Mar 02 2007
An overveiw of Amos 7:1-9:15
THE DIVINE LAMP: 01/14/07
(To view my notes on the bible and other stuff go to THE POST MENU PAGE)
Amos
7:1-8:3 contains four prophetic visions recounted by the prophet. The
first two visions (7:1-6) have the same basic format: The Lord shows
Amos a vision which he, Amos, begins to describe with the
word behold. A vision of agricultural destruction is then recounted,
followed by the prophet’s intercesionion that the impending punishment
not take place. Too this intercession the Lord responds favorably.
The second two visions (7:7-9 and 8:1-3) likewise are formatted similar to one another. As in the first two visions the prophet is shown something by God, however, unlike the first two visions God is the first to speak. This effectively prevents the prophet from interceding on behalf of the people. When God speaks, he asks the prophet a question concerning the vision and the prophet responds by describing what he sees. The two visions in and themselvesves do not suggest the idea of divine punishment but are interpretedted by God after the prophet’s response.
It appears to me that the first two visions recount things that have
already taken place. Twice God punished the people with agricultural
disasters (locust, fire) but brought such punishment to and end in
response to the prophet’s plea. No doubt this combination of
punishment and mercy was meant to bring the people to their senses and
lead them to repentance, but this failed. This is why the third and
fourth visions announce punishment without any remittance.
The third and fourth visions are separatedrated by the dispute between Amos and Amazaiah (7:10-17), priest of the Temple of Bethel. The sandwiching of the dispute between prophet and priest is not accidental. The priest is to be seen as a paradigm representative of the people. His desire not to hear prophecy and while maintaining the false worship of Bethel is characteristicistic of most of the people of the northern kingdom. It is this attitude that motivates God to bring the northern kingdom to and end, which is the message of visions three and four.
The fourth vision is followed by a prophetic oracle (8:4-14). It is
directed against the false religious piety of the people of the north
who anxiously wait for the end of holy days so they can once again
start cheating the poor (8:4-6). The joy of their hypocritical rituals
will be turned into mourning rites (8:7-10). A famine will come upon
the land. A famine not of bread, or water, but of hearing the word of
God ((8:11-14). The time of divine forbearance, manifested by the
sending of prophets to call for repentance, will come to an end.
This oracle is followed by a fifth vision detailing the destruction of the Temple at Bethel (9:1-6). Following this comes an oracle announcing the destruction of the northern kingdom and the exile of the people (9:7-10). The book ends on a positive note however, with a messianic promise (9:11-15).
