Sermon Tone Analysis

*Amos 7**.*

*Intro*/ /- Sometimes feel like coming across as a prophet of doom, like an angry young man, preaching all these messages of judgement – much nicer to preach a pleasant message, to encourage and build up.

That is the very reason these books are less well known: we seek out that which is pleasant to our ears.

I mean it can seem like Amos had it in for the nation of Israel – he was from Judah and poured out vitriol against his northern brothers.

But Amos did not delight in delivering these messages of judgement, he had a real heart for Israel.

So far we have seen the message – now we gain insight into the messenger, the prophet, the man of God, called by God HImself.

Israel may not mourn over their impending doom but it tore at Amos' heart.

He was more concerned for Israel than Israel was.

Here the Lord decrees judgements but Amos can't bear to see them befall Israel and intercedes and stays God's hand.

*Read*

*Intercedes* - יהוהּ communicated to Amos via visions concerning the judgement coming upon Israel – he saw five visions of judgement, three in this chapter.

Amos interceded on Israel’s behalf that יהוה might spare such devastation.

Though from Judah and proclaiming judgement Amos was not vindictive against Israel, wanting to see her downfall.

On the contrary he loved Israel (though she hated him) - the prophecies were delivered in love, he longed to see Israel spared.

Though rejected by Israel (10-13) still he interceded for her and sought that יהוה might spare her - he withheld יהוה’s full force of wrath.

Though they failed to appreciate it, Amos caused יהוה’s hand to be stayed - the affliction could have been much worse - twice Amos caused יהוה to relent from His intended judgement.

That's the prophet, that was Jesus – poured himself out for a people, motivated by love – but in return they despise him and reject him.

*Locusts** v.1-3* – This was יהוה the Lord’s doing!

He formed locusts to come and eat the second crop.

The first crop was the king’s, taxed to the king, the second crop was their own.

So they still had to pay their tax but their own income was cut off, destroyed by locusts as it was sprouting (beginning to come up).

We begrudge paying tax as a portion of income but to have to pay tax and then receive no income after paying it - this is cruel.

Too much for Israel to bear.

So Amos pleaded to יהוה on Israel’s behalf - what would they have to live on?

They would die and be too few in number to recover - it would be the end of Israel! *v.2* - The locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land - it was totally consumed!

This picture that יהוה had shown Amos was too terrible to contemplate.

He pleaded for mercy, for forgiveness (סְלַח).

No one could stand before such a punishment even though it was deserved.

No one would survive if we received our full due - we are too weak, too small to survive, to come through alive (*Psalm 130:3-4** */If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.

/*Habakkuk 3:2** */In wrath remember mercy./).

*v.3** *- יהוה heard the prayer for mercy!

Hallelujah!

He hears our cries for mercy and compassion.

He listens to our intercession for mercy on behalf of others.

We ought to engage in it more.

What power!

What an amazing thing: "*The LORD changed His mind*"*!* יהוה God Almighty heard a solitary man plead for mercy and turned from His intention - this man by his intercession caused the plan of God to be changed!

What power there is in prayer on behalf of others, in the simple cry for mercy!

"יהוה relented"!

Hallelujah! יהוה had compassion, had pity!

Praise His Name which is "gracious" and "compassionate".

He is mindful of our frame, He knows that we are dust, that we cannot withstand the full wrath that is due to us (cf.

*Psalm 103:10**,13,14*/ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our i//niquities.13

Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.

/

*Fire **v.4-6* - Second vision was of fire this evidently means drought (cf.

Joel 1:17-20).

Amos’ plea for mercy stayed this plague also.

this was some fire!

It consumed the great deep – usually refers to oceans!

It spared nothing!

But aquifers under Israel, when they dry growth ends.

Both water and land were eaten up!

Who could survive such a devastation?

He saw it!

Though Amos knew Israel merited judgement, this punishment was too horrible to contemplate.

He pleaded with יהוה for mercy.

This would utterly wipe out Israel - she would not survive, which was contrary to יהוה’s promises to the patriarchs.

(cf.

2:5;* Isaiah 66:15,16 */For behold, the Lord will come in fire and His chariots like the whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire.

For the Lord will execute judgment by fire and by His sword on all flesh, and those slain by the Lord will be many/).

Destruction by fire will come as judgement from יהוה, though it was stayed as a judgement at this particular time.

*v.5* - Again Amos pleads to the Lord יהוה on Israel’s behalf - she is so small and weak (despite her inflated opinion of her strength cf.

6:8, 13) - she will be totally obliterated by the force of יהוה’s judgement.

So vast is His strength that He could easily wipe us all out - he who sets himself up to fight against יהוה does not know what he is taking on!

- in fact it is only His gracious upholding that enables us to continue to exist (*Lamentations 3:22** */It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not./).

The first time Amos appealed for forgiveness~/pardon (סלח - v.2), this time he cried out for יהוה "to stop"!

(חֲדַל) - cease from His intention before Israel is completely annihilated.

*v.6* - Again יהוה spoke - He listened to the earnest, desperate prayer of intercession and answered.

Hallelujah!

This time also יהוה had compassion (נחם) for that is His Name.

Again He changed His mind, had mercy, repented.

יהוה Himself was turned from His intent by the prayer of a mere man! - who prayed in accordance with יהוה’s eternal nature (*Exodus 34:6** */t/*/hen the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth/*).

This is God's mercy, turning from deserved wrath.

But wrath is part of God's nature also – not solely grace, grace won't be extended forever.

*Upholds God's standard v.7-9** *- יהוה showed Amos a third vision, but this time it was not a direct picture of punishment~/judgement but a parable of judgement and this time יהוה spoke with His prophet about the vision, questioned him and explained its significance.

He made clear to Amos the reason why judgement must come and made it clear that no longer would He relent - this time Amos was not to intercede (*Jeremiah 7:16** */As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you.

/*11:14 */Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster./)

- the judgement was settled and could not be altered.

The man of God interceding holds back God's judgement but His hand will not be stayed forever.

יהוה would spare Israel no more.

Judgement by war was decreed from יהוה and could not be altered.

The vision was of a plumb-line (7-9) [putting up framing for house].

יהוה, however, declared the irrevocable sentence of destruction, after having measured His people with a plumb-line and finding them so irredeemably warped by sin as to be past correction.

(*2 Kings 21:13-15** **/I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

I/*/ will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoil to all their enemies;*because** they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.*/)

Judgement was the only alternative left for this obdurate, hard-hearted, deaf-eared, unresponsive, self-centred people.

Many think that God does not know, or doesn’t care about sin - but He does know, He measures us all against an absolute standard.

You can have a crooked rule, or a false weight but the plumb line is always vertical and any deviation from that absolute unchanging standard is evident when that standard is placed against it.

We have become relativists - we measure ourselves against others, or set our own standards.

Decline in standards [live together – used to be shocking, now the norm].

Measure against my neighbour (I don't drink, cheat on taxes) I'm pretty good – but it is a crooked rule!

Measure against God's standard – see what I really am like – worthy of death!

[white sheep, until it snows].

How out of true we are is shockingly revealed when יהוה places His standard against us! (*Proverbs 16:2** */All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives./*24:12*/

If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?

And does He not know it who keeps your soul?

And will He not render to man according to his work?/).

The LORD stands with plumb-line in hand - it is against that that we must measure up, not our own standard, nor that of any other.