Amos 7 : 1-17 (Daily Bread of 3/10/2017)

AMOS SAID : I CAN ONLY SPEAK 

Key verse 7 : 15 

In the third part of this Book we get to see Amos' visions. They came from God. Amos was persecuted until hewas finally chased by the religious people. In the meanwhile Amos' faith was revealed .

1.     Amos' shepherd heart. (1-9) 
Amos' first vision was about the devastating locusts. God gave him this vision during the time of the recovery. The first shoot belonged to the King while the rest was given to the owners. Therefore, this catastrophe threatened everyone. After speaking on God's behalf, Amos made a request before God on the people’s behalf. Amos did not protest against the justice behind God's judgement but rather he called upon His compassion. His goal was to soften God's heart towards the people’s weakness. However, one second after this a greater threat made its appareance. The fire consumed all of the sea water (the abyss) and the fields. However, one again the prophet's intercessory prayers encouraged God to turn His judgement away. The third vision concerns the plumb line (the spirit level).  Nowadays, masons use this triangular shaped instrument .The plumb line is suspended from this triangular top. The level is used for construction but the spirit level is used to entirely destroy the Earth. Here Amos speaks about King Jeroboam for the for the first time. His action comes without warning and it provokes the violent scene that followed. Amos could no longer intercede for them. The moral here is that even though one can stop God’s judgement through intercession, this only last for awhile before God punishes the unrepenting hearts.

2.I have no alternative (10-17)

The great prophetess Amastia denounced Amos and what he said. She called him a visionary and ordered him to return to his home country. However, Amos was a man sent by God and thus he could do nothing more but accomplish the mission that He gave him. Moreover, the time for punishing Juda had not yet arrived whereas the sins in Israel had to be quickly with. Amos had a shepherd’s heart towards his fraternal tribe. He knew that he came from humble beginnings but God's call in his life was as clear as crystal. Therefore Amos did not soften his tone but he answered Amatsia with her same cynical tone. He proclamed God's judgement on her family, a judgement that will be very tragic for them when they are abroad.