7:1 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw him making locusts just as the crops planted late were beginning to sprout. (The crops planted late sprout after the royal harvest.)
Amos saw a vision of Jehovah making locusts. The early crops of Israel were paid to the king as tribute to support the royal house. The latter crops belonged to the people for substance and profit.
7:2 When they had completely consumed the earth’s vegetation, I said, “Sovereign Lord, forgive Israel! How can Jacob survive? He is too weak!”
In this vision, the locusts consumed the later crops of the people. This judgment would decimate the economy of Israel and force famine on the people. Amos prayed to Jehovah and asked him not to send this plague, because it would destroy the northern kingdom.
7:3 The Lord decided not to do this. “It will not happen,” the Lord said.
God listened to the prayer of Amos and cancelled the locust invasion.
7:4 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw the sovereign Lord summoning a shower of fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the fields.
Amos saw a second vision. In this vision, Jehovah destroyed the fields of Israel with a shower of fire.
7:5 I said, “Sovereign Lord, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is too weak!”
Amos prayed again and asked Jehovah not to send this fire upon the crops of Israel.
7:6 The Lord decided not to do this. The sovereign Lord said, “This will not happen either.”
Jehovah listened to this prayer and cancelled the fire from heaven.
7:7 He showed me this: I saw the sovereign One standing by a tin wall holding tin in his hand.
In this third vision Amos saw God standing at the wall of Israel with a tin in his hand. A tin is a plumb line which tests the strength of a wall.
7:8 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” I said, “Tin.” The sovereign One then said, “Look, I am about to place tin among my people Israel. I will no longer overlook their sin.
God is going to measure the walls of Israel and see if they are morally strong enough to stand.
7:9 Isaac’s centers of worship will become desolate; Israel’s holy places will be in ruins. I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.”
Israel will fail the test of the plumb line. Therefore, the building is no good. It must be destroyed. Since Israel did not destroy the idolatrous temples and places, then the Assyrians will do it for them. The dynasty of Jeroboam will be pursued by the sword. Notice that King Jeroboam was not to die, but his dynasty was to die.
7:10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent this message to King Jeroboam of Israel: “Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of the kingdom of Israel! The land cannot endure all his prophecies.
Amaziah was the priest of Bethel. Bethel was the city of golden calf worship from Egypt. Amaziah made an accusation to the king against Amos. This accusation was a mixture of truth and lies. Amos was not conspiring against Jeroboam. He was simply proclaiming the Word of God. It was true that the land of Israel could not endure his prophecies.
7:11 As a matter of fact, Amos is saying this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.’ ”
This was a lie. Amos prophesied the death of the dynasty, not the death of Jeroboam himself. It was true that Amos predicted the exile of Israel to Assyria.
7:12 Amaziah then said to Amos, “Leave, you visionary! Run away to the land of Judah! Earn your living and prophesy there!
Amaziah insulted Amos. He told Amos that he was not a true prophet of God, but just a man with perverted visions. He told him to go back to Judah. He accused Amos of prophesying for money.
7:13 Don’t prophesy at Bethel any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here!”
Amaziah commanded Amos not to prophesy in Bethel anymore, because it was the place of the royal temple and place of Israel.
7:14 Amos replied to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. No, I was a herdsman who also took care of sycamore fig trees.
Amos gave his answer to Amaziah. He was not a professional prophet. He was just a simple farmer from Judah.
7:15 Then the Lord took me from tending flocks and gave me this commission, ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!’
God called Amos from the shepherd fields of Judah to become a prophet to Israel.
7:16 So now listen to the Lord’s message! You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach against the family of Isaac!’
Amaziah will see authentication in the near future that the prophecies of Amos came from God.
7:17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets and your sons and daughters will die violently. Your land will be given to others and you will die in a foreign land. Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.’ ”
The sin of Amaziah was forbidding Amaziah to preach. Therefore, Amaziah will be judged in four different ways. First, his wife will become a prostitute in the streets. Second, his children will die by the sword. Third, his land will be given to others. Fourth he will die in a foreign land. Additionally, Israel will be carried into captivity.