CHAPTER 7

1 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. 2 And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. 3 The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.

Amos shows three visions he had from God: An invasion of destroying locusts, a devouring fire, and a plumbline.

In this first vision, the locusts come at the "prime time" of earnings. Right after the king has cut the grass, then the locusts come and consume the "latter growth." Amos indicates that he prayed for God's forgiveness, and interceded on the people's behalf. God decided He would not make the vision come to pass.

4 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part. 5 Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. 6 The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.

Then, another vision was given: one of a terrible fire. But Amos, again interceded on behalf of the people, and God decided not to send the fire.

Friends, don't forget to pray and intercede on behalf of lost sinners and wayward Christians! The Bible says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16).

Elijah prayed ONCE and the drought started!
Elijah prayed ONCE and the drought stopped!
Amos prayed for these visions to not become reality, and God decided NOT to fulfill them!
Are YOU an "effectual fervent" pray-er? Our great country, America, NEEDS your intercessory prayers today!!

7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. 8 And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: 9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.

Now, there is a different vision. God Himself stands upon a "wall" which was MADE by a plumbline. And God HAS a plumbline in His hand. God had formed the "wall" (Israel) by His own "plumbline" (righteousness). Now He is holding the plumbline of HIS righteousness to MEASURE Israel! And God says he will "not again pass by them any more." In other words, God will no longer forgive their sins and help them. Destruction is COMING! The "high places" will be left DESOLATE, and the "sanctuaries" will be "laid waste." It is God HIMSELF Who brings this destruction against Israel and her earthly king, Jeroboam.

At this statement, there is no opportunity for intercessory prayer. Amos isn't even permitted a time to pray and ask God to set aside this determined judgment.

Friends, you can pray for people as long as they have breath in their bodies. But when God comes to take their life, then intercessory prayer will no longer help! As the tree falls in the forest, so shall it lie! (See Ecclesiastes 11:3)

And one day God will come to bring destruction and determined final judgment upon all men. It will then be TOO LATE too pray!

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land. 12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: 13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court.

Maybe Amaziah was present when Amos preached about the three visions; or maybe he just heard about the preaching from someone else. At any rate, Amaziah did two things: First, he wrote to the king (Jeroboam) and asked him to kick Amos out of the country; Second, he went to Amos personally and told him to go home and prophesy in Judah.

Amaziah may have been "the priest of Bethel," but he was no priest of GOD'S! He was arrayed in "robes of righteousness," but they were robes of SELF-righteousness, and not of God!

I once read where a person claimed to be a "Christian," but said he didn't believe in the infallibility of Scripture, nor did he believe the devil was real, nor did he believe in an eternal hell. My friends, Jesus AFFIRMED all three of these things! If one does not believe CHRIST, how can he be OF Christ?

Many people, like Amaziah, want to say they believe in "god" so long as they can be the one to DEFINE God. But, like it or not, God's Word says that ALL men are sinners in need of a Savior. And there is only ONE Savior, Jesus Christ, the "anointed One" of God! In order to be saved, we do not DEFINE Him, we SURRENDER to Him!

14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: 15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. 16 Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac. 17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.

Amaziah admitted that Amos was a prophet, because he told him NOT to "prophesy" in Israel anymore. He KNEW God's Word was true, and that the man of God who preached it was true. But he didn't want to HEAR it! He wanted to DEFINE God, and LIMIT God to his OWN expectations.

Amos let Amaziah know quite quickly that he didn't start out as a prophet. He was a shepherd and a farmer. But God CALLED him, and God SENT him! Oh! Christian friends, be assured if God has CALLED you, He has also EQUIPPED and SENT you to tell others about Jesus!

When a person is truly "born again," he/she is "quickened" by God's Holy Spirit. And we are "quickened" "together with Christ" (Eph. 2:5). We are to be LIKE Him, and grow to be MORE like Him. We are to carry the gospel of salvation to a lost world!

We are to "preach the Word" "in season and out of season." We are to be TRUE to Him Who is TRUE!

Let NO ONE detour you from telling the world of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone!

The "Plumbline" is Christ Himself. All will be judged by Him!
PREACH it to the lost!
And PRAY for them daily!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.