Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Amos
Book: Amos
Chapter: 7
Overview:
Visions of judgments to come upon
Israel.
(1-9) Amaziah
threatens
Amos.
(10-17)
1-9 God bears long, but he will not
Bear always with a
provoking people. The remembrance of the mercies we formerly
received, like the produce of the
Earth of the former growth,
should make us submissive to the will of
God, when we meet with
disappointments in the latter growth. The
Lord has many ways of
humbling a sinful nation. Whatever trouble we are under, we
should be most
Earnest with
God for the forgiveness of
Sin.
Sin
will soon make a great people small. What will become of
Israel,
if the
Hand that should raise him be stretched out against him?
See the power of
Prayer. See what a blessing praying people are
to a land. See how ready, how swift
God is to show
Mercy; how he
waits to be gracious.
Israel was a
Wall, a strong
Wall, which
God himself reared as a defence to his
Sanctuary. The
Lord now
seems to stand upon this
Wall. He measures it; it appears to be
a
Bowing, bulging
Wall. Thus
God would bring the people of
Israel to the trial, would discover their wickedness; and the
time will come, when those who have been spared often, shall be
spared
No longer. But the
Lord still calls
Israel his people.
The repeated
Prayer and success of the
Prophet should lead us to
seek the
Saviour.
10-17 It is
No new thing for the accusers of the brethren, to
misrepresent them as enemies to the
King and kingdom, as
traitors to their
Prince, and troublers of the land, when they
are the best friends to both. Those who make gain their
Godliness, and are governed
By the hopes of wealth and
preferment, are ready to think these the most powerful motives
with others also. But those who have a warrant from
God, like
Amos, ought not to fear the
Face of
Man. If
God, that sent him,
had not strengthened him, he could not thus have set his
Face as
a
Flint. The
Lord often chooses the weak and foolish things of
the world to confound the
Wise and mighty. But
No fervent
prayers, or self-denying labours, can bring proud sinners to
Bear Faithful reproofs and warnings. And all who oppose or
despise the Divine
Word, must expect fatal effects to their
souls, unless they repent.