7:1ffThe following series of visions conveyed God’s message to the people, using images that were familiar to them—locusts, fire, and a plumb line.
Life Application Study BibleAmosChapter 7
Amos 7
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1446, 1447
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
7Amos 7
A Vision of Locusts
1The Sovereign LORD showed me a vision. I saw him preparing to send a vast swarm of locusts over the land. This was after the king’s share had been harvested from the fields and as the main crop was coming up. 2In my vision the locusts ate every green plant in sight. Then I said, “O Sovereign LORD, please forgive us or we will not survive, for Israel* is so small.” 3So the LORD relented from this plan. “I will not do it,” he said.
A Vision of Fire
44Then the Sovereign LORD showed me another vision. I saw him preparing to punish his people with a great fire. The fire had burned up the depths of the sea and was devouring the entire land. 5Then I said, “O Sovereign Lor», please stop or we will not survive, for Israel is so small.” 6Then the LORD relented from this plan, too. “I will not do that either,” said the Sovereign LORD.
A Vision of a Plumb Line
77Then he showed me another vision. I saw the LORD standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight. 8And the LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I answered, “A plumb line.” And the LORD replied, “I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins. 9The pagan shrines of your ancestors* will be ruined, and the temples of Israel will be destroyed; I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end.”
Amos and Amaziah
1010Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam, king of Israel: “Amos is hatching a plot against you right here on your very doorstep! What he is saying is intolerable. 11He is saying, ‘Jeroboam will soon be killed, and the people of Israel will be sent away into exile.’” 12Then Amaziah sent orders to Amos: “Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there! 13Don’t bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king’s sanctuary and the national place of worship!” 14But Amos replied, “I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one.* I'm just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees. 'SBut the LORD called me away from my flock and told me, ‘Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.’ ‘*Now then, listen to this message from the Lor: “You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel. Stop preaching against my people.*’
17But this is what the LORD says:‘Your wife will become a prostitute in this city,and your sons and daughters will be killed.Your land will be divided up,and you yourself will die in a foreign land.And the people of Israel will certainly become captives in exile,far from their homeland.”
Textual footnotes
- Hebrew is uncertain. 6:13a Lo-debar means “nothing.” 6:13b Karnaim means “horns,” a term that symbolizes
- strength.
- 7:2 Hebrew Jacob; also in 7:5. See note on 3:13.
- 7:9 Hebrew of isaac.
- 7:14 Or I'm not a prophet nor the son of a prophet.
- 7:16 Hebrew against the house of Isaac.
Life Application Notes 6 notes
7:1-6Twice Amos was shown a vision of Israel’s impending punishment, and his immediate response was to pray that God would spare Israel. Prayer is a powerful privilege. Amos’s prayers should remind us to pray for our nation.
7:7-9A plumb line is a device used to ensure the straightness of a walt. A wall that is not straight will eventually collapse. God wants people to be right with him; he wants the sin that makes us crooked removed immediately. God’s Word is the plumb line that heips us be aware of our sin. How do you measure up to God's plumb line?
7:10Prophets like Amos were often seen as traitors and conspirators because they spoke out against the king and his advisers, questioning their authority and exposing their sin. The kings often saw the prophets as enemies rather than as God’s spokesmen who were really trying to help them and the nation.
7:10ffAmaziah was the chief priest in Bethel, representing tsrael’s official religion. He was not concerned about hearing God’s message; he was only worried about his own position. Maintaining his position was more important than listening to the truth. Don’t let your desire for prestige, authority, or money keep you tied to a job or position you should leave. Don’t let anything come between you and obeying God.
7:14,15Without any special preparation, education, or upbringing, Amos obeyed God’s call to “go and prophesy ta my people in Israel.” Obedience is the test of a faithful servant of God. Are you obeying God's call to you?