Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 6
AN EXPOSITION, WITH Practical OBSERVATIONS UPON The Ninth Chapter of Amos.
VERSE 1.
I saw the Lord standing upon the Altar, and hee said Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head all of them, and I will slay the last of them with the sword: hee that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them, shall not be delivered.
IN this last Chapter, which contains the last Vision and Prophecy of the destruction of Iudah and Ierusalem, wee have the summe and substance of the seventh Sermon of the Prophet Amos, which consists of three parts.
1. A Commination.
2. A confirmation of that Commination.
3. A Mitigation or Qualification of this Commination with Evangelical promises of consolation and restauration. So that this Chapter consists both of Law and Gospel, of judgement and mercy; which is the best mixture that a Prophet of God can use, because all ingenuous natures are wrought upon, either by judgements or mercies, and those that neither of these can work upon, are desperate.
1. Here is a continuation of Gods Commination by way of Type or Vision, wherein we have, 1. The Vision propounded, viz. the smiting of the lintel of the Temple door, that the posts might shake. Denoting thereby the certainty of their ruine and transportation, without any possibility of escaping.
2. The Vision is expounded, vers. 1. where we have 1. The persons that shall be cut off, and those are the body of the people, the generality of the Land, both great and small; as all had sinned, so all must now suffer for sin. 1. He commands, Smite them in the head, that is, cut off Kings, Princes and Priests, both in Israel and Iudah. 2. Rest not there, but slay the rest of them with the sword, that is, cut-off the inferiour sort. 3. Here is the certainty and inevitableness of their suffering confirmed by Arguments drawn, first from the Omnipresence of God, no place what ever can protect a sinful people from his revenging hand, and this is set forth 1. Generally, vers. 1. Hee that flyeth, shall not flee away, and hee that escapeth, shall not bee delivered. There is no escaping when God pursues.
2. By a notable enumeration of some particular places, shewing that they should not escape though they hid themselves
1. In Hell, vers. 2.
2. In Heaven.
3. In the tops of inaccessible mountains, vers. 3.
4. In the bottome of the Sea.
5. In Captivity. Though they went into banishment out of their own Land, yet there the Lord would command the sword, and it should slay them, vers. 4. So that they were safe neither at home nor abroad, neither in their own Land, nor in strange Countries.
4. Their total overthrow is further confirmed by Arguments drawn 1. From the anger of God, vers. 4, 8. I will set mine eyes upon them for evil. 'Tis a Metaphor from men in whom the anger of the heart, discovers it self in the eyes and face.
2. From the might and majesty of God, who hath power to punish them; and this power is set forth, 1. By his Titles▪ Hee is the Lord God of hosts, vers. 5. 2. By the effects of his power.
1. If he but touch the Land, it shall melt, vers. 5. with a touch he can destroy a Land, and turn it into us first Chaos.
2. He can bring an overflowing flood upon it, that shall quickly over-run all, vers. 5.
3. By his work of Creation, 1. In Heaven, 'tis hee that builds the stories of Heaven. By his power and wisdome hee created the Heavens, and the several sphears and regions of the Air, as so many stories one above another, vers. 6.
2. In the earth, he hath founded his Troops in the earth, vers. 6. He hath variety of creatures, as so many Troops on earth ready prest to serve him, and execute his commands, they are all his servants, Psal. 119.91.
3. In the Sea. He calleth for the waters of the Sea, and they presently cover the face of the earth, vers. 6. By all which he proves himself to be, The Great Iehovah of all the world.
5. He confirms the certainty of their destruction from the sinfulness of their condition. As first, They were dis-ingenuous and ungrateful, whereas he had brought them up out of the Land of Egypt, and made them his Israel, yet they behaved themselves more like Ethiopians, than Israelite… ; and therefore as they had been like to Heathens in sinning, so now they should be like them in suffering, vers. 7.
2. They were very secure and regardless of Gods threatnings, contemning the warnings of Gods Prophets, and therefore the Lord threatens, that they should fall by the sword, vers. 10.
3. The Prophet having before used Driving Motives, drawn from the Judgements of God; comes now to Drawing Motives, taken from the mercies and comfortable promises of God. Before he had brought them to Mount Ebal, the Mount of cursing; but now he brings them to Mount Gerizim, the Mount of Blessing. Before he tried them with legal Menaces, and dreadful Comminations, now he closeth his Prophecy with Gospel-mercies, and Evangelical consolations.
1. He tells them that an elect remnant should be saved in the midst of these calamities, till better daies should come under the Gospel. Though the Lord were resolved to punish the body of that rebellious Nation, yet he would not utterly destroy them all, but would preserve some because of his Covenant; and though they might be fifted, tossed and tried with many afflictions, and go into captivity as well as others; yet not one grain should fall to the ground, nor any one of Gods elect perish eternally, vers. 8, 9.
2. Here is the happy Restauration of the Church in Gospel-times set forth 1. Under the type of raising up the Tabernacle of David which is fallen, vers. 11. Though the house of David, and the men of Iudah and Israel were sorely shattered, and sunk very low by reason of their captivity, and other miseries, which lay upon them; so that they were like a Tabernacle fallen down, or a Garden laid open, the fence being broken down; yet in Christ the true heir of David, it should in Gospel-times be restored and repaired.
3. According to the custome of the Prophets in Old-Testament times, he prophesieth of the glory and happiness of the Church, which he sets forth by the magnificence and affluence of outward blessings; typifying thereby those spiritual mercies which God would give to the elect remnant after their sufferings.
1. He promiseth that the Nations should be subdued under them, and their bounds should be inlarged by taking in the Gentiles in these Gospel-times into communion with them, vers. 12.
2. Great plenty in their fields and Vineyards, vers. 13, 14.
3. Re-edifying of their ruined Cities, vers. 14.
4. Returning from captivity and banishment, and re-establisment in their own Land, in despight of all their enemies, vers. 15.
Object. But 'tis impossible, that ever such things should be effected.
Answ. To men who are led by sense and carnal reason, these things may seem impossible; but to the Almighty all things are possible. Now 'tis he that undertakes the work, and 'tis he that will effect it in his due time. 'Tis I that will bring them again, and I will plant them in the Land that I have given them, even I will do this, saith the Lord Almighty, who am Thy God in covenant with thee.