7:7-9
Now we get a third vision. This time Amos does not call on God to stop, and this time there is no relenting. The vision this time was of a plumbline (though the Hebrew here is uncertain, so this is a best guess of the correct translation).The plumbline represents God measuring the people, measuring their behaviour against God’s standards. They would be found wanting, to have fallen way short. Therefore the judgement would come, the high places (ie where idol worship occurred) would be destroyed. The house of Jeroboam, which had led the nation in this godless direction, would be killed by the sword.
So what has been going on? Why the three visions? Amos was appalled at the first two and called God to stop, but he was apparently content with the third. We find the idea of judgement (think of hell) appalling, we react against it. Why? Because we are reacting against the horror of the judgement. This is what happened in the first two visions. Then God shows Amos the horror of what is being judged, and Amos sees that the judgement is just. People often say how can a God of love send people to hell. The only reason we ask that question is because we do not appreciate the true nature of sin. On the last day all of God’s judgements will be seen to be perfectly just and right.
We also see the relationship between God and Amos, and we need to appreciate that it is a relationship. We are meant to interact with God.
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