Amos 7 (2)

Pray Psalm 77.1-3.
I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.
Selah

Sing Psalm 77.1-3.
(Leoni: The God of Abraham Praise)
My voice to God shall rise; I seek Him on His throne.
In days and nights of trouble I seek God alone!
When I remember Him, then am I sore distressed!
My spirit faints and longs to find in Him its rest.

Read Amos 7.1-6; meditate on verses 4-6.

Preparation
1. For what did God call?

2. How did Amos respond?

Meditation
We have all seen videos of people trapped in wildfire, desperate to find a way out. This is the kind of fire Amos saw, coming from the Lord as a judgment against His people.

Notice that the fire comes as a direct expression of the Presence and wrath of God: It comes to “contend” with the people or “for conflict”. The locusts were a bad enough threat, of which God relented. But a consuming fire is a far worse threat. Imagine a fire that would rage throughout the land, burning every city and village, every home and farm, lapping up every river, stream, creek, pond, and lake, and destroying lives of people and animals in great numbers. God can bring such fire, and it would be terrible to endure.

But again the prophet appealed to God for mercy. We admire Amos’ compassion for the people who have ignored his message and continued in their godless ways. He refers to them as “Jacob”, probably as a way of invoking God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And it worked again, as the Lord relented concerning this fire.

But what God has already threatened is greater than either the locusts or the fire: The transportation and complete dissolution of the nation of Israel. This is an act of judgment that will last throughout the generations to come, but it is nothing more than what the people have chosen for themselves. They did not want to be God’s covenant people—except only insofar as there was some immediate need or benefit to be gained. They wanted to be like the pagans, worship like the pagans, live and act like the pagans.

They wanted to be pagans, and it was unto paganism that God would deliver them, eliminating all identity of the ten northern tribes, except for the faithful remnant that made its way to Judah. Be careful what you long for.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
God can do anything and everything.
In a vision to Amos, He is threatening to destroy His people through devouring locusts and an all-consuming fire. His people have seen Him use many different methods to get theirs and their enemies’ attention—as in all the plagues sent the Egyptians’ way.

It is reminiscent of the way God appeared to Elijah: “And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice” (1 Kgs. 19.11, 12).

“So the LORD relented concerning this. ‘This also shall not be,’ said the Lord GOD” (Amos 7.6).

But God will judge sin. We know and believe He will. Everything that He says, He does.
We will do well to fear Him, acknowledge His justice, and live only to please Him.

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10.28).

“The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
and in keeping them there is great reward” (Ps. 19.9-11).

When we obediently fear God and keep His commandments, through the power of the Holy Spirit, then we are free, compelled actually, to pray for others in the same way Amos prayed for God’s children:
“O Lord GOD, forgive, I pray! (Amos 7.2)
“O Lord GOD, cease, I pray! (Amos 7.5)

“God has spoken once, twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
for You render to each one according to his work” (Ps. 62.11, 12).

In Jesus, our beloved Savior, we observe His meekness, His power under control, His ability to wield Holy Power over the enemy. He is whom we love; He is whom we long to imitate and follow.

“GOD, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the  right hand of the Majesty on high…” (Heb. 1.1-3). The Triune God is all-powerful. Fear and obey Him; and tell others to do the same—keeping the vision of fire, as an impetus, on the back burner of your mind.

Reflection
1. What does it mean to fear the Lord? Why should we fear Him?

2. How can fearing the Lord help us to grow in love for Jesus?

3. How do fearing God and loving Him contribute to our obeying Him?

[A]more dreadful punishment is here described than in the first vision. The locusts devoured the grass only but the fire penetrates into the utmost deep; it consumes and destroys not only the surface of the earth, but burns up the very roots, yea, it descends to the center and consumes the whole earth. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Amos 7.4-6

Pray Psalm 77.7-15.
Pray for Christians everywhere to repent, to seek the Lord for revival and renewal, and to follow Jesus along the path of obedience to God’s Law (1 Jn. 2.3-6).

Sing Psalm 77.7-15.
(Leoni: The God of Abraham Praise)
O LORD, will You reject Your people without end?
Has favor ceased, are You no more our heav’nly Friend?
Your promise and Your love in anger are obscured;
my sin has turned Your hand away, Your beauty blurred.

Now let us call to mind Your deeds and wonders, LORD,
and meditate on all Your works and praise Your Word.
Full holy is Your way, great God of earth and heav’n;
to You, O God of strength and pow’r all praise be giv’n!

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.