THE FIRST VISION (7:1-3)
1. In last three chapters of Amos (7-9) there are five different visions.
2. The first of these visions is in Amos 7:1-3 - READ.
3. Somehow Amos saw God forming (making) locusts.
4. The original text uses a present participle.
5. The idea seems to be that God was forming locusts one upon another.
6. Just as an assembly line might make one candy bar after another, God was forming locusts.
7. We are not, for the most part, too troubled by locusts.
8. Where Amos lived locusts were a terrible threat.
9. When these pests appeared in a swarm the damage was often total.
10. Moments ago we heard how locusts affected the Egyptians.
11. According to the reading from Ex. 10, the locusts ate every herb of the land.
12. What had not been destroyed by the plague of hail was eaten by the locusts (Ex. 10:12b).
A. Ex.
B. The covered the face of the earth. The land was darkened.
C. They ate the fruit on the trees. They were so thorough that no green thing was left.
D. These pests entered into the land and stripped it clean.
E. The 16th verse says that Pharaoh called both Moses and Aaron in HASTE.
F. The text also says that this man volunteered a confession.
G. He said, “I have sinned against your God. I have sinned against you.”
H. When we read Ex. 10 we find that Pharaoh didn’t wait for the invitation song.
I. He did not wait for Moses and Aaron to come see him.
J. He called for God’s people to come quickly.
K. When
these men came, the ungodly ruler of
L. He said he wanted God to “take away this death” (verse 17).
13. Locust plagues were terrible events.
A. A Bible dictionary describes them in this way.
B. They come like the force of a large army and they are orderly.
C. The length of the swarm can be 10-12 miles long.
D. Imagine a swarm of pests that extends from here to Millersburg.
E. The thickness of the swarm can be 4-5 miles deep.
F. I cannot fathom such a mass of insects.
G. The density is so great it is said the sun cannot penetrate the swarm.
H. This
is why Ex.
I. Some have built fires to turn back swarms of locusts.
J. Though I have never seen it, it is said that the swarms are so dense they extinguish the flames.
K. According to Joel 2:7-9 these creatures pass over walls, enter houses, and go through windows.
L. Joel 2:3 says that nothing escapes them.
14. This kind of force is beyond deadly.
15. This type of destruction wipes out everything.
16. As the Bible says, when this type of thing happens there is nothing left.
17. For the Hebrews this type of punishment meant starvation and death.
18. Amos saw God making locusts.
19. The prophet realized that a swarm of locusts would be more than the nation could handle.
20. Notice what is said in Amos 7:1.
21. God began forming locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth.
A. Farmers and those who garden are sometimes able to plant two crops.
B. There is an early crop and there is a late crop.
C. In this vision Amos saw the “late” (second crop.
D. If this crop was lost there would not be time to plant anything else.
E. If the people didn’t get to harvest anything from the latter crop they were in real trouble.
F. There would not be another opportunity to plant and harvest for several months.
G. The people would go hungry until the following year.
H. There would not be enough food to keep the animals alive.
I. Amos was a man who knew a little something about growing crops.
J. He
had cared for fruit trees (
22. When this prophet realized God was making locusts, he put two and two together.
23. He knew that a locust plague, at this time of the year, would destroy the nation.
24. He
knew this would be the end of
25. No nation could withstand this level of destruction.
26. Because the situation was so serious Amos didn’t wait.
27. Notice verse 2.
A. Amos prayed. He begged God to forgive the nation.
B. Amos
said that the people of
C. They could not withstand the kind of attack he had seen in the vision.
D. This was more than the people could handle.
E. Being attacked in this way would mean the end of an entire nation.
F. Amos was bothered by the people’s sins but he also knew what this plague would do.
G. He therefore pleaded on the behalf of people who deserved to be punished and destroyed.
H. What did God do? Verse 3.
28. The KJV and the NIV use the word relented.
29. God does not repent in the sense that we do.
30. God does not need to turn away from a course of action that is sinful.
31. There are, however, times when He changes His course.
32. This is what is described in Amos 7.
33. God granted the prayer made by Amos and the locust plague was stayed.
34. The people received a reprieve.
35. Amos asked God to “forgive” the people.
36. God did not “forgive” the people in the sense that they got off the hook.
37.
38. However, the prophet interceded for God’s people and the locust plague was averted.
39. AS
WE LOOK AT THESE THREE VERSES WE FIND THAT IT HAS MEANING FOR US.
A. How many of us remember what James said in Jas. 5:16?
B. In the last chapter of this book James spoke of a righteous man.
C. He said that the prayer of a righteous person avails much.
D. James
illustrated his point by appealing to Elijah (Jas.
E. James could have just as easily used Amos.
F. This prophet (a single man) kept an entire nation from facing starvation and death.
G. At the beginning of this lesson we looked at Ex. 10.
H. An Egyptian ruler and his nation got to experience a locust plague first hand.
I. How
was the plague removed from
J. Ex.
K. One man prayed and the plague was ended.
L. Job’s friends were told that they had better ask Job to pray for them (Job. 42:8-10).
M. God would accept Job’s prayer concerning the folly of his friends.
40. The prayer of a righteous man can accomplish a lot.
41. At this time this is a thoughtful and important lesson.
A. Our nation continues to go through a difficult period.
B. 40
C. Things
are so bad in
D.
E. Because
of the attacks people are not going to vacation spots like
F. As of Thursday “Thousands and Thousands” of people had been tested for Anthrax.
42. The fear that has been and still is sweeping through this nation and the hoaxes is taking a toll.
43. False alarms and panic are costing this country millions and millions of dollars.
A. In a normal year it is said that officials respond to about 250 biochemical threats.
B. In the last 18 days officials have responded to 3,300 biochemical reports.
C. It would normally take 13.2 years to experience what we have faced in the last 18 days.
D. Our police, fire departments, and other agencies are being stretched thinner and thinner.
E. Part of the new burden is coming from hoaxes and pranks.
F. In
one recent prank a man in
G. His stunt shut down an environmental agency for two days.
H. The cost to tax payers is 1.5 million dollars.
I. In addition to the hoaxes it seems that many have become afraid of their own shadow.
J. Northwest airlines has taken artificial sweeteners and powder coffee creamer off its flights.
K. When people see a powdery substance many panic.
L. People are calling 911 when they see radiator fluid from cars.
M. Others are calling because cookie crumbs are on a computer keyboard.
N. Emergency response teams have been called because powdered sugar has fallen off doughnuts.
O. One fellow sent some Parmesan cheese through the mail as a joke and terrorized some people.
44. Our country has limited resources.
45. We may not be stripped of our resources by insects and bugs.
46. There
are other ways for
47. When Amos saw a problem that put the nation where he was in jeopardy he implored God with prayer.
48. We can and should do the same for our country.
49. From all corners of this country we hear how strong we are and how we will prevail.
50. I’m not sure that is the message Amos would have preached.
51. The prophet said, how shall Jacob stand? for he is small.
52. Compared
to God, the nation of
53. Compared to the locust plague the Hebrew people were small.
54. After this vision Amos saw a second one.
55. This vision is described in verse 4.
56. Imagine a fire that is so great it sweeps through a land where there has been a drought.
57. There is little water and the water that is left is swallowed up by a fire.
58. This was the second vision Amos say and the prophet again said, “It is too much.”
59. The prophet didn’t ask for forgiveness but he did make a request for mercy.
60. We are in a time that is very similar to the days of Amos.
61. In the church we talk about following the examples in the Bible. This is right.
62. In Amos 7 we have an example.
63. We will be a Christian and serve God to the best of our ability?
64. We will come to God and beg Him to be merciful to our nation?
65. The prayer of a righteous person avails much.
66. That’s
what we need in