God's
patience and the prophet's intercession had arrested the
scourge, but Jehovah would arise to judgment
God had long waited
patiently. More than once He had been on the point of
giving Israel up to judgment. The intercession of the
prophet, that is to say, of the Spirit of Christ which
wrought in the prophets (an intercession, indeed, that
owed its efficacy to His sufferings; see Psalm 18), had
arrested the scourge. But now Jehovah would arise to
judgment, with the measuring-line in His hand, and
nothing should turn Him aside. With the house of Jehu
Israel should fall. In fact this is what took place. It
may be that the preceding judgments apply to the downfall
of the family of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat; and to that
of the family of Ahab. Israel had been raised up again
after each of those events, but not so after the house of
Jehu had fallen.
The little chapel
and court: man's religion cannot endure truth's testimony
A prophecy like this was
out of place in the king's chapel. A religion, arranged
by the policy of man without the fear of God, cannot
endure the testimony of truth. Bethel was the house of
the kingdom. The priest reports it all to the king. Let
the prophet go away to Judah. There Judah was owned, and
the truth might be proclaimed; but this was not the place
for such unpalatable truths. The king was the ruler in
all religious matters: man was master. But Jehovah does
not renounce His own rights. Amos was neither a prophet
nor the son of a prophet. He had not this function from
man, nor from the desire of his own heart. Jehovah, in
His sovereign will, had appointed him, and his word was
the word of Jehovah. The priest, who opposed it, should
suffer the consequences of his rashness, and Israel
should surely go into captivity.
Amos 7 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
God had long waited patiently. More than once He had been on the point of giving Israel up to judgment. The intercession of the prophet, that is to say, of the Spirit of Christ which wrought in the prophets (an intercession, indeed, that owed its efficacy to His sufferings; see Psalm 18), had arrested the scourge. But now Jehovah would arise to judgment, with the measuring-line in His hand, and nothing should turn Him aside. With the house of Jehu Israel should fall. In fact this is what took place. It may be that the preceding judgments apply to the downfall of the family of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat; and to that of the family of Ahab. Israel had been raised up again after each of those events, but not so after the house of Jehu had fallen.
The little chapel and court: man's religion cannot endure truth's testimony
A prophecy like this was out of place in the king's chapel. A religion, arranged by the policy of man without the fear of God, cannot endure the testimony of truth. Bethel was the house of the kingdom. The priest reports it all to the king. Let the prophet go away to Judah. There Judah was owned, and the truth might be proclaimed; but this was not the place for such unpalatable truths. The king was the ruler in all religious matters: man was master. But Jehovah does not renounce His own rights. Amos was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet. He had not this function from man, nor from the desire of his own heart. Jehovah, in His sovereign will, had appointed him, and his word was the word of Jehovah. The priest, who opposed it, should suffer the consequences of his rashness, and Israel should surely go into captivity.