In the book of Amos the Lord is angry with Israel due to the people's idolatry and their many other sins. In our last study session we found Him showing Amos a vision of a plague of locusts that was going to come and eat up the harvest. Amos cried out in alarm, begging the Lord to have mercy and relent from sending this calamity. The Lord agreed not to send the locusts.
I don't know whether Amos' next vision was shown to him shortly after the vision regarding the locusts but I tend to think a period of time passed. A period of time passed in which the people still did not repent in spite of repeated warnings by Amos and by other prophets. The Lord now warns the prophet He's going to send a different calamity.
Amos says, "This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land." (Amos 7:4) This "fire" may represent a long drought. When Amos says it "devoured the land" he may mean that everything in the fields and on the fruit-bearing trees and shrubs dried up, resulting in a dreadful famine and many deaths.
Amos again cries out in alarm. "Then I cried out, 'Sovereign Lord, I beg You, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!'" (Amos 7:5)
I think it's important to stop and take note of Amos' repeated use of the title "Sovereign Lord" in our current chapter. The word "sovereign" can be used as a noun to denote someone who has absolute power, such as a king. It can also be used to describe an independent nation, such as the United States of America. Our nation is sovereign in that it governs itself and has not been subjugated by any nation more powerful. So we see that the Lord is the King of kings---having absolute power---and we see that He is independent and autonomous---not needing anyone's permission to govern the world He created. Amos is recognizing the Lord's authority over His creation. Amos is recognizing the Lord's right to be angry with the people's sin and His right to judge their sin. But Amos is also recognizing the Lord's mercy! Since the Lord is sovereign and can do whatever He wants, He can choose to extend mercy yet again even though there has been no widescale repentance in the land.
The Lord chooses mercy. "So the Lord relented. 'This will not happen either,' the Sovereign Lord said." (Amos 7:6)
The Lord is not making empty threats. I believe He would have sent the plague of locusts or the severe drought if no one had interceded for the nation. He heard Amos' prayer and, in addition to Amos' prayer, other prophets are praying for the nation, as we will see as we move on through the Old Testament. I am sure there are average citizens in the land who haver not forsaken the Lord who are praying too, although these faithful souls are in the minority at this time.
Why does the Lord make these threats and then relent? It's not because He wasn't prepared to carry these actions out but I think it may be so the people can never accuse Him of not giving them many chances while they persisted in idolatry. Their sins are already abominable enough for the Lord to take these actions but He has mercy on them because of the prayers of Amos and others who haven't forsaken Him. The words of these prophets, which have become a part of the holy Scriptures, are a testimony to the Lord's longsuffering attitude toward ancient Israel. These words will stand against them in court, so to speak, to prove that they were given many opportunities to change their ways and did not change their ways. That way, when the Lord does finally bring judgment against them, His character cannot be attacked. Indeed, it will be clear that He went above and beyond in dealing with people who repeatedly rejected Him, who mistreated the poor and needy in the nation, who disenfranchised widows and orphans and foreigners, who bribed dishonest judges to find innocent people guilty, who made sacrifices and offerings to false gods, who engaged in sexually immoral occult practices, and who made burnt offerings of their own children.
They've done all these things and more. In our study of the Bible so far, we have found the Lord making such accusations against them. We will continue to read of the appalling behavior of citizens who were once called by the Lord's name. The Lord is merciful but He can only be merciful for so long because He cannot be holy and righteous and good if He does not judge sin---even if that means judging the sin of those called by His name. The people to whom He gave the commandments and the law and the prophets actually have less excuse for their sins than do the heathen nations around them. The Lord will not show them any favoritism; rather, He will judge them by the fact that they have less excuse for their sins than anyone in the world at that time.
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