Amos 7
Amos 7 presents a series of prophetic visions where God reveals His impending judgment on Israel due to their disobedience. Through three visions—locusts, fire, and a plumb line—God illustrates the severity of Israel's sins and the consequences they face. The chapter also narrates a confrontation between Amos and Amaziah, a priest in Bethel, who opposes Amos’s message, reflecting the resistance to prophetic warnings. These visions and dialogues underscore the themes of justice, repentance, and the rejection of divine correction.
Amos 7:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings.
2 And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said:
“O Lord God, forgive, I pray!
Oh, that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
3 So the Lord relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” said the Lord.
In this vision, Amos sees a swarm of locusts devouring the crops, symbolizing devastation upon Israel’s food supply. The late crop is critical, following the king’s mowings (likely a tax), indicating that any further loss would bring ruin. Amos intercedes for Israel, pleading for mercy because of their vulnerability. God responds with compassion, postponing the judgment. This interaction shows God’s willingness to relent when there is sincere intercession, despite Israel’s deserving of punishment.
Amos 7:4-6 (NKJV)
4 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, the Lord God called for conflict by fire, and it consumed the great deep and devoured the territory.
5 Then I said:
“O Lord God, cease, I pray!
Oh, that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
6 So the Lord relented concerning this. “This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.
In the second vision, God reveals a consuming fire, a metaphor for severe judgment that would devastate both land and sea. Amos again pleads with God to cease the destruction, highlighting Israel’s fragility. God’s response shows His patience and the power of intercessory prayer. This vision emphasizes that while Israel is in danger, God’s mercy can still prevail.
Amos 7:7-9 (NKJV)
7 Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made 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 not pass by them anymore.
9 The high places of Isaac shall be desolate,
And the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste.
I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam.”
The third vision introduces a plumb line, symbolizing God’s standard of righteousness and judgment. Unlike the previous visions, God declares He will not withhold judgment anymore. The high places and sanctuaries, symbols of Israel’s idolatry, will face destruction, and the ruling house of Jeroboam will experience divine retribution. This vision marks a turning point: God’s patience has limits, and justice must follow continual disobedience.
Amos 7:10-13 (NKJV)
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 shall surely be led away captive
From their own land.’”
12 Then Amaziah said to Amos: “Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, and there prophesy.
13 But never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the royal residence.”
Amaziah, the priest, reports Amos’s prophecy to King Jeroboam, accusing Amos of treasonous intentions. Amaziah sees Amos’s words as dangerous, and he tells Amos to return to Judah, insinuating that his message is unwelcome in Bethel. Amaziah’s opposition highlights the resistance prophets often faced when delivering unpopular truths, particularly when they challenged established power structures.
Amos 7:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:
“I was no prophet,
Nor was I a son of a prophet,
But I was a sheepbreeder
And a tender of sycamore fruit.
15 Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock,
And the Lord said to me,
‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’
Amos responds by emphasizing his humble origins, noting that he did not come from a prophetic background. He was a simple shepherd and farmer, called by God to prophesy to Israel. This highlights that God often chooses unlikely individuals to deliver His messages, showing that authority comes from divine calling, not human status.
Amos 7:16-17 (NKJV)
16 Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord:
You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
And do not spout against the house of Isaac.’
17 “Therefore thus says the Lord:
‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city;
Your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword;
Your land shall be divided by survey line;
You shall die in a defiled land;
And Israel shall surely be led away captive
From his own land.’”
In this final warning, Amos directly confronts Amaziah. Since Amaziah rejects the prophetic message, God reveals a personal judgment on him. His family will suffer tragedy, and Israel will face exile. This ending illustrates the consequences of rejecting God’s word and serves as a solemn reminder of the cost of disobedience and unbelief, both on a personal and national level.