Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 4 · Section 1
VER. 1.
Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me, and behold he formed Grashoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and loe it was the latter growth after the Kings mowings.
IN this Chapter we have three Visions, the first whereof is that of devouring Locusts, which left little or nothing behind them. Where we have,
1 The Person revealing the Vision to the Prophet, and that is, the Lord, Thus hath the Lord God shewed me, in a Prophetical Vision,See Dr. Thomas Taylor on Amos 8.11. p. 215.216. fol. the Judgements which he is about to bring upon Israel. This he mentions to procure the more authority to what he spake, that they might see they were not figments, or dreams of his owne inventing.
2 Here is the Vision it self, or what the Lord shewed him, and that is Grashoppers, and behold he formed Grashoppers. He did not call out Grashoppers already made,Iotser, fictor, à Iatsar, finxit, formavit, Isa. 43.1. Zach. 12.1. but he saw the Lord forming and framing a new Army of Grashoppers out of the dust of the earth, or the like; which to Gods Omnipotency was as easie, as to bring out an Army of Grashoppers already made.
Obj. But most call these Grashoppers Locusts, and so the very same word is rendred, Isa. 33.4. so that what shall we call them, Grashoppers, or Locusts?
I answer, both; that is, they are Grashopper-Locusts. To clear this, you must know that there were several sorts of Locusts mentioned in the Scripture, some were silent, and some vocal; some good, and for food, Mat. 3.4. Others were obnoxiou… …nd hurtful, as here in the text, and of these there were three sorts:
See Ainsworth on Levit. 11.221 Locust-Solhem, Levit. 11.22.
2 Locust-Horgel, Levit. 11.22.
Gob, Gobe, Loenstae, bruchi, à radice Gabah, exaltavit, quia …levant & exal. ant pedes.3 Locust-Hagab. Levit. 11.22.
And this last is the Locust-Grashopper in the text. It was a devouring Insect, that went in great multitudes together, eating up all before them, and so bringing a Famine on the places where they came, Ioel 1.4, 6. & 2.11. they are called a Nation, and an Army of Vermine for their swarmes and multitudes.
Q. A second Quere is, VVhether these Locusts must be taken Literally, or Metaphorically, properly or symbolically?
Ans. 1. They may be taken literally for an Army of Insects, which devour the fruites of the earth, and so cause a famine; this is most genuine here, and it was one of those rods with which God chastned Israel, Amos 4.9. as for War, he speaks of that, vers. 4. but this especially relates to famine, and some Judgements begun before the time of Ieroboam the second.
2 Others take them Metaphorically, for any kind of devastation or wasting whatsoever; or else for the Assyrians, which like so many Locusts should over-run the Land of Israel, and devour all before them. Hence the Assyrian is compared to a Razor, which should shave them even to the skin, Isa. 7.20.
3 Here is the Time these Locusts were formed, and that is, 1. Generally, in the beginning of the shooting up of …he latter growth. 2. More particularly, It was the latter growth after the Kings mowings. After the first fleece was mowed off for the use of the Kings horses, which was wont to be sooner than the common mowth. Locusts love not to feed on ripe and hard things: their delight is in young and tender things; and therefore they are very destructive to Immanths, and new-sowen fields. These hurtful Vermine God sent in abundance amongst them.
And here againe Interpreters differ, 1 Some take this mowing or shearing of the Grass for the grazing with the Kings sheep,Ter centum niveitond…nt dumeta juvenci. Virg. Georg. l. 1. Achar gizze hammalech, post tonsionem regis, non gregis. whose feeding is called a cropping of the grass. But this hath no rooting in the text; for though the word doe signifie shearings, yet it is used for mowen grass, Psal. 72.6.
2 Others take it, for the mowing not only of Grass, but of Corn also in the Fields; for Husbandmen (especially in those fruitful regions) used to mow their luxuriant Corn, that it might thicken and stand the better; and if this latter blade were eaten by Insects or Locusts, the Harvest was lost, and Famine ensued. The vulgar Latine mistaking the Original, render it, Serotinus imber, the latter rain, but the word is, Lekesh, herba serotina, sive cordum) the latter mowth, and not the latter rain; and here again some fly to Metaphors, and conceive that this mowing adumbrates the devastation of Israel by the Assyrian; as …elds when they are mowen, and their fleece is gone, are naked and deformed, so God would raise up the Assyrian that should rob them of their riches, and fleece them for their sins.
The flourishing Grass notes the flourishing condition of Israel, but they abusing that condition, the Lord mowed them. 1. More lightly and overtly, by Pul King of Assyria, 1 Chro. 5.26. 2. More severely, by Benhadad King of Syria, who afflicted them very sore, and gained much of their Land and riches from them.
3 There was a latter growth in the dayes of Ieroboam the second, when Israel began to flourish, and recover its losses, 2 King. 14.25. but after this they grew worse and worse, till the Lord swept them out of the Land, and would hear no more prayers for them.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 Formerly God revealed his mind to the Prophets (as hee did here to Amos) by Types and Visions, Jer. 1.11. & 24.1. Ezek. 1. Heb. 1.1. See more of this, Amos 8.1. Obs. 3.
2 All our afflictions come from God.
See D. Thomas Taylor on Amos 8.11, 12. p. 224. folio.It is he that forms the Locusts, sends Fire, metes out the very Time, Quantity, Quality, and Duration of all our sufferings; whatever it be, it is he that forms it, Ier. 18.11. there is no evil of this kind in the City, but the Lord doth it, Amos 3.6. This must make us patient and silent, since it is the Lord that doth it, Psal. 39.9.
3 God hath Armies of Insects, and little contemptible Creatures wherewith to punish disobedient people.
He needs not men to destroy us, he hath Froggs and Flies, Lice and Locusts, and these shall doe it, Exod. 10.14. Deut. 28.38, 42.2 Chron. 7.13. Psal. 78.46. Ioel 1.4. much of Gods might is seen in these little Armies,Nec in ulla magis quam in his tota natura est Pliny Nat. Hist. l. 1…. c. 1. they all fulfill the word of Gods command. Let none then murmure at second causes, but still look up to the first, lest by fretting at our troubles, we double them.
4 Naturally we are very stupid and sens…lesse under Gods hand.
Though he smite us, yet we grieve not, Isa. 9.12, 13. Ier. 5.3. and though his hand be lifted up against us, yet we will not see, Isa. 26.11. The Judgement it self here was visible, and yet they had not eyes to see it: yea though the Prophet held it forth to them by a sensible Type, and useth a double Ecce, (Behold, …oe) to excite them and quicken attention. No wonder that our Saviour cryed, O hard and slow of heart, not to beleeve what God hath spoken by his Words and Works, Luke 24.25,
5 When People are most prosperous, many times they are nearest a fall.
Israel had success and victories but a little before, there was a shooting up of the latter growth, they lived in peace and plenty forty one years, they were grown rich, proud, and secure, and then comes the Locust and devoures them; no sooner had they gotten a little greenness, but the Assyrian devours it. As Herbs when they come to flower, begin to wither; or as the Sun when it comes to the Ze…ith, then it declines; so man in his best estate is altogether vanity, Psal. 39.5. not only in his worst estate, when Old age hath seized on him, but in his flourishing and most prosperous condition, man is but a vaine thing. Be jealous then over your selves when you abound with those Creature comforts, be like Pigeons, when they fare best they are most fearful. It is good to think of War in times of Peace, and of Famine in times of Plenty, we know not what changes may come in the world, it is good to fear the worst, as Iob did, Iob 3.25.
6 Gods Iudgements usually are gradual.
As men sin gradually, and grow from one degree of wickedness to another; so God is gradual in his punishments. First, he begins with lesser rods, and they being slighted he brings forth greater, and plagues men seven times more according to their sins. 1. He begins here with Locusts, and destroyes the fruites of the earth. 2. He takes away part of their Land from them. 3. He takes away the whole Kingdom, and sends away the people into captivity.