Jon. 3:10; Jer. 18:8). See note on Gen. 6:6. He has sworn that He will relent if the people repent, and has ordained the intercession of Amos to still his hand.

Like Amos, God does not desire to destroy his people. He is very patient (see Ex. 34:6). Unlike the moody, changeable gods of the nations, who may decide for no reason either to destroy or release, the Lord is utterly reliable: he has promised to relent in response to repentance

B. Fire (4-6)

(4) 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.

Judgment would come upon Israel like a fire so intense it would dry up the sea (the great deep) and scorch the land.

great deep ... land. The “great deep” is probably the Mediterranean Sea. The prospect of a fire that will devour sea and land echoes the covenant judgment warning in Deuteronomy 32:22 “22 For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.”

The language exceeds what happened in the OT, but foreshadows the last judgment (cf. 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 21:1), of which all previous judgments are but types.

(5) Then I said, “O Lord God, please cease! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!” - Amos intercedes again.

(6) The Lord relented concerning this: “This also shall not be,” said the Lord God. - And again, the Lord relents.

C. Plumb Line (7-9)

(7) 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.

he showed me. This and the fourth vision (which we shall look at next week from 8:1–3) have the same structure: (1) the Lord gives the vision; (2) the Lord questions Amos; (3) Amos replies; (4) the Lord explains and judges.

This third vision that God showed Amos was of a plumb line held against a wall. A plumb line is a string with a weight fastened to the end of it. When the string is placed beside a wall and the weight is allowed to hang freely, it will be apparent whether or not the wall is perfectly vertical. If the wall is leaning and it is not fixed, it will eventually collapse.

(8) 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;

Compared to the standard of God’s law, the Torah, which was the plumb line from which the wall of Israel was built, it is clear to Amos that the nation is now so far out of true vertical that the collapse cannot be prevented. Israel is hardened in sin; thus, in this case, Amos does not ask God to relent.

never again pass by them. No longer will the Lord pass over their transgressions (Mic. 7:18). Now God explains his judgment…

(9) 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.”

high places ... sanctuaries. These high places are traditional sites of pagan Canaanite worship (Deut. 12:2; 2 Kin. 17:10–12). The sanctuaries are for idolatrous or syncretistic worship. The appearance of these pagan worship centers in Israel demonstrates that the people are out of plumb with God’s standards.

Isaac - Abraham’s son of promise, the patriarch of God’s covenant, who birthed Jacob and Esau.

house of Jeroboam ... sword. Jeroboam himself might not die by the sword, but his household or family will be affected. Apparently, Jeroboam later died a natural death (2 Kin. 14:29), his son Zechariah was murdered (2 Kin. 15:10).

With these visions being revealed and explained, we take a pause in the next vision to view the response to Amos’s prophesies of judgment. It is evident, that all that Amos has been saying is being heard by not only the common people, but also the leaders both political and religious, and from this we see instead of repentance there is…

II. Religious Objection (10-15)

This autobiographical section apparently relates to the third vision, telling the reaction of Amaziah to the prophecies of Amos.

If the plumb line according to which Israel was constructed was the Torah, then the priesthood should have held Israel accountable to the Torah (Deut. 33:10; Mal. 2:6–7). But the priesthood itself was corrupt, which began back during the time of Jeroboam I, who ruined the priesthood for the northern kingdom.

1 Kings 12:31 ESV

31 He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.

Thus, there was no external standard being applied by which Israel’s true condition could be recognized and corrected. In such a case, the end truly was at hand.

A. Opposition Declared (10-11)

(10) 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.

The reference to Amaziah the priest shows that a representative of the established religious leadership, who had the ear of the king, opposed the prophecies of Amos. His words, Amos has conspired against you, were a lie.

(11) For thus Amos has said, “ ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’ ”

Jeroboam shall die by the sword. Probably an allusion to the prophecy in v. 9. Amaziah misquotes Amos so as to make Jeroboam feel more personally threatened.

B. Command to Cease (12-13)

(12) And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there,

When Amaziah called Amos a seer, his intent may have been contemptuous. This term for a prophet (2 Sam. 24:11) suggests Amos is not a member of the royal guild of prophets (who, since they were paid by the king, would speak to his pleasure), and thus has no standing in the king’s sanctuary.

eat bread there ... prophesy. Probably this means “earn your living by prophesying there in Judah.” Although it is appropriate for a prophet to be paid for his work (1 Sam. 9:6–8; but cf. Mic. 3:5, 11), Amaziah accuses Amos of being merely a prophet for hire. Amaziah’s commands here are an example of the sin of commanding the prophets not to prophesy (2:12).

(13) but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”

never again prophesy at Bethel. Amaziah the priest and those supporting him wanted only to hear messages of God’s promises of blessing and success, not messages about sin and obedience and judgment, similar to what Paul tells Timothy in 2 Tim. 4:3

2 Timothy 4:3 ESV

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom. Note that no mention is made of this being God’s sanctuary or temple. From the time when Jeroboam I established idolatry at Bethel (3:14 note) the kings of Israel have had a major influence on the cult.

Amaziah is concerned for the sanctuary of his earthly king rather than for the sanctuary of the great King, the Lord. Ironically, Amaziah as the religious official is concerned only about protecting his earthly interests—and he charges Amos with conspiring against those interests (v. 10).

Note: A future generation of priests likewise puts to death Jesus, the greatest of the prophets, out of a wrong concern to protect their own kingdom and temple, as we see in John 11:48

John 11:48 ESV

48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

One of the great ways of overcoming opposition and the affects it has on ones work for the Lord is to rehearse God’s calling on one’s life. Here Amos responds with an…

C. Explanation of God’s Calling (14-15)

Far from being humiliated at his lack of professional standing, Amos takes it as a badge of honor. He is not paid to say what he is saying, but does so solely at the command of the Lord.

(14) 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.

no prophet ... prophet’s son. Unlike other prophets, Amos’s original vocation was not the prophetic ministry, nor is he one of the so-called sons of the prophets (i.e., disciples of the prophets; 1 Kin. 20:35; 2 Kin. 2:3, 5, 7, 15). He is not a paid professional prophet. Amos is signifying that he is performing this function by the election and call of God.

herdsman- a shepherd (1:1)

dresser of sycamore figs. One who treats the fruit by appropriate cutting to ensure superior sweetness once the fruit is ripe. Amos is skilled in more than one trade (1:1 note).

(15) But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

But the LORD took me ... my people Israel. Amos flatly rejects Amaziah’s accusation (7:12) and stresses his divine call to prophesy. The same phrasing is used for the Lord’s choice of David as king in 2 Sam. 7:8

2 Samuel 7:8 ESV

8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.

The prophet’s allusion to David’s call indicates that the Lord has the sovereign right to choose both kings and prophets—and that His prophets have every right to prophesy at the “temple of the kingdom” (v. 13).

Amos was not prophesying on his own authority but on God’s authority. Therefore, in the final analysis, it’s like a judge listening to the objection of the prosecution and stating that this…

III. Objection Overruled (16-17)

A. You Say (16)

(16) Now therefore hear the word of the Lord. “You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’ - These words were spoken by Amaziah’s in verses 12-13, with no authority or power, however, …

B. The Lord Says (17)

(17) 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.’ ”

All the honor that Amaziah prized so highly would be taken from him: his wife would belong to other men indiscriminately; he would be deprived of any progeny; he would lose his property; and his profession and…

you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’  which is especially distasteful for the priest Amaziah: by living in a pagan land, he will become ritually unclean. See note on Lev. 11–16.

These terrible punishments would be heaped on this religious leader (recognized by the king but not by God) for rejecting the words of God that came through the prophet Amos.

So What?

Do we understand that God has chosen to hear a repentant sinner who deserves his judgment, and will relent of that judgment and save them through Jesus Christ?

Do we understand that the Word of God has been given to us as the only standard for our lives?

We often hear the phrase, “our standard of living”, which usually means our economic means and how we use it.

However, the scriptures must be our standard for living; the plumb line of our lives, or our walls we have built will topple.

We must work to use the Word as our go-to, and less of the world go-to’s for our daily walk.

Do we understand our calling is from God and must not be impeded in any way by our enemy?

We all have a calling as God’s children, whether it be as a husband, wife, father, mother, neighbor, teacher, engineer, housewife, etc. We have been given clear direction from the Word on how to fulfill that calling and no one has a right to stop us from obedience to God’s calling!