Amos 7

First Vision

“God was forming a swarm of locusts.” Remember that God is behind all the destruction. We need saved from God’s wrath.

Locusts almost always represent enemy armies.

The king’s mowing was the exploitative practice of requiring all Israelites to give their first mowing to the king for hay.

The Lord relented of this

Same as Genesis 6:6 “6 So the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”

Exodus 32:14 “14 So the Lord relented of the harm which He said He would do to His people.”

Jonah 3:10 “10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their evil way, then God relented of the disaster which He had declared He would bring on them. So He did not do it.”

Second Vision

The great deep may be a reference to the people Revelation 17:15 “15 And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the prostitute sits are peoples and multitudes, and nations and languages.”

Another possibility is water being consumed, which means drought.

Third Vision

Plumb line is used for construction.

Notice Amos doesn’t intercede in this vision. This vision has an undeniable standard of justice to it. Perhaps Amos can’t intercede when such a standard is plainly shown. Or, perhaps the plum line gives a little hope for those who actually do measure up against it, whereas locusts and fire would not discriminate against good or evil.

I think God has Jesus in mind.

Amos never says “the God of Israel” to prevent giving false hope to Israel, but God still calls them my people. Amos repeatedly calls him Lord God, which means sovereign Lord. God repeatedly says “My people.” Amos calls them Jacob to God, hopefully intending to remind God of his covenant.

The prophesy come true in 2 Kings 15:8–10 “8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in Samaria for six months. 9 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his fathers had done; he did not desist from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel. 10 Then Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and struck him in the presence of the people and killed him, and reigned in his place.”

Amaziah’s downfall

Just like Elijah, Jeremiah, Jesus, and Paul: Amos was accused of treason against Israel.

“Priest of Bethel” ominous, since Bethel was already a condemned city of idolatrous worship.

Amaziah falsely believes Amos is prophesying for his income. Amos clarifies that he’s a landman and he’s only prophesying because God called him. This reminds me of me.

Amaziah tries to stop Amos from prophesying, which fulfills Amos 2:12 “12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine, And you commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’”

Notice the contrast in v16-17. God says to Amaziah “you are saying ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you prophesy against the house of Isaac.’” This is directly contradictory to God’s command that Amos go prophesy to My people Israel. Therefore God says to Amaziah “Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line, and you yourself will die upon unclean soil. Furthermore Israel will certainly go from its land into exile”.