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Commentaries
7:1 - 9:15
Visions.
The final part of this book includes five visions and oracles, mixed with the encounter between Amos and Amaziah, the high priest of the Temple of Bethel. The main message of the first four visions is clear: Amos does not enjoy predicting misfortune, nor does the Lord take pleasure in destroying his people; however, Israel’s stubbornness in resisting repentance leaves no room for the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness.
7:1 - 7:9
The First Three Visions.
The plague of locusts (cf. Joel 2) that destroys the crops will seriously impact the farmers who only benefit from the second harvest, but not the king, who has already received the first. The selfishness of Israel’s powerful leads to the consequences of their political mistakes falling on the poorest and most vulnerable, prioritizing their own well-being. At the prophet’s plea, God halts the plague and fire, granting the people more time to repent (3:6).
In the third vision, Amos sees the Lord with a plumb line to check if a wall is perfectly vertical (7-9). This indicates that God is inspecting the people to see if they are “upright” and acting with ‘righteousness’ or “justice.” However, Israel does not fulfill the requirements of the covenant law (see note on 4:4-5) and, like a crooked wall, must be destroyed.
7:10 - 7:17
Amos and Amaziah.
The high priest Amaziah acts as an officer of the king in the sanctuary of Bethel and reports to Jeroboam II about the threat posed by this prophet from the kingdom of Judah (1). This episode helps to show that in Israel, the prophetic institution held more authority than the monarchy; kings were anointed and corrected by prophets (cf. 1 Sm 16:1; 2 Sm 12:7). Unlike kings and priests, prophets were men and women who did not come from any specific family or social class and were directly called by God to understand and proclaim His Word (cf. Jer 1:4-10). Jesus accuses the ancestors of the Pharisees and scribes of mistreating and killing the prophets (cf. Mt 23:29-36).
Commentaries
Visions.
The final part of this book includes five visions and oracles, mixed with the encounter between Amos and Amaziah, the high priest of the Temple of Bethel. The main message of the first four visions is clear: Amos does not enjoy predicting misfortune, nor does the Lord take pleasure in destroying his people; however, Israel’s stubbornness in resisting repentance leaves no room for the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness.
The First Three Visions.
The plague of locusts (cf. Joel 2) that destroys the crops will seriously impact the farmers who only benefit from the second harvest, but not the king, who has already received the first. The selfishness of Israel’s powerful leads to the consequences of their political mistakes falling on the poorest and most vulnerable, prioritizing their own well-being. At the prophet’s plea, God halts the plague and fire, granting the people more time to repent (3:6).
In the third vision, Amos sees the Lord with a plumb line to check if a wall is perfectly vertical (7-9). This indicates that God is inspecting the people to see if they are “upright” and acting with ‘righteousness’ or “justice.” However, Israel does not fulfill the requirements of the covenant law (see note on 4:4-5) and, like a crooked wall, must be destroyed.
Amos and Amaziah.
The high priest Amaziah acts as an officer of the king in the sanctuary of Bethel and reports to Jeroboam II about the threat posed by this prophet from the kingdom of Judah (1). This episode helps to show that in Israel, the prophetic institution held more authority than the monarchy; kings were anointed and corrected by prophets (cf. 1 Sm 16:1; 2 Sm 12:7). Unlike kings and priests, prophets were men and women who did not come from any specific family or social class and were directly called by God to understand and proclaim His Word (cf. Jer 1:4-10). Jesus accuses the ancestors of the Pharisees and scribes of mistreating and killing the prophets (cf. Mt 23:29-36).