Amos Chapters 7,8,9: Commentary

Amos Chapters 7-9

In chapters 3-6 Amos had documented the reasons for God’s judgment against Israel—legal injustice, economic exploitation, religious hypocrisy, luxurious indulgence, and boastful complacency. In chapter 7 Amos began to describe the results of this coming judgment. Through a series of five visions (7:1,4,7; 8:1,9:1), he pictured God’s total destruction of the land.

Chapter 7

7:1 God gives Amos a vision. “These visions were shown to the prophet by the Lord Himself. They are not merely the result of his own reflections, but divine revelations” (Laetsch p. 175). Compare with 2 Peter 1:20-21). God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, the mighty mountains, and the oceans, creates with equal power and wisdom even the smallest creatures. God reveals to Amos that at present He is preparing an army of locusts to invade Israel. “When the spring crop began to sprout…after the king’s mowing”: The king claimed the first cutting of the grain for his military animals (1 Kings 18:5). The second crop was for the people. The timing of this invasion is crucial. “In Palestine the first growth begins in October and continues through the winter. The latter growth comes in spring after the latter rains. If this herbage was destroyed there would be no hope of recovery for the rest of the year because the rains were all past and the heat of summer was starting” (Smith p. 186). Therefore, the people would have nothing to eat for themselves.

7:2 Amos watched in his vision the devastation which the locusts were inflicting.

He immediately pleads with God to withhold this judgment. Even though Amos wasn’t a member of the northern kingdom, he still pleads that God would have mercy on them. “Jeroboam II’s proud people might think themselves invulnerable (6:1-3,8,13; 9:10), but when viewed in the face of God’s awesome

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might and wrath they were in reality so small, so helpless, so pitiable” (Bible Knowledge Comm. pp. 1444-1445).

7:3 God listened to the prayer that Amos offered (James 5:16-17; Exodus 32:1114), while the nation was not forgiven, but this particular punishment was withdrawn. Here we see the power of a prayer offered by a righteous person.

God does listen to our prayers. While we can’t repent for someone, we can pray that they are given more time to repent.

7:4 The fire in this passage probably refers to an intense drought and burning heat. The effects of such a drought would even dry up all the underground springs.

7:5-6 Amos prayed that this punishment would be averted and God once again listened to his prayer.

7:7-8 A plumb line was a cord with a lead weight used by builders to make sure that walls were constructed straight up and down. The plumb line was a symbol of judgment in the Old Testament (2 Kings 21:13; Isaiah 34:11). “The law of Moses was the yardstick by which God measured His people. The plumb line is set in the midst of His people so that each individual might be measured thereby.

All would be forced to acknowledge the justice of this sentence” (Smith pp. 188189). The nation had been built true to plumb, but now was out of line and needed to be torn down. “I will spare them no longer”: God quickly precluded any appeal from His prophet. The matter was settled. We can ask God to have mercy on people, and to give them more time, but eventually time does run out.

At which time we need to be prepared to declare that God is indeed fair, longsuffering, patient and merciful. If our best friend or most cherished loved one dies outside of Christ, we need to be prepared to proclaim that God gave them more than enough time and opportunities.

7:9 As a result, all of Israel’s idolatrous shrines would be destroyed and the dynasty of Jeroboam II would crumble under the stroke of God’s sword (2 Kings 14:29; 15:10).

How People Responded to Amos’ Preaching The incident recorded in verses 10-17 is tied to Amos’ third vision (7-9). First, it reveals the immediate historical reaction to the vision’s content. Secondly, it

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represents a concrete example of the “plumb line” in operation, this time as a test for individuals.

7:10 As Amos began to preach his vision of ruined sanctuaries and the demise of Jeroboam’s dynasty, he was challenged by Amaziah the priest of Bethel. Bethel was one of the two state sanctuaries established by Jeroboam I when in 931 B.C. he broke from Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:26-33). Here Jeroboam had established his own religion, centered around a golden calf, which the people immediately embraced. Amos is accused of conspiracy against the king and the claim is made that the land cannot endure all his words. This suggests that Amos’ preaching was very effective and was causing discontent among the worshippers in Bethel.

7:11-13 Amaziah told Amos to leave, and go back home. The expression and there eat bread is implying that Amos was a professional predictor who made his living selling prophecies (Micah 3:5,11; Ezekiel 13:17-20). This man tries to intimidate Amos, by saying, “Bethel is the king’s sanctuary, where only those can officiate who are appointed by the king…we do not need any men from Judah at our national shrine”. Many religious leaders in our society have the same attitude towards Christians which Amaziah had toward Amos: “Stop causing trouble by preaching to us.” “Who are you to say that our experts are wrong?”

7:14 Amos first asserts that he is not speaking for the money. He already had a profession which provided sufficient income. Nor, was he a prophet’s son, trained in a special school for prophets. He had not been commissioned to preach by human teachers or superiors.

7:15 God has specifically called him. In addition, God has specifically told him to preach to Israel, the northern kingdom.

7:16-17 God had a word for the priest who had dared to forbid what He had commanded. Because Amaziah had rejected God’s word against the nation, he and his family would suffer the full fate of the nation. His wife would be forced to make a living as a prostitute in the very city where once she had been among the most distinguished women. His children would be slain and his land would be taken over by foreigners. He himself would die in exile in an unclean idolatrous land. Truly, the way of the transgressor is hard (Proverbs 13:15).

People forget that their resistance to truth can bring hardship and suffering upon their family members.

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Chapter 8 The Basket of Summer Fruit 8:1-2 The Lord has shown Amos a basket of ripe summer fruit and now the time is ripe for judgment. In the Hebrew there is a play on words here. The Hebrew term for end sounds lot like the term for summer fruit. In English we would say Israel was ripe for judgment like a basket of ripe fruit. God would give them no more time.

8:3 Amos is told what this end will include. Their palace songs will be turned into wailing. There would be so many dead bodies that there would not be enough people or places to bury the dead. “When the weary mourners would finally cease their weeping, when they would lift wet eyes and questioning faces to seek a reason for the sorrow that engulfed them, they would find only silence.

No answer would come. God would have no more words to say” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 1447).

8:4-5 The businessmen in Israel were guilty of pursuing profit at all cost, and they had abused their positions to harass, suppress, and take advantage of the poor. Outwardly they observed the Sabbath and other festivals, but inwardly they impatiently fidgeted till these days of rest and worship were over. Do we resent worship services? Do we secretly feel that times to gather for bible study are inconveniences? The sacred days were an annoying interruption to their business.

8:5 In addition, they cunningly found ways to add to their profits—skimping the standard of measure so that customers got less than they paid for, boosting the price by substituting heavier shekel-weights so that customers were overcharged.

8:6 In addition, they were guilty of selling an inferior product, the sweepings of soiled and trampled grain mixed and packaged with the clean pure wheat.

“They cared nothing about human suffering or the inability of the poor to pay their prices. Instead, they forced the needy into slavery in exchange for insignificant sums, like a pair of sandals” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 1448). That is, they enslaved people for owing the amount it would cost to buy a pair of sandals, or human life was viewed so cheaply that slaves were brought and sold for a pair of shoes.

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8:7-8 The Lord has sworn by the excellency of Jacob, by all that Jacob regards as excellent and glorious. This widespread injustice and uncurbed greed spells ruin for the land. Judgment will come like the annual overflowing of the Nile, leaving the shattered ruins of farms and buildings.

8:9-10 An eclipse of the sun did happen in Palestine on June 15, 763 B.C.. But this verse is probability figurative (as is 8:8), of the sudden destruction of the nation at the height of prosperity. “Then there will be no more festivities for which money was pressed out of the poor, no more songs, nor gaudy clothes, nor marvelous hairdos, but mourning, and lamentation, and sackcloth, and baldness, the hair having been torn out in despairing grief” (Laetsch p. 181).

8:11-13 The Lord threatens a judgment far more horrible than the worst physical drought or famine. He will withdraw His word from them! They had forbidden His prophets to prophesy (Amos 2:12). In their dreadful hour of crisis, they will run to and fro, from sea to sea looking for an answer from God and God will remain silent. “No bread of life to nurture their starving soul, no drop of Gospel water to quench their awful thirst” (Laetsch p. 182). Their grief would finally move them to seek the Lord, but then it would be too late. Even the fairest maidens of the land and in the prime of life would perish. Neither beauty or strength can save them from famishing.

8:14 Those who promoted false worship will fall. “Thinking oneself wiser than God, tampering with God’s revelation;, changing, contaminating, falsifying his holy Word, substituting man’s ideas, man’s philosophy, for the eternal wisdom of the Lord is ruinous, suicidal” (Laetsch p. 182). The guilt of Samaria, is a reference to the idolatrous worship of Samaria. What Samaria worshipped was shameful or more literally, its guilt. There would be some, who right up to the very end would confidently boast that such false gods would save the nation.

Chapter 9 9:1 “At the autumn festival, when a large congregation has assembled at the sanctuary at Bethel, and the Northern monarch had approached the altar with his sacrifice (1 Kings 12:31-33), Amos saw the Lord standing by the altar. The Lord commanded, Smite the capitals, that is, strike the pillars that supported the entire structure, and that the thresholds, which were massive foundation stones would shake. Such a blow would bring the entire structure down on the heads of the worshippers. His judgment on Israel would be so severe that none would escape.

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9:2 None would escape no matter what efforts they might make. Even if they could dig into the abode of the dead, or climb into heaven, God’s judgment would still pursue them.

9:3 Some might try to take refuge in the thick forests on the top of Mount Carmel, God will still hunt them down. Even if they could live on the bottom of the ocean, they still wouldn’t be immune from His justice.

9:4 Even in captivity, far removed from the Promised Land, God would continue to punish them. “Some may have thought that Yahweh was impotent outside Palestine” (Smith p. 200).

9:5-6 These verses simply emphasize that such a God is fully able to carry out such threats. When this mighty God merely touches the earth it melts.

Impartial Judgment 9:7 Israel’s special position as His people would not save them from punishment. God would act toward them as toward any other nation within His universal domain. God is sovereign over every nation. Yes, He has brought Israel out of Egyptian bondage, but had also providentially guided the historical migrations of their arch-enemies the Philistines from Caphtor (probably another name for the island of Crete), and the Arameans from Kir (a location in Mesopotamia). As God He had reversed the destinies of those two nations (Amos 1:3-8), because of their wickedness (Jeremiah 18:1ff). In like manner, Israel would be treated the same way for her wickedness. The Ethiopians in the mind of the Israelites were a foreign and unimportant people, but God reminds Israel, He views both nations in the same light. And, God’s children are viewed as any other sinner when they rebel against Him. The above are great verses to read to anyone who believes in the idea of predestination or once-saved-alwayssaved. In these verses God is condemning a “chosen people”.

9:8 “The eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom”: “Arrogant Israel had argued that the eyes of Yahweh were upon them. They were right about that….He saw only sin, rebellion, immorality, and hypocrisy” (Smith p. 202).

They will be judged and yet not utterly destroyed. The northern kingdom and monarchy would be completely destroyed for good, yet a remnant of that nation would escape.

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9:9 God would sift this nation among all the nations as grain is sifted in a sieve.

The good grain would remain for a time in exile (in the sieve) while the bad would fall to the ground (perish). The basic idea is that in exile Israel would be purged of all her ungodly and unfaithful members, and not one truly righteous person would be lost in the entire process. Here is the power of God. He can bring destruction upon an entire nation, and yet still protect the specific individual, and all this being done providentially.

9:10 Lest there be any misunderstanding of the sieve illustration, God adds this clear explanation. The sword represents some type of violent death. Notice God labels as sinners professed believers who argue that God will never punish His people. Do we need to make some modern applications? The religious world is filled with people who argue that a Christian can’t lose their salvation, that grace will automatically cover whatever sins we commit, that God will end up saving just about everybody, that immorality or false doctrine doesn’t jeopardize your relationship with God and that God won’t really carry out the eternal condemnation mentioned so often in Scripture.

9:11 When the events in verses 8-10 have occurred, and when Israel finds herself scattered among the nations, in the New Testament era God will restore the royal dynasty of David in raising Jesus from the dead and declaring Him the King of kings and ruler over the people of God. As a result, the kingdom of the Messiah, would spread and take in many Gentiles (9:12). At the meeting in Jerusalem this text was cited to furnish Scriptural justification for Gentile evangelism (Acts 15:16f).

9:13 Having described the expansion of the Messianic kingdom (the church, which includes Jews and Gentiles, Ephesians 2:14ff), God now talks about the inward bounty that will exist in that kingdom. Blessings would be so abundant in the church (Ephesians 1:3), that they are likened to a situation in which the land is so fruitful that harvesting continues all the way up to the time of sowing for the next season. “In the kingdom of Christ, preparation, planting, cultivating, and harvesting would all be going on simultaneously” (Smith p. 205).

9:14 The church would be the true land of milk of honey. Jesus also used a figure of agricultural abundance to represent spiritual blessings (Luke 6:38).

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Closing Comment Premillennialists argue that such language is literal and refers to a Millennial reign of Jesus on the earth, yet Amos 9:11-12 is spoken of as being fulfilled in the first century when the gospel was preached to the Gentiles. In addition, the Messianic kingdom promised in the Old Testament is the church, a spiritual kingdom under the rule of the Messiah (Mark 9:1; John 18:36; Matthew 16:18-19; Colossians 1:12-14; Revelation 1:5-6). The New Testament also clearly teaches that the entire physical universe, including the earth will be destroyed when Jesus comes (2 Peter 3:9-10), and when He comes again He is not coming to set up an utopian empire, but to deliver up the kingdom that already is here (1 Corinthians 15:24). Finally, if these verses are literal, then utopia is not all it is cracked up to be. We will be constantly working (9:13), this earth will be subject to constant massive mud slides in which entire mountains dissolve, and it will be a very sticky place to live in which there is so much wine that it undermines foothills and mountain ranges. That can’t smell very good.

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