Amos 7

Amos 7 presents three visions of divine judgment: a plague of locusts, a consuming fire, and a plumbline signifying Israel's irreversible destruction. Amos intercedes twice, averting the first two judgments, but the plumbline vision declares God will no longer spare Israel. The chapter concludes with Amaziah the priest confronting Amos, who defends his divine calling and pronounces judgment upon Amaziah for hindering his prophecy.

The chapter opens with two visions of impending judgment upon Israel, both averted by Amos's intercession. First, a swarm of locusts threatens to consume the land's latter growth, but Amos pleads for Jacob, and the Lord repents. Next, a devouring fire threatens the great deep, and again Amos's plea leads the Lord to relent. However, a third vision reveals the Lord standing with a plumbline, signifying that Israel's crookedness has been measured against a divine standard, and judgment is now certain. The Lord declares He will no longer pass by Israel, foretelling the desolation of high places and sanctuaries, and the destruction of Jeroboam's house by the sword. This prophecy leads to a confrontation where Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, accuses Amos of conspiracy before King Jeroboam and orders him to leave Bethel. Amos asserts his divine commission as a herdsman called by the Lord, not a professional prophet. Consequently, Amos pronounces a severe personal judgment upon Amaziah for his opposition, detailing the fate of his family and land, and reiterating Israel's impending captivity.

Amos 7 unfolds through a series of prophetic visions and a significant confrontation. The chapter begins with the prophet Amos recounting two visions of impending divine judgment, both of which he successfully intercedes to prevent. The first vision depicts the Lord God forming grasshoppers to devour the latter growth of the land, threatening to leave Jacob destitute due to his smallness. Amos pleads for forgiveness and mercy, prompting the Lord to repent and declare, "It shall not be." The second vision reveals the Lord God calling to contend by fire, which consumes the great deep and a portion of the land. Once more, Amos intercedes, appealing to the Lord's compassion for Jacob's vulnerability, and the Lord again relents, stating, "This also shall not be." However, the third vision marks a turning point, presenting an irreversible judgment. Amos sees the Lord standing upon a wall built with a plumbline, holding a plumbline in His hand. The Lord then declares that He will set a plumbline in the midst of His people Israel, signifying that their moral and spiritual alignment has been measured and found wanting, and He will no longer pass by them. This vision foretells the desolation of the high places of Isaac and the sanctuaries of Israel, along with the destruction of the house of Jeroboam by the sword. Following these visions, the narrative shifts to a direct conflict between Amos and Amaziah, the priest of Bethel. Amaziah sends word to King Jeroboam, accusing Amos of conspiring against him and declaring that the land cannot bear his words, specifically citing Amos's prophecy that Jeroboam would die by the sword and Israel would go into captivity. Amaziah then confronts Amos directly, commanding him to flee to Judah, prophesy there for sustenance, but never again prophesy at Bethel, which he labels the king's chapel and court. Amos responds by asserting his authentic divine call, explaining that he was not a professional prophet or a prophet's son, but a simple herdsman whom the Lord took from following the flock and commanded to prophesy to Israel. In response to Amaziah's attempt to silence him, Amos pronounces a severe personal judgment upon the priest, foretelling that his wife would become a harlot, his children would die by the sword, his land would be divided, and he himself would die in a polluted land, all while Israel would surely go into captivity.